Dear Friends,
For the past two years, and now in my third and final year, I have had the privilege of serving our community as a Shaliach from Israel. I’d like to share some of my thoughts on what is happening in Israel and here at home. I hope you find them meaningful. I would love to hear your thoughts, and my door is always open if you’d like to continue the conversation.
I am writing these words two days after what many in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world have called the most consequential election in Israel’s history. As a proud Israeli, and as a representative of the State of Israel here in Philadelphia, I have felt that same sense of urgency and historic significance.
That feeling, that sense that we are living through a moment that could shape the course of our country for years to come, was reflected in the voter turnout. With the final results now nearly settled, 77.7% of eligible voters cast their ballots, a remarkable figure not seen in Israel since the early 1990s. This includes tens of thousands of eligible voters who boarded flights for just a few days, or even a matter of hours, simply to take part in this dramatic moment in our country’s history.
It seems that Israelis across the entire spectrum of society, across communities, sectors, and backgrounds, Jewish and Arab, Druze and Bedouin, new immigrants and longtime residents, young and old, from the center and the periphery, from cities and rural communities alike, all wanted to have a say in shaping the future of this country. They showed up and exercised their right to help shape the character of a country that is mine, that is ours.
Regardless of the election results, and of course, the results do matter, but more on that in a moment, this level of civic engagement deeply moves me. It reminds me that people still believe in this place and are not willing to give up the right and responsibility that come with living in a democracy.
As for the election results themselves, I believe there are many ways to look at them and interpret what they mean. There are plenty of ways to declare winners, perhaps even more ways to identify losers, and countless possible political scenarios to consider, some more realistic than others.
At this point, it appears that no clearly defined political bloc, or coalition of parties that presented itself as a bloc before the election, has enough seats in the 26th Knesset to form a government on its own.
The parties that made up the current government have fallen from 68 seats to just 53. Meanwhile, the Jewish and Zionist parties in the opposition have secured 48 seats, while the Arab opposition parties have won 19 seats, a figure that stands out in the context of Israeli political history.
Only time will tell how our politicians choose to use the power the public has entrusted to them. I suspect that, whatever happens next, significant parts of the public will feel that the government or political arrangement that eventually emerges does not reflect their wishes or their vote. That may be an inevitable part of the democratic process. In fact, it is already happening, and it will likely continue to happen in the future.
There is something worth remembering here: in Hebrew, the word for political party, miflaga (מפלגה), shares its root with the word pilug, meaning division or separation. In a sense, division is built into the very language we use to describe our political system.
And yet, I want to ask you, the Jewish community of Philadelphia, to keep asking questions, to remain curious, and to continue seeking a deeper understanding of what is happening in Israel and how it may affect you. Just as many Israelis closely follow American elections and recognize that decisions made in Washington can have direct and indirect consequences for life in Israel, I hope you will continue to follow Israeli politics and engage with the realities shaping our country.
It is genuinely difficult, sometimes almost impossible, but I am asking myself, and those around me, to hold on to some measure of optimism and to maintain a deep belief in the Zionist idea: that the Land of Israel should be a safe home for every Jew who wishes to live there. That belief is what gives me the strength to keep going and to continue carrying out whatever mission lies ahead.
Just as so many Israelis showed up this week, I hope you’ll do the same on Tuesday, November 3, and vote in the U.S. midterm elections. Your voice matters!
Shabbat Shalom,
Niv Sadeh
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