Michael Laitman, on The Times of Israel: “On the Difference between Unity and a Show of Unity”

On January 26, Jewish leaders met under the auspices of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, to discuss unity in the face of antisemitism. The meeting took place one day before the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The speakers stressed “that the community should unite and go on offense against anti-Semites across the political spectrum.” Former Obama-administration Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Ira Forman, for example, said, “If we only criticize anti-Semitism from our political opponents and not people in our own party, our own ideology, we really aren’t caring about anti-Semitism. …We’re just using the platform of anti-Semitism to wage war against our political opponents, and those are those of us on the left, like myself, those on the right, have done too much of this and we have to end it.”

Unity has great power. Accordingly, this meeting could have been a powerful show of force. It could have shown that Jews can unite in the face of Jew-hatred, which would have gone a long way toward mitigating antisemitism.

Regrettably, there is a big difference between wanting unity and wanting to show unity. The latter is powerless and evokes ridicule and contempt. The former is what we really need but do not have, and Jewish leaders around the world do not seem to aspire to it. Their goal, it seems, is clout and wherewithal. This is why nothing will come out of that meeting.

Unity is the key to mitigating antisemitism. It is also the key to the success or failure of our nation. As I have shown multiple times in essays, op-eds, and in several books, unity is the foundation of our nation. When we are united, the world welcomes us; when we are apart, the world scorns and despises us.

Uniting in order to fight against antisemitism would have worked had we used it as a first step toward true unity, unity of the heart. If we had moved from unity because of fear to unity because we care about each other and feel responsible for one another, I would have rooted for it. But the “unity” of Jewish leaders is merely a front. Behind it hides the same division, the same hatred between the parties, and no real effort to form a bridge above it. I am convinced that the only goal of the conference is to raise money for the organizations running the event and increase their influence in the community and in politics.

If this is the goal, the result will be the opposite of unity; it will lead to more division among us and more derision from the world. Time will tell, but I have little doubt about my conclusion and little hope that I am wrong.

For more on the significance of Jewish unity, see my books Like a Bundle of Reeds: Why unity and mutual guarantee are today’s call of the hour, and The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, Historical facts on anti-Semitism as a reflection of Jewish social discord.
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Is Israel heading toward civil war?“

Based on research of countries in similar situations, futurist David Passig has discussed how civil war is likely to occur in Israel three or four generations down the line.

I do not see that there will be a civil war in Israel though. Indeed, however, what had once united the country has started melting away, and I see that there could be disputes and differences of opinions between Jews, but not a war.

How did we come to the ruin of the First and Second Temples, and the different states we went through? It happened between Jews. It was not the Greeks or the Romans who came to Israel to change things their way, but we ourselves did that to ourselves (for more on this, see chapter 1 of my book, The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism). That is why I think that there will be no more civil wars, because we likely learned something from those experiences.

Nonetheless, we need to engage much more rigorously in education, in explaining who we are, why we are so different, and what we need to correct. This should be at least about half of what children in Israel study at school.

The unique correction Israeli society needs to make is in its understanding of its role toward the world, which is to unite above our differences, and as such, become a conduit for unity to spread worldwide.

It is important to note that unity does not mean that everyone holds the same opinions. Unity takes place above our differences and divisions in opinion. Israel should consist of millions of egoists who have constant disputes, and who are very distant from each other, and they need to learn how to unite above their differences and reach a common love and closeness. That is, on one hand, there needs to be the revelation of evil, and upon it, the disclosure of love.

Based on the video “Is Israeli Society Headed for Civil War?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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My new article on Linkedin “Why Everyone Thinks We Are So Terrible”

The more humanity evolves, the more it installs negative reactions on all levels of nature. But its adverse effect is felt most strongly on the human level. Within the human level there are also divisions: There are the Jews, and there is the rest of the world. Don’t believe me? If you check how many UN resolutions concern Israel and how many concern the rest of the world, you will find that in all major committees, such as the Human Rights Council or the Security Council, Israel is the subject of UN resolutions several times more than all the countries of the world combined! What’s more, all those resolutions are condemnations and calls for Israel to correct its behavior.

If the whole world feels that Israel is several times worse than all the countries of the world, put together, it makes sense for them to deal only with us, the main problem of the world. Therefore, whatever level of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments the world has expressed so far is certain to increase.

It is written that Israel became a nation at the foot of Mt. Sinai when they united “as one man with one heart.” However, it is also written that when Israel received the law of unity, the commandment to love one another as themselves, hatred for Israel descended upon the nations of the world (Midrash Rabbah, Shemot 2:4).

Since that fateful day, we have been indebted to be a model nation, to set an example of unity to the entire world. In the words of our sages, this was called being “a light unto nations.” When we succeed, we are hailed as heroes and the world feels that it can learn from our example how to manage its affairs. When we fail, and more often than not we do, we are condemned as villains and blamed for all the problems in the world, especially the conflicts.

Since the inception of our nation, all the sages throughout the generations have confirmed the link between our unity and the well-being of the world. Over the past century or so, however, we have grown so thick that we have lost all sense of our obligation. The term Tikkun Olam [correction of the world], which so many Jewish leaders like to use in an ethical sense, does not actually refer to any other nation. It refers only to the correction of our sina’at hinam [mutual hatred without cause], which prevents us from being “a light unto nations” and enables the correction of the world.

What we define as antisemitism or as anti-Zionism is really the demand of the nations that we set the example we are obligated to set: an example of unity.

People define spirituality in many ways, but if there is one law in our world that is truly spiritual, and yet openly present among us, it is antisemitism. There is no rational way to explain it, yet everyone feels it and cannot resist it. Therefore, rational explanations will not heal or even lessen antisemitism.

The only remedy to Jew-hatred is Jew-love, namely for Jews to learn to love one another for no other reason than to set an example of unity over hatred so the whole world may be healed from conflict. Only when we follow this one spiritual law will we be liberated from the oldest, most persistent, and most malignant of all hatreds.
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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Will the recent UN resolutions regarding Israel increase antisemitism throughout the world?“

I think that the UN resolutions regarding Israel have no impact on the rise of antisemitism.

Antisemitism is a phenomenon that unfolds according to the law of nature, which is a law of interconnection and interdependence.

The more humanity develops, the more interconnected and interdependent we become. If we fail to mitigate our development by realizing our increasing connections and interdependence positively, above our innate divisive drives, then antisemitism increases.

In other words, antisemitism does not increase because the UN or anyone else decided something, but because it is embedded in the law of nature. The more antisemitism rises, the more it signals nature’s pressure on us to make a serious attitude shift: to stop caving into our instinctive divisive drives, and instead, upon them realize our tightening connections positively.

Based on the “Writers Meeting” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on December 12, 2021. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What would happen to the Jews in Israel if it became Palestine again?“

This question was discussed at the Promise of the Hereafter Conference that took place recently in Gaza. The conferences’ attendees spoke of the disappearance of the State of Israel as a historic event that would take place in a few years, and the conference’s discourse centered on how to deal with the Jews that would remain in the land after Palestine’s liberation.

First, why is the question of eliminating the Jewish state a desirable topic for a conference?

It is because we Jews have yet to learn who we truly are, and instead of realizing our roots—to come together in common love and connection—we relate to each other divisively and egoistically. While we behave as a divided people, then our enemies see it possible to make us disappear from the world.

Until we realize the need to change ourselves, to know what our purpose, role and obligation is in the world—to positively connect with each other in order to bring about a new, harmonious and peaceful world—then the world will feel us increasingly as the root of their problems, relating increasingly negatively toward us.

Therefore, if we emphasized our becoming a united nation that acts as a positive example of unity, care and love, and which projects positive connection, harmony and peace throughout humanity, then the discussion about us would shift. Instead of talking about how to deal with the Jews in a liberated Palestine, people would instead discuss how to reach the kinds of positive, harmonious and peaceful relations that the Jews project.

Based on the video “What Would Happen to Israel’s Jews if Israel Ceased to Exist?” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Question: It is time to summarize the results of the past year. What happened? The UK completed the exit from the European Union; Joe Biden took the office of President of the US; Naftali Bennett became Prime Minister in Israel; the use of disposable non-degradable tableware and plastic was banned in Europe; serious flooding occurred in Western and Central Europe; there were numerous volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in Indonesia, Haiti, and so on; fires blazed throughout Europe, Russia, and Australia; and many tornadoes caused damage in the US.

The Summer Olympic Games were held in Tokyo; Kabul fell and control transferred to the Taliban; same-sex marriage was legalized in Switzerland; Angela Merkel resigned from her duties; the coronavirus continued and continues, and has resulted in nearly 270 million people falling ill and the deaths of 5.3 million people.

How would you sum up the results of the past year?

Answer: It was a year of exacerbations. That’s what I’d call it.

And the most important escalations are between Israel and the United States. It is very serious, to the point that soon we will be at odds with each other. We are already in opposition to each other. I think there are even some who disagree with our existence.

The only thing I still hope is that the Jews in America will slowly come to their senses and will not be in such solidarity with the Democratic Party, with left-wing movements. They still need to realize that, although the government is called “left” and “democratic,” it is not democratic, it is not for democracy, it is not for the people.

But with regard to Israel, we must say it will be worse, much worse. There was nothing better for Israel than the Trump government. And we didn’t appreciate it, no matter how much I wrote and talked and shouted about it. It did not register. The Jews betrayed him. We pushed him away. And it hurts a lot, and we will still suffer a lot because of the fact that it turned out this way.

It will take a long time for the Jews to learn from this, but the lessons will be very serious, lengthy, and, I’m afraid to say, bloody.

Question: Is this the main outcome of the past year for you?

Answer: There is no other outcome because it is tied to the goals of the development of the world.

Question: Summing up the past year, what were you thinking about, yourself, Israel, or us?

Answer: No. I was thinking about the realization of the program of creation in our time, about which way it will be realized. And, unfortunately, we are turning this whole path from a kind, brief one into a bloody one, which in the end will be tragic, long, and painful. Especially for us, but, in principle, and as a result, for the whole world.

Question: You said “the path.” Then explain, please, why these two countries, or one, stands as if in the center of the world?

Answer: Israel is at the center of the world. Not because I’m in it, but because it is so for objective reasons. We have seen this throughout history. And, in principle, most people agree with this, those who see the situation and view the whole of history through the lens of time and events. It’s all tied up this way.

We are in the center of events, and our task is to lead the world to unity and connection by showing an example and dragging others after us.

And we don’t do that. Therefore, of course, it is our fault that the world is in the state it is now. We will have to fix this, and keep on fixing it, maybe, in very, very unpleasant ways. This is called the “path of suffering.”

So there will be no connection, there will be long separations, there will be long term problems, skirmishes, wars, and misunderstandings, but in the end we solve all this. And when we, meaning the Jews, go on the wrong path, not on the path of connection, then, of course, it’s bad.

Question: Does this formula work: bad for us, bad for the world?

Answer: The world will not be better off. The world will be the same way as us, only in a different form. If they deport us, destroy us, force us to vacate our territories, and so on, then the world will eventually also be covered in wounds bleeding. It will just be like a hunted animal.

Well, what will you do? We are to blame for this. I have written about it, talked about it, and in the end we are coming to this now.

Question: What’s more important for you, that the Jews will hear you more or all the nations of the world?

Answer: The nations of the world is good, of course, but the main thing is the Jews since everything depends on them after all. At any moment, if they change and understand that they are the central point and that the state of the whole world depends on their condition, if they unite among themselves, the world will begin to unite and it will be possible to prevent war.

No one will help us. The Americans are already openly declaring that we are not participating in your plans. They don’t even want to supply us with tanker planes. Which means, we won’t even be able to attack. We cannot attack Iran, its nuclear facilities, which they openly say are intended for us. They don’t hide it.

And the Americans also do not hide that they are stopping all help to us. And there’s nothing left for us to do. Are we going to sit here and wait for the atomic bombs to fall? And this is quite likely.

This is what we have brought upon ourselves by ourselves both physically and spiritually. We do not seek connection. We do not seek solidarity. We do not seek solidarity among ourselves. We are an example of such mutual rejection that does not exist in any other nation.

No nation in the world can show an example of such separation and division as we do. We are practically repeating all the same Jewish wars that have been waged throughout history within the Jews with each other.

Comment: When the Temples collapsed.

My Response: It’s the same now.

Question: What is your conclusion from all this?

Answer: Conclusion: Beware, Jews! That’s the conclusion. Just this. And that’s why I’m very pessimistic about the future! Everyone in the world is becoming more and more convinced that Israel and the Jews are just a problem, a malignant tumor on the body of the world.

Comment: But in this case you are not offering to remove the tumor, you are offering to cure it.

My Response: I don’t know how to cure it. I think that people, the nations of the world, the countries, will have the same thought again: “Why did we create this Israel? And what does it even exist for? It’s like an eyesore to us.”

Comment: Let’s say this thought arises. The action is not about destruction I hope.

My Response: There will be such actions that we will be banished from all international clubs and organizations.

Comment: Judged in all international courts.

My Response: It’s already happening. And we will supposedly reassure ourselves that this is not so, that it is all temporary, and so on. Just like the Jews did in Nazi Germany before they were all taken to concentration camps.

Comment: But you have said that it is impossible to destroy this nation.

My Response: Well, there will be a few people left. I’m being completely serious!

If a large number of people can only be in such discord among themselves, then in order to bring them to some more or less logical, correct relations, there will be nothing left but to reduce their numbers. Let them feel how dependent they are on each other.

Question: Let’s say I hear it. Here I am, a Jew, or I am a representative of other nations, I hear it. What are my actions? You’re not talking just for the sake of talking.

Answer: Your actions will be dictated by what will happen to these nations.

Question: If I am a Jew, what are my actions?

Answer: To throw everything off and engage only in connection: to gather all the Jews as much as possible into one single feeling, one awareness that they are one single whole and must connect with each other, overcome mutual hatred, and achieve a state almost like love.

All this is done so that after connecting together, we can do our real work, not only on our own connection, but on the connection of the whole world. Then we must be a light to the nations of the world. And we will have to spread the methods of connecting and uniting all people in the world with each other.

And they will ripen by this time because there will be so many more cataclysms, so many problems, that we would hardly have time to explain to them that it can only be stopped by our kind mutual relations should that come from the Jews.

Comment: You are not talking about the advantage of Jews. You’re talking about the pretty hard work they have to do.

My Response: About their duty to all mankind.

And they don’t feel it. Humanity feels this in its claims to the Jewish people, and the Jewish people themselves do not feel it. And that’s the problem. How can these stiff-necked people, such stubborn ones, be shaken so that they wake up. It turns out that inside they are just frozen, still, preserved for many, many centuries.

I do not know how to do this. And therefore, on the eve of next year, I am in a state of anxious expectations. And I don’t see what good can happen next year. There are no prerequisites for this.

Comment: And if I, a representative of any other nation, hear this, and it even annoys me.

My Response: If you don’t belong to the Jews, then I ask you to put pressure on the Jewish people, explain to everyone what I explained to you. And try to make them, the Jews, understand their necessity, their real role in this world, especially in our time, and immediately begin to implement it, to connect between themselves, to show an example to all the nations of the world of how to unite. And then the world will calm down and come to its correct state.

This should be explained to everyone.

Comment: Still, it amazes not only me, but everyone that you put this to the forefront, at the forefront of everything that is happening in the world! In the world!

So much is happening in the world and you put this at the top of everything.

My Response: There is a free fall of all mankind happening in the world into a moral, technological, ecological pit.

Comment: And you say it is because of us.

My Response: Yes. Because we don’t raise the value of connection. Only it matters!

Question: Connection in a simple sense?

Answer: The connection of people among themselves, because in this case they can reveal the upper force, bring it closer to themselves. As we unite, we bring the upper force closer to ourselves and thus reveal to all of us the existence of all of us in a certain new world. We begin to see the forces that control us. This is very important! And then we understand where we live, what for, how to live, and so on. Therefore, when we begin to unite, we begin to reveal the manifestation of the upper force between us.

Question: Does this revelation really have to come to every person? To absolutely everyone?

Answer: It will come to every person. Sooner, later, depending on one’s internal qualities, but it will come to every person.

Comment: We are entering the next year, what are your wishes, please.

My Response: To be heard!
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 12/13/21

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Israel is introducing the 4th dose of the coronavirus vaccine. And people ask, how can it be that we have been fighting the pandemic for two years and in no way are managing to overcome it? Will it continue indefinitely, one vaccination after another?

The best specialists around the world have been looking for a solution for two years, so much money has been invested in these studies and we still cannot defeat this tiny virus. It surprises us every time.

The fact is that this problem is not technical, but biological, at the degree of the human structure. The problem is inside the person! After all, a virus is genetic material, the most complex thing we have. The human body, a biological cell, is the most difficult object to study, the most complex material.

Why can’t we handle the coronavirus? Because we don’t know for what purpose it appeared. We don’t know what cells and intercellular exchange exist for.

We don’t know what anything exists for, we just know that it is. And that is why we cannot unravel the mystery of life, the meaning of life, even of a small cell. And since we don’t know what every cell in man and in general in the whole of nature is for, we don’t understand what is happening.

We don’t know what the coronavirus came for, and therefore, we can’t defeat it. Some new biological material appears, which has its own life, but why did it arise? Why did it suddenly reveal itself right now but did not manifest before? Has it been dormant somewhere for millions of years or did it not even exist?

It’s as if we were looking at some unknown machine and didn’t understand what it was designed for, who made it, and how it could be used. We notice the virus only because it begins to interfere with us. Otherwise we wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

The virus comes in order to awaken us to correction, which means, to rise above our egoism, the desire to receive pleasure for ourselves without taking into account the desires of other people. So maybe we ourselves awaken this virus and force it to come out of hibernation?

If we asked the virus what it wants from us, it would answer that it has an important mission. In nature, nothing exists aimlessly, and therefore, the duty of the virus is to have a negative impact on us. Apparently we have committed such actions that now we need such an impact of the virus. Only it can help us improve.

And that’s why it’s very simple to get rid of the virus: We need to start taking care of each other, get closer to each other, and check how this affects all the viruses around us. You will see that the virus will disappear. Let’s try it! What do we have to lose? At least it won’t get any worse.

The very first recipe is to fix the relationships between us, to get closer to each other, and to cleanse our society of egoistic laws, and so move forward until full recovery.
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From KabTV’s “Look from the Inside” 12/27/21

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My new article on Linkedin “To Live in Israel, Be Israel”

Israel, the land, not the state, is a very special place. Over the generations, millions of people from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have praised it, longed for it, and hallowed it. Yet, over the centuries, the land had been scarcely inhabited. Even today, with millions of people living in Israel, not many do so by choice. Many would gladly move to Europe or the United States, if only they were welcome there. There is a good reason for this: You can only feel at home in Israel if you are Israel on the inside—if you strive to live by the principles of the people of Israel: solidarity, mutual responsibility, and love of others.

When the ancient Jews lived here, they were strong when they were united and weak when they were divided. Our sages do not blame our ruins on foreign legions, but only on internal division. They attribute the ruin of the First Temple and the expulsion to Babylon to bloodshed and slander, and the ruin of the Second Temple and the exile that lasted until about a century ago to hatred without cause.

The people of Israel became a nation when they pledged to unite “as one man with one heart.” Immediately thereafter, they were given the task of being a model nation, “a light unto nations,” setting an example of unity to all nations. Subsequently, they were given a land in which to fulfill their obligation to the world.

The unity of the people of Israel was like no other. The first Israelis, known as Hebrews, were complete strangers, at first. The only thing that held them together was their adherence to the three above-mentioned principles that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had taught them. It was an ideological unity, not a biological or a geographical unity, as was the case with other nations.

By forming such a unique, uncanny union, they showed what the future of the world could look like if all the nations united. Because they were the trailblazers, they were given the task of being “a light unto nations,” of setting an example for the rest of the world.

The unity of the ancient Israelites had many ups and downs. When unity reigned, they were on top of the world, so to speak. When division overcame them, they became a horde of bitter enemies fighting each other to the death. But in doing so, they showed the world that peace among the nations was impossible.

Today, too, only those who can live by the laws of unity will feel comfortable living in Israel, and they will be the contemporary people of Israel. If there are not enough people, the country will disintegrate.

As long as there is a State of Israel, the world will look for an example of unity specifically from the people who live in it. If they provide it, they will be venerated and hallowed. If they show division, they will be hated and despised.

If there is no State of Israel, the world will not be a better place. Without the example of unity that Israel must set, the world will be mired in fighting and war.

Only if the people who live here know what it means to be Israel, are willing to take on the task, and strive to fulfill it among themselves, humanity will have a beacon, a compass to follow to the shores of unity, and the world will be spared the looming wars. In the coming years, it will become evident that only people with such a mission in life can call Israel “home.”
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Michael Laitman, On The Times of Israel: “Jewish Ties”

Even before the establishment of the State of Israel, the ties between the Jews in Israel (which was then part of the British Mandate in Palestine) and the Jews around the world were complicated. Many Jews in the Diaspora rejected Zionism and believed it would increase antisemitism. They were content to live where they were and did not want to move to a land that (at the time) had nothing to offer but swamps, desert, and hostile Arabs. Nor were the Zionists keen on Diaspora Jews. The heads of the Jewish settlement in Israel wanted only young, socialist immigrants, and preferably unmarried or with small families.

Since then, suspicion and tensions between Israelis and Diaspora Jews, particularly American Jewry, have not improved. In fact, in recent years, relations have deteriorated rapidly, to the point where many American Jews would prefer that Israel did not exist at all. Many of them even side with Israel’s enemies, while Israelis feel growing resentment toward American Jewry, whose values and culture are often very different from those of Israelis.

Mutual alienation helps neither side. On the contrary, it intensifies hatred toward Diaspora Jews and toward Israel alike.

All Jews, no matter where they live, have the same obligation to the world. Whether we are German, American, Russian, or Israeli Jews does not change our obligation to be a light unto nations and an example of unity above all differences.

The people of Israel does not exist for its own sake. It is unlike any other nation. It is a nation comprised of descendants of numerous tribes and nations who united in antiquity around the idea that unity among all people, regardless of differences, is the most noble idea and the key to happiness and prosperity in life.

Accordingly, the sole purpose of the Jewish people is to demonstrate the value of unity by setting an example. This is why the more hatred and alienation increase among nations, the more the world becomes antisemitic. It is looking for a way out of the entanglement of mutual hatred and distrust, and in the absence of an example from the Jews, it is at a loss as to how to achieve it. Jews perceive the world’s anger at them as antisemitism, but in reality, it is the world’s cry for help out of hatred.

No Jew is relieved from this obligation. Hence, no Jew will be spared the anger of the nations for not giving them what they need.

Therefore, despite the chill between Jews in the Diaspora and Israeli Jews, the one thing all parties can do to assuage antisemitism is increase the level of their solidarity and unity. Even though we have accrued generations of mistrust, the only thing that can help us mitigate the world’s anger toward Jews is to rise above the bitterness and restore our nationhood around the principles of our ancestors: solidarity and mutual responsibility. Even if we do not feel inclined toward it, the feedback from the world once we begin to work on it will convince us that this is the way to go.
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Medium published my new article “A (very) Short Summary of 2021”

As we approach the end of 2021, everyone is drawing conclusions about the past year and guessing what 2022 will bring. From my perspective, 2021 has been a good year, a year of learning, and learning is definitely good. It may not have been pleasant, but that does not mean I do not appreciate what we, as humanity, have been receiving. The main lesson we learned this year has been that nature is the sovereign, and we are its subjects. This is a priceless lesson because if we remember this, we will avoid future mistakes that could cost us countless lives and horrible disasters.

Another good lesson from 2021 is that the world powers must put their mutual relationships in order if they want to avoid conflicts that can escalate to an all-out war. Clearly, there is a difference between what governments want and what reality dictates, but I think they learned the lesson and it is good to see that even the Russian and Chinese governments have learned.

The collisions between Russia and America, Russia and Europe, and specifically, NATO and Russia, clarify many things. In the end, they will bring them closer to peace, or at least to a truce.

China, too, will understand that it has no chance to continue its development if it sides with Russia. Economically, there is no question that its future depends on the US. If the US would even slightly limit its purchases in China, it would rattle China to the core. They have nowhere to sell but to America.

I don’t mind what people say or what newspapers write; I mind only numbers. Over the past year, and even before, the US has been giving huge sums of money to its people as rescue packages to assist them through Covid. China needs Americans to spend that money on Chinese goods in order to keep its own economy afloat. If Americans stop purchasing from China, the giant from the east will fall.

***

As for Israel, I am sorry to say that I do not think we learned a lot from this year’s experiences. To improve, we will need more lessons, and they will not be easy. We have no idea who are our friends and who are our enemies. Worse yet, we have not learned how to correct ourselves. We have a lot more work ahead of us.

I think that one of the biggest problems of Israel is that there are entities within the country that dream of the abolishment of Israel and work hard to achieve it. We are not as assertive as anyone should be toward one’s enemies, and I think that these issues will hurt us.

While the world is learning to put relationships in order, as I wrote above, Israel is not learning anything. We are creating an internal chaos.

However, it is clear why Israel is not learning while the rest of the world is learning well. Israel needs to develop in its own direction. The rest of the world is learning how to function according to people’s natural egoism.

Israel, on the other hand, should develop in the opposite direction. It should evolve toward connection and care among everyone, and set an example of how people can rise above their egoism and form a united, cohesive society based on solidarity rather than on alienation and competition.

Regrettably, Israelis do not want to hear a word about connection or unity, much less live them out. We will reject connection with fellow Israelis for as long as we can until, perhaps, it is too late to save the country from disintegration. We are already close to the edge.

***

As for the virus, it is here and will stay, as I have been saying from the very beginning. However, it seems as though we are learning how to deal with it, how to live alongside the virus.

Gradually, the virus will teach us what we should and should not do in life. This is why I hope it does not go away, at least not until it teaches us to take only what we need and dedicate our time and efforts to building supportive human relations rather than waste our efforts on destructive consumption.
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