Weekly Reflections, 4/14/23

We are rapidly approaching Israel’s 75^th birthday as Yom Ha’atzmaut is less than two weeks away. Let’s face it – I’m not sure many of us will be too sad to say goodbye to what’s been a pretty rough 74^th year, one marked by yet another new government, increased terrorism, heightened conflict on the Temple Mount, renewed ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the contentious debate over judicial reform. We saw the firing and then the reinstatement of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. It is challenging to remain optimistic and positive when we are inundated with near daily bad news. For me, this has had extra meaning as our 27 year-old son Max has spent the last 9 months living and working in Tel Aviv – just blocks away from the beach where Alessandro Parini, a 35 year-old Italian lawyer, was killed in a vehicle rampage just one week ago.
 

So at times like these, where can we find some solace? For me, one way is looking at the picture below – of tens of thousands of Israelis who mobilized to protest against the proposed judicial reforms. These Israelis – who represent the incredible diversity of today’s Israel in terms of age, gender, sexual orientation, economics, politics, nationality and religious practice – made a strong statement, literally cloaked in the Israeli flag, that their love for Israel is no less meaningful, deep and eternal than those championing radical reforms.