Grapevine November 13, 2024: Two-way street

Relatively fast on the heels of his best-selling book Sledgehammer, former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has authored a new book in the aftermath of October 7, under the title One Jewish State in which he advocates that Israel plan its future in accordance with biblical values, without worrying about what others might think. He considers one Jewish state to be “the last best hope to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” Some of the ideas he proposes are controversial, such as diverting $1 billion in US aid to the Palestinians to help finance Israel’s annexation of the West Bank. He believes that, in the long run, this will help to improve the lives of Palestinians living in the area. This seems like more of a utopian dream than a possible reality. The book, which will be released this month, was recently launched in Israel at a gala event in the Rosh Hahar banquet hall in Nofim, in the West Bank, which is under the jurisdiction of the Samaria Regional Council. Among those present at the launch were Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel and Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.

If Friedman is re-appointed as US ambassador to Israel, he and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter will be a perfect match, as politically the two are on the same page.

'Bipartisan support' is a two-way street

ONE OF the most used expressions in America’s relations with Israel is “bipartisan support,” but it’s a two-way street. Just as he was beginning his visit to the US, President Isaac Herzog sent a congratulatory message to US President-elect Donald Trump, and on the final day of his visit met with outgoing President Joe Biden to personally thank him for all that he has done for Israel over the years, and to wish him well. 

Very early in his visit, Herzog addressed members of the UN Security Council. He was escorted to the meeting by Israel’s permanent representative to the UN Danny Danon who introduced him to permanent members of the Security Council:  ambassadors Fu Cong of China, Nicolas de Riviere of France, Vassily Alekseyevitch Nebenzya of the Russian Federation, Barbara Woodward of the United Kingdon,  and Linfa Thomas Greenfield of the United States, who under the new US administration will be replaced by Rep. Elise Stefanik – who ran an aggressive campaign for Trump. Herzog also met with some of the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council.

Ceremonies commemorating assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin

STATE CEREMONIES commemorating the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin were not held this year or last, even though state commemoration of the anniversary happens to be enshrined in law. One cannot help wondering now, whether the same fate will befall Israel’s founding prime minister David Ben-Gurion, the 51st anniversary of whose passing is just under a month away. There is no doubt that Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will hold a memorial ceremony, but whether there will be a state ceremony, remains to be seen.

In the United States, preparations are underway for the third annual Ben-Gurion Day, which will be held on December 8. The 46th anniversary of the passing of Golda Meir also falls on December 8, according to the Gregorian calendar.

This year’s event offers a special message of resilience and unity in the face of adversity and is rooted in the increasingly relevant vision of Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. So state the Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU), the organizers of the nationwide commemoration.

In a press release, A4BGU announced that the organization’s partners include approximately 75 synagogues, 25 day schools, 10 Jewish community centers, and five Jewish Federations.

Expressing the pleasure of the A4BGU in such a positive  sign of unity, Doug Seserman, CEO of A4BGU said: “David Ben-Gurion’s historic promise was that Israel would be ‘a light unto the nations.’ This robust, nationwide participation inspires and empowers A4BGU to lead the way forward in shaping that brighter future.”

A webinar, which will be hosted in partnership with the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, will focus on Ben-Gurion’s teachings on resilience and will feature the rarely seen archival documents that highlight his leadership during Israel’s early years; as well as discussions on how his philosophy remains relevant in today’s context. Experts will offer reflections on the lasting impact of Ben-Gurion’s vision for Israel’s future.

New Holocaust writings leading up to International Holocaust Remembrance Day

WHILE BOOKS and essays related to October 7 continue to abound, it is fairly certain that we will also see new Holocaust writings over the next month or two in advance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army.

Next year’s commemoration will be of particular significance in that it marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and so few of the survivors are still living. For the children and grandchildren of those who have passed away, it is a very important date, and some have put in writing the stories they heard over the years from survivor parents. Others might wish to do so but lack the skills or the know-how of where to start.

Aware of this, Yad Vashem has organized a series of workshops under the heading “From Memory to Story.” The workshops will be led by best-selling author Noa Yadlin in two sets of six meetings. One set of meetings will be held at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem on Sundays, December 1, 8, 15, and 22, and on Thursdays, January 5 and 12 between 5.30 and 8 p.m.; and the other set of sessions will be held in the same time frame on Tuesdays, January 10, 17, and 24, and on Saturdays, January 7, 14 and 21 at Hechal Yahaduth Wolyn (Palace of Volhynian Jewry) museum and cultural center in Givatayim. The cost of attending six workshops is NIS 600. Registration is at www.yadvashem.org

Hopefully, by January 27, if not before, the hostages in Gaza will also be liberated.

If DNA testing had been possible 80 years ago, more Holocaust survivors who mistakenly believed that they had lost all their immediate relatives would have been reunited with siblings and cousins – and some even with parents. Since the introduction of DNA testing, families all over the world have been united and reunited. Countless people are totally unaware of who their relatives might be.

The IDF draft

WITH THE controversy over exemptions from army service for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students continuing, and soldiers from the National Religious camp – who are steeped in their Torah studies and do not forsake them while serving in the army – are among the thousands killed or wounded in battle, one upcoming rookie soldier, who has every right to be exempted, insists on serving.

Mia Leimberg who, together with her dog Bella, was taken hostage by Hamas and released a year ago, captured the hearts of dog lovers for her ability to hide and even feed her beloved four-legged friend which she nestled in her arms as she stepped onto Israeli soil. Now 18, Mia wants to enlist in a technology unit where she hopes she can make a meaningful contribution. While in captivity, she was angry with the government and the army and said that if she ever got out she would refuse a call-up notice. But once she returned to a normal lifestyle, she realized the importance of serving, coupled with the fact that if she did not serve, she would forever be haunted by the memories of her experience in Gaza. To serve in the IDF is to break away from Gaza, and that’s what she intends to do.

Critics of the ongoing struggle with the haredim should rethink their approach.  Both the haredim and the Arabs who – with few exceptions – do not serve in the IDF or in state-operated civilian service options, do however engage in numerous humanitarian and other charitable projects in which they provide various kinds of support for soldiers, the wounded, the sick, the aged, and the weaker sectors of society in general.  

The bottom line is that they don’t want to be part of the Zionist enterprise, although they are more than willing to help people who are part of the Zionist enterprise. Instead of banning subsidies for ultra-Orthodox who do not serve, the government, via the Knesset, should institute a rule that whoever does not serve in the IDF or in civilian national service cannot be a member of Knesset. Without representation in the Knesset, both the haredim and the Arabs would lose much of the influence that they have and life would be much more difficult for citizens in both communities. They have to understand that you can’t have your cake and eat it. They can’t benefit from the Zionist enterprise if they refuse to be part of it. After all, the Knesset is a major facet of the Zionist enterprise. Even more drastic is the possible loss of citizenship. Imagine what would happen if their citizenship was revoked along with all the rights to which they are entitled as citizens. They can be given a choice, but then they will have to bear the consequences.

Gallant performs final 'gallant' act

AS ONE of his final acts as defense minister, Yoav Gallant lived up to his name and performed a gallant act. He and his wife Claudine Gallant went to Beit Halochem to say goodbye to wounded soldiers undergoing rehabilitation.

Sitting around in wheelchairs, they were all emotionally moved that Gallant had come to salute them. For his part, he did not want to be standing over them, so, though not wounded physically, albeit politically injured, he tried out a wheelchair for size, much to the amusement of those who currently use them to get from one place to the next.

Rise in memorial sites across Israel

THE NUMBER of memorial sites in Israel continues to grow as more soldiers fall in battle and their families seek to do something that will honor their memories in perpetuity. Among the more recent of these projects is the “Lily Path” in memory of 20-year-old Sgt. First Class Ohad Cohen of the Shaldag unit of the Israel Air Force, who fell in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023. The Shaldag unit was among the first to enter the area of the Hamas massacre. Ohad’s family, who lives on Moshav Idan, decided to honor his memory by creating “a pathway between the lilies.” Ohad loved to hike all over the Negev, so a pathway for other hikers was an obvious choice. At this time of the year, lilies abound in the central Arava, and Cohen’s family decided that an existing 2.5-km. pathway near the moshav, known as the Lily Path was to have a signpost bearing Ohad’s name and one of his sayings, that when confronted with any crisis or challenge in his life, he liked to go out into the desert near his home and find his personal truth there. For the benefit of hikers, there is an explanatory plaque with a map and geological information, including where to find water.

Nelson Mandela's grandson denied visa entry to UK

IT IS not a given that the children and grandchildren of famous humanitarians will take after them. Mandla Mandela, grandson of anti-Apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, is a rabid anti-Zionist and has recently been denied an entry visa to the United Kingdom due to his frequently voiced support for Hamas, which the UK has recognized as a terrorist organization. Mandela had been scheduled to address pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel rallies in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Manchester.

According to the Associated Press, The Home Office in the UK sent him a letter informing him that his visa application had been denied because of his “support for Hamas,” and because his presence in the UK was “not conducive to the public good.”

The letter cites several of Mandela’s posts on Instagram in which he voices his support for Hamas, including a photograph of him with former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran in July.

“As such, your presence in the UK is considered to pose a threat to UK society as it would highly likely cause tensions amongst UK Jewish communities. It is in the interests of the community to refuse your visa to protect public safety.”

Mandela, who holds a South African government passport that would ordinarily have allowed him entry without requiring a visa, said that the refusal by the UK would not deter him from continuing to express his support for the Palestinians.

“We can never be silenced and we will never let the refusal of a visa prevent us from standing for justice, peace, and equality,” he said. “We will continue to raise our voice against the unjust occupation, genocide, and ethnic cleansing of Gaza and all of occupied Palestine sponsored by the UK and its ilk,” he added.

Mandela compared the visa denial to the restrictions his grandfather faced during Apartheid in South Africa.

“My grandfather’s movement and freedom were likewise restricted but he refused the condition of release from prison that restricted him to the Transkei. He remained firm in his pursuit of justice and continued to be a symbol of freedom, justice, and human rights for all.”

 Nelson Mandela supported both Israeli and Palestinian rights to self-determination and also visited Israel.

Pro-Palestinian organizations, including the Desmond Tutu Foundation in South Africa and the Sheffield, UK-based Palestine Coalition against Israeli Apartheid, have criticized the United Kingdom for its decision.

New chief rabbis

THE NEW chief rabbis, who have jointly announced their intention to listen more carefully to the public, have been challenged by organizations working on behalf of converts and would-be converts to approve more conversions and to see that men already converted but waiting a long time for a circumcision, should get one immediately. Would-be converts are automatically disqualified if already living with a Jewish partner whom they want to marry. The reason that they are living together is because conversion approval sometimes takes years. While it’s true that the rabbis are supposed to make conversion a challenge in order to test the sincerity of those who want to join the Jewish people, the difficulties they create should be within reason, and approval for conversion should take two or three months instead of several years.

Annual conference in Eilat 

FOR JOURNALISTS in Israel, November is the month for their annual conference in Eilat. The conference has numerous panel discussions on subjects currently in the news, or which have frequently been in the news over the past year, and Life Achievement awards are conferred on veteran journalists. The 16th Journalists’ Conference will open at the Herod’s Hotel Conference Center Eilat on Sunday, November 17. The recipients of Life Achievement Awards will be economics reporters Gad Lior and Zvi Zrachia of Yediot Aharonot and Meir Uziel of Maariv.  In  addition, the Tel Aviv Journalists’ Association will award prizes to Omri Maniv for investigative reporting for television; Nir Dvori for high-quality news and current events reporting, and Idan Avni, for reporting on civilian command in time of war.

Antisemitism in Amsterdam 

ALTHOUGH THERE have been accusations by Israelis living in Holland and by Dutch expats living in Israel that the violent acts of antisemitism perpetrated in Amsterdam against fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv were not solely part of the Free Palestine campaign, but emblematic of the virulent antisemitism that is filtering through the country, it is always a mistake to generalize. Not all Dutch people are antisemites or anti-Zionists, and not all Jews are pro-Israel. Exceptions to the rule exist everywhere. And it is wrong to place them in the same rubric as the majority, especially a socially negative majority, just as it is wrong to overlook the negative sector alongside an overwhelmingly positive majority. Some of those injured in the weekend riots in Amsterdam realize this and have refrained from poking accusatory fingers at the Dutch population in general. Others say that after this experience they will never return to Holland, possibly not to anywhere in  Europe. It’s a challenging period, not only for Israelis and for Jews. There are just too many innocent victims of violence in too many countries.

In sharp contrast to what happened in Amsterdam is a Dutch initiative introduced by a delegation that specially came from Holland to Sderot to establish resilience centers  in local schools with the aim of supporting children affected by the traumas of the past year, with particular emphasis on October 7.

The initiative stems from a profound connection to Israel and a shared understanding of the importance of building strong communities, particularly in times of crisis.

The Dutch delegation, comprising volunteers from across the Netherlands, brought with them tools and construction materials from their homeland. They are working in accordance with the belief that investing in community resilience is the key to long-term recovery. The team plans to establish 18 additional resilience centers in the future, in the hope of expanding the support available to the Sderot community.

 “We came to Israel with a sense of mission. It is important for us to strengthen the people of Israel and emphasize the inseparable bond between us,” said one of the delegation members. “This is a message of hope and unity, especially during these times.”

Michael Siman Tov, CEO of the Sderot Development Fund, which is leading the project, stated: “In these challenging times for our community, the Dutch volunteers’ initiative is a beacon of light. It’s a powerful reminder that we are not alone. Their support provides our children with tools to cope with this complex reality, and we are deeply grateful for their commitment to strengthening Sderot.”

His sentiments were echoed by Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi, who said:

“The collaboration between Sderot residents and the Dutch delegation is a powerful expression of international solidarity. In a week when we’ve heard of antisemitic riots in the Netherlands, we also see an initiative that highlights the best of humanity and the willingness to help. These new centers will provide our children with hope, security, and a place to turn to in difficult times.”

 greerfc@gmail.com