Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “The Rabbis’ Letter against the new government is a big deal over nothing”

As the new Israeli government was taking shape, an open letter titled A Call to Action began to circulate among American Jewish communities. The signatories, some of whom are prominent figures in American Jewry, pledged “to not invite any members of the RZP [Religious Zionist Party] … to speak at our congregations and organizations. We will speak out against their participation in other fora across our communities. We will encourage the boards of our congregations and organizations to join us in this protest as a demonstration of our commitment to our Jewish and democratic values.”

This letter is worth mentioning only because it is a good reminder for Israelis what American Jewry thinks of Israel. The letter exposes the simple truth that the majority of American Jewry, not all, but certainly a substantial majority among them, oppose Jews being in Israel, and oppose the State of Israel altogether. From their perspective, it would be best if Israel did not exist.

I understand why they need to speak out. First of all, if they keep quiet, it is as if they do not exist, so they need to make some noise. Second, by and large, American Jewry has one goal in mind: to make its stay in the US as safe and serene as possible. Since the world sees Jews as connected all over the world, American Jewry finds itself having to explain the position of the State of Israel, and it makes them feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Because they feel that the existence of Israel risks their own safety in the US, they do not want Israel to exist, certainly not as a Jewish, Zionist entity.

Israel’s Judiciary: Reform or Ruin?

Lucky for Israel, it is not in any way dependent on American Jewry. The money they donate will not be missed if it stops flowing; Israel is strong enough without it. The lobbying they do for Israel has also not been there for us for many years, and Israel’s strength lies elsewhere today. Therefore, I do not think that Israel should mind at all what Jewish congregations in America think about Israel.

The interests that shape Israel’s position in the world are far more comprehensive than our relationship with this or that denomination in American Jewry. Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Iran all take part in the map of interests, and Israel is much more powerful than it used to be, both on the military end and on the economic end.

In fact, even if the US would, for some reason, stop providing military and economic aid to Israel, it would not hurt Israel’s position or harm it economically or otherwise. I do not see such a scenario unfolding, but just to give some perspective as to how independent Israel has become, it is good to remember that we are standing on our own two feet today.

The new government that has just been sworn in is rife with experienced people, who know what they want and how to achieve it, and despite some newspapers’ attempts to portray the new government as a disaster in the making, the majority of the people in Israel feel more confident now than under the previous government.

Yet, above and beyond all the political arguments, the main problem that severs American Jewry from Israel and from Israelis is the simple truth that there is hatred between us. It is fine not to agree. There are arguments in every nation, and some people even choose to leave their country because they disagree with the policy of their government. However, no Chinese in exile and no Iraqi who has fled his country’s regime would want their country to stop existing altogether. This aspiration is uniquely Jewish, and stems from our total hatred for each other, what we Jews know as sinaat hinam (hatred without cause).

If we could overcome that hatred, we would be able to overcome every disagreement. Since we do not want to even admit that our hatred for each other is so deep, we have no chance of curing it. Specifically for the people of Israel, sinaat hinam is an unforgivable sin, the root cause of all the torments that the nations of the world have inflicted on us throughout the generations.

If we tried to love one another, we would not have to hate each other in politics; we would not feel we must appease the nations, and the world would not hate us. When humanity looks at us, it sees our hatred for each other, and seeing it makes them hate us to the core, to the point where they do not want our existence in this world.
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is Israel’s side of the story?“

Recently, at a border crossing in Huwara, a large town South of Nablus, a Palestinian terrorist was shot dead by an Israeli border police officer during a struggle after the terrorist tried to steal the officer’s weapon. The event was filmed, distributed on social media and presented as the execution of a Palestinian. Israel was condemned for the act by the United Nations, America and others, and it once again awakened the question as to whether others will see Israel’s side of the story. That is, the officer acted in order to protect his own life and the life of others, and it is also written in the Torah that if a person comes to kill you, you need to kill them first.

That others will see Israel’s side of this story depends solely on whether we Jews act out of a common unification toward each other, above our differences. The world will then shift its attitude toward Israel from negative to positive, i.e. to a people who bring peace and love to humanity. As much as we behave as a divided people, then the world will likewise feel that we bring sorrow and torment to the world—and they will continue viewing us in a negative light.

Israel is held to completely different standards than any other nation because there is more of a demand upon Israel than on any other nation. We initially became the people of Israel when we followed Abraham’s guidance and reached a state of “love your neighbor as yourself.” Attaining a state of a common love toward each other is a law that we need to abide by in order to realize what we need to do in the world. After we implement this law among our own connections, we will then be able to love others too, and then they will also love us in return.

It acts like a chain, and the first link of that chain is love for our fellow people here—among the people of Israel. If we reach a state where we positively connect to each other above our differences, we will then positively influence the rest of the world. Other nations will then gain an ability to positively connect, and then they will understand that Israel grants them this ability. We will then become treated contrarily to how we are treated today: as bringers of peace. Humanity’s good or bad future rests in how the people of Israel will attune their attitudes toward each other.

Based on the video “When Will People See Israel’s Side of the Story?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
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From my Facebook page Michael Laitman 12/29/22

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Comment: Israeli medicine is one of the best in the world, but at the same time it is in a big standstill concerning the detection of diseases.

My Response: This is a big problem. In Israel, they don’t treat you until you begin to die, but they will not let you die. The approach is this: You are left to manage your health, but as soon as you become very ill, then they start to take you seriously.

You can’t do anything; this is a problematic country. Here medicine is private, public, and divided into all sorts of levels. The country cannot get over itself. And it won’t!

This is not an ordinary country. It will become a normal society only when it strives for connection—not human, but spiritual. That is when it will be able to build all its levels, all its systems, in the right way. Otherwise, it will be a bad example to all mankind. Nothing good will happen here.

You won’t see Jewish brains working properly here. You won’t see any achievements here that are beneficial. It is because it doesn’t work in the direction of our purpose. I see it very concretely and explicitly.

People wonder why, and they don’t understand why. We will always demonstrate a negative example until we begin to show humanity another example—connection.

As soon as everything is aimed, first, at uniting everyone into one single nation and the conditions of support, brotherhood, and mutual guarantee are fulfilled, then at this level we will be able to work miracles and show the whole world that it is based on unity that any amazing success is achieved, and all problems, any crises, are solved. But without connection, not.

We must give humanity a good example, and if not, it will always be bad. Such is fate.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Israeli Medicine” 12/7/13

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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Israeli Police Resigning in Droves”

One of my students told me about a major problem with police officers in Israel, that they are resigning in droves. It used to be an honorable position in Israeli society, but today they face more workloads and responsibilities while their income remains very low, even below the average wage.

Police officers in Israel become increasingly accused of power abuses and even face several instances of legal prosecution. For instance, when an Israeli border police officer who neutralizes a terrorist has to testify as a suspect, then he naturally feels betrayed by his country, and that he would be better off getting another job that would pay him more.

It is wrong for police to be so underpaid and unprotected. They should receive protection from their country, and get paid more than any other profession because they regularly have to deal with society’s ills. When I was in Switzerland around 15 years ago, I had a conversation with a police officer who told me that their average starting salary was a relatively hefty 8,000 euros a month, because it is indeed a complicated job to acquire and to sustain. Also, Israel is no Switzerland in terms of the additional risks that police officers face here.

Therefore, police need respect from the government, acknowledging the necessity and importance of their work to society, and they should always feel that society stands up for them. We need to raise their salary, revise the rules of their use of force, and give them a little more freedom. If we recruit and strengthen a good number of police officers, then Israel would be different. They should feel that people have their back, and the people should feel how the police protect them.
Based on the video “Israeli Police Resigning in Droves – A Kabbalist’s Response” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Semion Vinokur. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Symbols of Tradition Becoming Symbols of Disobedience”

Traditional and religious holidays in Israel are usually times of national unity. These days, Israel is celebrating Hanukkah, a holiday whose essence is the triumph of the Jewish spirit of unity over the Hellenistic spirit of exalting the self. Yet, precisely now, prominent elements in Israel’s society, including the (still) incumbent prime minister, are calling for civil disobedience to protest the policy of the newly elected government before it has even been sworn in, and they are doing it by advancing displays of Christian symbols instead of, or more conspicuously than the Hanukkah Menorah. Despite being a primarily political initiative, this disobedience symbolizes the level of division spreading in the nation, and a divided Israel is a short-lived Israel.

Not only politicians and opinion leaders are pushing for prominence of Christian symbols over Hanukkah symbols in Israel. Santa Claus, elves, deer, and of course, the Christmas tree can be seen in some shopping malls in Israel, and no trace of the Menorah. Universities also place large Christmas trees at the entrance to some of the buildings, either with a small Menorah next to it, or with none at all. Even the Tel-Aviv municipality has asked visitors to its Facebook page which holiday they like better, Christmas or Hanukkah.

Having different political agendas and maintaining diversity of views are the essence of democracy. It is a precondition for the advancement and development of society. Countries that maintain diverse opinions thrive, while countries that allow only one narrative to dominate, whether from the Right or from the Left, become degenerate and sink.

In the case of Israel, diversity is not only a matter of evolution or devolution. For Israel, smothering diversity poses an existential threat.

The essence of the Israeli nation is unity above diversity. The ancient Israelites came from many nations, held different ideas about everything, and were very adamant people. When they came across Abraham’s teachings (or those of his descendants Isaac and Jacob), they learned that if they do not suppress other people’s views, but unite with them despite the differences, they form a bond that makes them stronger and wiser than any biological nation. When enough people had adopted that principle of uniting without suppressing disputes and disagreements, they became a nation, the nation of Israel.

When they were united, their differences complemented one another creating a tapestry of views that did not exist in any other nation. The unity that they had had to form in order to maintain their nationhood above such diversity had to be that much stronger than any other nation.

Nature, too, consists of complementary opposites; this is what makes creation harmonious and evolving. When the people of Israel were united, they were just like the rest of nature, harmonious and evolving, and that was the secret of the success of the ancient Israeli nation.

But when the people of Israel were not united, they immediately split back into the many nations from which they came. This is why when Israel are divided, they strive to assimilate among the nations and not remain Israelis or even Jewish.

However, Israel cannot afford to lose its unity and vanish altogether. The whole purpose of the existence of the Israeli nation is to demonstrate that unity above division is possible, and that it creates a thriving society. If people do not realize that diversity must be nurtured and embraced, they will be embroiled in eternal conflicts, and humanity will destroy itself.

If Israel does not practice unity above division, it disintegrates. At that time, the world hates the Jews for advancing conflict instead of peace. However, it does not blame us because we pit countries against each other, but because the fact that we do not present an alternative to conflict forces the world to engage in the only solution it sees: eternal war. And it blames Israel for it.

Only when Israelis learn that their challengers from within are not their enemies, but their partners to the task of setting an example, they will be able to unite above their contradictions. Until then, Israel and the world can only expect strife and conflict to keep building up.*

*For more on this topic, read my books The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, and Like a Bundle of Reeds.
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Question: Why is it very difficult for Europeans and representatives of Western civilization in general to be absorbed in Israel?

Answer: The cultures are different. Israel is an Eastern European, not a Western culture. After all, the principle of Jewish life—collectivism, mutual responsibility, mutual empathy—has nothing to do with the European, and even more so with the American way of life.

Of course, we can live and prosper there, but to truly adapt to their society, to feel comfortable in it, we cannot. However, people who settle there, the second or third generation, find it very difficult to settle here – they must go through a period of adaptation again. Therefore, they create their own communities.

In addition, the language, local culture, and local relations are quite warped here. After all, Israel is a very peculiar country, with a huge bureaucracy, security problems, and uncorrected “collective farm” that came in large numbers from all countries and cannot unite and melt into a single whole.

Of course, for Westerners who come from complete comfort, leaving huge villas, swimming pools, and everything else, European culture, which they were hooked on and which they consider to be the greatest and most advanced, it is very difficult here.

So, I understand them, but they have nowhere to go. They can go to other countries, but I do not see much of a future for them there. European Jewry has no future. This is the gradual development of Nazism, which will put more and more pressure on them.

As we know from the experience of Germany, Jews can live there until the very last moment, and then also justify their persecutors. History repeats itself. It will not be different in Europe this time.

And in America too. It is just that America is too big, too divided, and too layered. But even there mutual hatred will rise because seven to eight million Jews have settled between Latin Americans, African Americans, and Europeans and they are like a bone in their throat. The little bone in the throat still feels bigger than anything else.

Therefore, everything is going to escalate because it is through aggravation that we can solve this problem, that is, realize why such hatred arises.

In past centuries this problem also existed, but it was not recognized. First, there were religious conditions for it, then financial ones. Even though they still exist today, in principle, humanity should clarify everything for itself. This is an eternal problem that will not go away.

We, the Kabbalists, must spread our vision. As a result, sooner or later the world will know the reason for such relationships and what they lead to.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Moving to Israel” 12/7/13

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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Israeli Sports Reporters Face the Harsh Reality”

The reports about soccer matches in the World Cup in Qatar, in which Team Israel is not participating, continue to captivate the many soccer fans in Israel. But other reports from Qatar are getting the attention of all the Israelis without exception: documentations of Israeli reporters facing hostile Arabs, both locals and tourists from other Arab countries. In some cases, the hostility became so intimidating that reporters felt compelled to hide their Israeli identity. In another case, a non-Israeli reporter was verbally attacked and nearly physically struck because someone in the crowd mistook him for an Israeli and announced it to his friends.

Indeed, there is an anti-Israel obsession among many Arabs. Despite the Abraham Accords that established “normalization” between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, hatred toward Israel and Jews has not subsided in the Arab world, not in the least.

Even if Israel signs a peace treaty with Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Sunni Muslim world, I believe that Israel’s position in the world in general, and in the Arab world in particular, will continue to deteriorate. To improve Israel’s status, it must earn the change. If Israel is worthy, the change will happen with or without agreements. If it is unworthy, no piece of paper will change Israel’s status, and it will remain a pariah.

Israel’s problems are not external, but internal. We cannot live with one another like fellow countryfolk. We keep trying to trip, fail, use, and abuse one another and division is gnawing on us from within. This is what I mean by “unworthy.”

The world operates according to certain laws. If we break them, we suffer the consequences. One of the pivotal laws by which the world operates says that Israel must set an example of solidarity and cohesion. Israel must display a model society. If Israel presents social cohesion, everyone will respect it and establish good relations with it.

Currently, as division and derision reign supreme here in the land that we have made unholy, Israel is setting the opposite example. This is why the world says that we have no place here. If, on the other hand, we become a beacon of unity and solidarity, the world will recognize Israel as our rightful place and appreciate the example we are giving to the world.*

—

‎*For elaborated explanations on the causes, history, and solution to antisemitism, see ‎my books The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, and my ‎latest publication, New ‎Antisemitism: Mutation of a Long-lived Hatred.‎
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “75 Years of Indecision – When It Comes to Israel, Jews Are Still Divided”

Seventy-five years ago, on November 29, 1947, “a 2000-year-old dream became reality: A Jewish State was born anew in its ancient homeland,” writes the official web page of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the topic. “On that day,” the statement continues, “the UN General Assembly voted on Resolution 181, adopting a plan to partition the British Mandate into two states, one Jewish, one Arab.”

The following day, Israel’s War of Independence began, initially against the Palestinian Arabs, who denied the UN’s right to determine the fate of Palestine, and subsequently against six invading Arab armies. Israel won the war and survived against all odds, but its greatest battle has yet to be decided—the battle for the support of the Jews.

The nations did not want a Jewish state. This was clear then, as it is clear now. The Holocaust was a powerful lever to bring the world to support the establishment of the State of Israel, and there were other considerations such as the emergent Cold War, where the US and the USSR wanted to dominate the oil-rich Middle-East.

Today, however, there is no question that if the UN voted on the establishment of a Jewish state, probably not one country would say yes. The problem that the world had hoped to solve by giving the Jews their own country has clearly not been solved. Antisemitism is rife, spreading quickly, and the Jewish question that the Germans intended to solve through extermination is a mainstream, and worse yet, legitimate topic of conversation. Things are moving in a very negative direction, and without a drastic change, they will end the way all of our good times ended: in tragedy.

However, as I indicated above, our toughest battle is not against the Palestinians or the United Nations. The worst enemies of Israel are overseas Jews and Israelis who feel that the Jewish state should not exist, and they do all that they can to destroy it—from using manipulative and false media, to supporting terrorists and praising their horrific acts.

This inner battle is the toughest because in order for us to win, we must first be willing to admit that there is something more important than being right, and that something is internal unity among the Jews. Until we accept that our troubles do not come to us at the hands of the Palestinians or the nations, but stem from our own disunity, and until we agree to work accordingly and unite despite our mutual dislike, the aversion of the world toward us will only grow.

Today in Israel, the majority of the Jews agree with the existence of a Jewish democratic state. There are many who do not, who think that Zionism is a contemptible idea, but they are still a minority in Israel.

Outside of Israel, however, the situation is very different. In the US, by far the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, as well as in many other communities, the majority of Jews consider Israel a nuisance, a trouble maker that gives the entire creed a bad name and causes the world to hate overseas Jews for Israel’s “crimes.” These Jews, who adopt the Palestinian narrative hoping that the world will spare them its hatred because of it, actually saw the wind, and they will reap the storm like the rest of us.

Jews are known for being opinionated and obstinate. I am all for firmness of views, especially when it is supported by serious data and reasonable arguments. However, at the end of the day, our well-thought-out views will not prevail over the equally well-thought-out views of the other side, nor are they intended to. The differences of opinion are there precisely so we will rise above them and place unity above what appears to be sensible arguments. When we do so, we will realize that however sensible, no argument can win if it does not stem from unity and promotes unity. In the end, it is our unity that brings peace with the Arabs, and not the tactics that either side hopes to implement.ADVERTISEMENT

The reason so many Jews oppose the Jewish state is that they do not realize their own role, and how the State of Israel is vital for their success. If they knew that the role of every Jew is to show unity precisely above division, and that this is the only way the nations will accept us, they would look at differences of opinions not as existential threats, but as challenges that we can overcome only together.

When we do so and unite, we will become a model nation, a light to the nations. This is our calling, our vocation, and we will never know peace until we do this. No political agreement will grant us what our unity will grant us. If we do not unite, instead of peace, the opposite will happen. Therefore, the only way that Israel can truly win its War of Independence is by uniting, not by fighting. This is our ticket to peace.
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “No One Wants War, but We Are Always Fighting”

A few days ago, Norma Livne, the host of the show El Mundo (“The World”), dedicated one of the shows to answering questions from my students. One of the questions was about the war in Europe. More precisely, the question was why, if no one wants war, do we always fight against each other?

Indeed, people cannot live without war. At any given moment, there is an active conflict somewhere on the planet.

If you think about it, it makes no sense. If you ask people if they believe that violence can settle differences, they will agree that it cannot. If this is the case, then I, too, would like to ask, why are we fighting? Is it to show who is right? But if this is the reason, it means that the stronger one is also the right one because he won the war. This is clearly the wrong answer.

In fact, it is not only wrong, it is deplorable and immoral. How can anyone believe that if you are aggressive and crushed your dissenter, then you are right? This is not justice; it is bullying. We are not even animals; we are worse than animals!

Yet, this is human nature. This is how we have been behaving since the dawn of time, and it will not change until we change human nature. When we decide that we are fed up with our egotism and want to try a different way to live on this planet, we will be able to think of more agreeable ways to live.

When we decide to give up our self-centeredness, we will discover that opposites do not cancel each other, but complement each other. Opposites do not threaten each other’s existence, they secure and support it.

Complementary opposites exist not only in nature, but also in humans. Just as spring has no meaning without autumn, capitalism has no meaning without socialism. The same applies to liberalism and parochialism, and globalism and isolationism. Each concept is meaningless without its counterpart, which helps define and clarify it.

Yet, the truth lies on neither side. The truth lies in unity and cooperation. Truth is what enables life. The heart and the lungs, for example, perform very different, almost contradictory functions. The lungs saturate the blood with oxygen and the heart streams the blood throughout the body and distributes the blood to the organs. In terms of oxygen saturation, these are contradictory functions. Nevertheless, only when both the heart and lungs function properly can we have a healthy body. The “truth,” if you will, is neither that the blood must be full of oxygen, nor that it must be devoid of it. The truth is that when the heart and lungs operate properly, there is balance, health, and vitality.

Truth, therefore, is balance, not subjugation. If we maintain a balance where all parts of society contribute their respective and unique shares to society, we will have a balanced and healthy society whose members are safe and satisfied. If we try to eliminate any of society’s organs, we will condemn all of society to instability, dissatisfaction, and ultimate disintegration.

Norma Livne, the host of the show El Mundo (“The World”) and Michael Laitman

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