Letter to the President elect of Israel

Dear President Elect of Israel,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Ziknei Hashevet. I am ninety two years old and came on Aliyah in 1953 in order to participate in creating a new model society here. I had the pleasure as a young girl of meeting your father in Cambridge, England together with his friend Aubrey Eban in the house of friends.  My father, a Rabbi himself knew and greatly respected your grandfather, the Chief Rabbi of Israel.

I felt a great joy and relief when you were elected as our incoming President at this very critical moment in our history. It was clear to me that as well as your personal qualifications for this illustrious position you also represented symbolically a tradition of democracy and justice. I am sure you are aware that symbolically every gesture of yours bears significance.

To appoint a man who was the mouthpiece of lies, insults and obscenities attacking loyal citizens who were demonstrating for justice as your own spokesman now is a grave mistake. The spokesman is not only a mouthpiece. He is also a citizen who should have refused and resigned.

You cannot be unaware of the danger of the impact of mass demonstrations outside the Presidential Residence on the day of your inauguration as President and their possible consequences and this at a time when this courageous new government is doing its outmost to return us to a world of order and integrity.

If you will have the courage to come out to your people, admit that you made a mistake and appoint a person untainted by his/her previous behaviour as your spokesman you will go down in history as the right man in the right place at this crucial moment when hopefully history is beginning to turn.