Page 57 - HaMizrachi YmYm 2020 FLIPv3

Israel Insight

Dr. Sharon Goldman
UNITY OF A
Nation

n the midst of the Corona The idea of unity during these chal- Charedi players, but in general, as
pandemic – perhaps because of it lenging times was not only aspi- soon as it was understood, the over-
I– something amazing happened. rational but also inspirational for whelming number of Charedim took
For the first time in almost 20 many. Israeli citizens came together the health directives very seriously.
years, a national unity government – as one nation– to help one another. They were the ones paying the price
was formed. Yes, there were many Medical students in the north vis- for their delayed response, with over
complications and machinations ited chronically ill patients to ensure 75% of the cases in Jerusalem and
along the way, and the final they got the psychological and medi- close to 50% of all cases coming from
formulation is challenging enough cal support they needed during their their own community. With limited
to make almost everyone unhappy. extended isolations; whole neighbor- access to the internet and media, their
At AIPAC we used to say that if both hoods participated in baking goods slow responses, while frustrating, are
Left and Right were not happy with for local health care workers; singers understandable. And the reminder
us, we had done something right. The and entertainers offered their tal- message sent by this community to all
same principle holds true here. There ents free online to massive Zoom of us – that we need to worry about
is something unique about a coalition audiences; people who still had jobs our souls as much as our bodies, is
that includes both the Charedi and gave their government-issued checks not a trivial one.
Labor parties and has agreed to both to those less fortunate. There was As we come to the holiday of Shavuot
annex the West Bank and hand the a real sense of all of us being in this – after multiple layered counting: the
ministerial portfolios of housing and together, that only with a unified omer with its own sadness, and our
stance will we continue to remain
economy to the Left. Corona counts where we also lost too
strong in the face of this invisible
There were many articles exploring enemy. many – we need to remember its crit-
ical message of unity. Moshe comes to
why Benny Ganz, who had numbers Unity extended beyond just the Bnei Yisrael to offer G-d’s Torah and
on his side, and why Bibi Netanyahu, Jewish citizens of Israel. The Israeli “all the nation answered together.”
who had time on his side, agreed to government and the Palestinian It was because of this unity that we
a unity government. Each had both Authority have been cooperating were given the miracle of the Torah.
personal and political reasons, and fully throughout this pandemic. The Thousands of years later we united
each negotiated fiercely for what was Israelis transferred critical medi- again after a different miracle – the
primary in his own mind. However, I cal supplies to the Palestinians and 1967 war. On the Shavuot of 1967,
believe that at some point both men invited them in to help in East Jerusa- every demographic was represented
also realized that unity was nec- lem. There were frequently scheduled as they visited the Kotel: “kibbutz
essary for a country engaged in an meetings between the Israelis and the members and soldiers rubbing shoul-
unprecedented fight against a viral Palestinians not only about health ders with Neturei Karta” reported the
pandemic. These men didn’t need issues but economic concerns, as well, Jerusalem Post. After our own war
to unite because only together could as the Israeli and Palestinian econ- against Corona, we need to remember
they wisely and thoughtfully design omies are intertwined in significant the import of our unity – it may be
the perfect strategy for containment ways. A joint “war room” was even complicated and difficult, even frus-
and exit; but rather because Israeli established. trating – but it is a critical element to
citizens were simply exhausted – by The one weakness in terms of achdut strengthening both the nation and the
isolation, by anxiety, by uncertainty – – unity – was the rise in animosity country of Israel.
and ending the political struggle with directed at the Charedi population.
a unified government was a way to Yes, the community did not respond Dr. Sharon Goldman is a Vice President
positively resolve at least one distress- quickly enough to social distancing at Bar-Ilan University, and a former AIPAC
ing national issue. rules, and there were some very bad Northeast Deputy Regional Director

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