The people of Israel are exhausted, but not only because of our enemies or the war. We are exhausted from our divisiveness. We are tired of the endless noise; the shouting; the egos. We are exhausted from our politicians and their petty politics, which have become a battleground of self-interest instead of selfless service.
Our heroic soldiers showed us what unity looks like.
On the front lines of Gaza and Lebanon, there is no “Left” or “Right,” no religious or secular, no city and no periphery, no Tel Avivians, and no “messianic settlers.” There are only Israelis, brothers and sisters, standing shoulder to shoulder, fighting together, protecting this country and one another. Our brave soldiers reminded us of what it means to be one people.
After two years of war against our enemies, which followed a year of internal battles, Israel deserves leaders with the courage to compromise, the courage to listen, the courage to lead, and the courage to follow the examples of our soldiers.
We need a government that serves the people; not a people who serves its government.
This is not just one party, one camp, or one ideology that needs to change; this is about the whole system changing. The blame lies on all sides of the political divide.
Every leader, from Right to Left, from coalition to opposition, has played a role in poisoning our public life. Too often, politics has become a zero-sum game where victory means humiliation of the other side, and in that game, the only true loser is ultimately the Israeli public.
The Israeli spirit cannot be broken
The people of Israel have proven, repeatedly, that our spirit cannot be broken. Despite everything, terror, loss, war, and uncertainty, Israel still routinely ranks among the top 10 happiest countries in the world. In a nation surrounded by threats, Israelis still choose joy over despair. We still laugh. We still love. We still dance at weddings, even as sirens wail in the distance.
These past few days, we’ve seen that joy on full display; in the streets throughout our beautiful country, in Hostage Square, in our synagogues, and at the site of the Supernova music festival. The incredible sense of unity and mutual care has been reawakened in all of us. We woke up on the morning of Hoshana Raba, realizing that we are one incredible family.
The spontaneous eruptions throughout the country when our hostages came home were not an anomaly. The dancing, jubilation, tears of joy, and togetherness we witnessed is the real Israel. It is exactly who we are.
APPARENTLY, THE only ones determined to destroy that unity and disrupt that joy are members of the media. As a former The Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief, Bret Stephens, pointed out in The New York Times a few days ago, “Journalism in a democracy, particularly Israel’s, tends to neglect what’s healthy in a society while obsessing over everything that’s not.”
Because, while the people have lifted one another up, too often, too many of our journalists seem intent on tearing us down.
The political class thrives on division, and the media amplifies it.
Journalism has become opinion wrapped in selective facts, with anonymous “sources” sprinkled in for decoration. How often have we seen so-called “security sources” quoted with confidence only for their information to later prove false, exaggerated, or outright misleading?
The constant use of anonymous leaks (from cabinet meetings, strategic discussions, and even sensitive hostage negotiations) to further political agendas has not only weakened Israel’s position with our enemies, but it has also weakened our faith in our government.
It spreads suspicion. It feeds cynicism. And the cynical use of the pain of the families of our hostages by journalists is not journalism, it’s moral bankruptcy.
The people of Israel have proven that we can unite when it matters most. But unity cannot remain something we discover only during war. From this moment forward, unity must become the foundation of how we live. We can debate fiercely without hating. We can disagree deeply without destroying.
Lapid, Ohana, and Dermer bring unity though positivity, humility
WE NEED the positivity that Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana demonstrated in their wonderful speeches in the presence of US President Donald Trump. We need the humility exhibited by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who worked tirelessly with the Americans to forge the ceasefire agreement.
We need leaders who want to build a nation that is united, and we want to rid ourselves of divisive politicians such as Democrats head Yair Golan and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, who want to tear us apart.
We need to heed the poignant words of Tal Shoham, who spent 505 dreadful days in Hamas captivity, who said: “In captivity we had one simple rule: We don’t go to sleep until we talk about the things that bother us, find solutions and mutual understanding. We went to sleep with an empty stomach and an aching body, but without destructive anger.
“We too, the people of Israel, need to learn to act this way – with wisdom, with empathy, with respect, with the goal of finding solutions. If we know how to argue correctly, resilience will grow. If we know first and foremost how to appreciate what we have in common, unity will grow. It’s important that we find the bridges between us. Let’s use the driving force that gave fuel to the struggle [to free the hostages and win the war] and utilize it to preserve and nurture our shared future, together and in unity.”
The people of Israel are ready to move forward.
Ready to live together.
Ready to rebuild trust and purpose.
The question is: Are our leaders ready to catch up with the people?
If our greatest generation, who dropped everything on October 7, was able to unite under fire, why can’t our politicians in the halls of the Knesset figure out how to do it as well? As Hillel taught: “If not now, when?”
The writer is the managing partner of Dekel Capital Management and a resident of Beit Shemesh who made aliyah 27 years ago. An avid Zionist, he cares deeply about the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.