Israel and Democracy by Rabbi Sandra Kviat

We rarely discuss Israel in the Chavurah, and this is in part due to how divisive it can be, but mainly because we orient our Judaism and Jewish lives towards the country that we live in. We all have very different views on Israel and different experiences, so that when we do have events with Israel at the centre, we make sure the tone is respectful. 

As you will have seen from the news coming from Israel, there is an altogether different tone coming from the new government, which is deeply worrying from a democratic and human rights perspective. What these changes mean for Israel as a democracy and for us as progressive Jews are yet to be seen. It also raises the question of how Jewish communities in the UK can and should celebrate Israel’s 75 independence this year. There are a lot of discussions happening across the religious spectrum in the UK at the moment, and we felt it is important to alert you to this.

This week's Thought for the Week is written by David Davidi-Brown, from the New Israel Fund UK.

David Davidi Brown writes:
This Saturday Israelis around the world will be joining the fight for Israel's future as a democracy. Our thoughts are with Israelis and Palestinians following a distressing and deadly start to 2023. In over 20 cities, Israelis are organising rallies to make their voices heard for Israel's democratic future, including in London and Cambridge. While this is not an NIF event, we believe in supporting Israelis who are standing up for democracy. 

We appreciate this event is on Shabbat, and we will be sharing many more opportunities to show support in the coming weeks.

Since the new Israeli government took office, we have seen attacks on Israeli democracy and civil society, including many organisations (including us) being "blacklisted" by Deputy Education Minister Avi Maoz and plans tooverride the judiciary being set in motion.

In response there has been unprecedented support for Israel's democracy.Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to demand their right to live in a democratic state. Israeli tech companies have gone on strike. Over 600 "leftists of faith" - Haredi, Orthodox, Masorti, Reform and Liberal - came together to demonstrate that Ben Gvir and Smotrich profane the Judaism they claim motivates their “religious” Zionism.

It is in the spirit of these brave Israelis that we are encouraging people to support this event. In the UK, prominent voices are speaking out against the actions of the new government.

Sir Mick Davis wrote that "no one has a mandate to dismantle the institutions of Israeli democracy."

As Jonathan Freedland writes, "if you call yourself pro-Israel, your place is with those thousands on the streets of Tel Aviv desperate to save it."

Warm wishes,

David Davidi-Brown

Chief Executive, New Israel Fund UK