Our New Compass

Few Israelis have become ambassadors of unity like Miriam Peretz. An immigrant from Morocco, Miriam lost two of her six children during their IDF service, but through remarkable force of will she maintains a positive view of life and the future of Israel. In an exclusive interview for World Mizrachi in February 2022, Miriam Peretz shared her message regarding unity in Israel.

The meaning I find in my life is by bringing people closer to each other. Rather than looking at what divides us, wherever I go I try to shine a light on what connects us. What does it matter if you are left wing or right wing, secular or religious? We are all brothers! We are one people!

Thank G-d we have been blessed to build a country, but it means we now need something else. It used to be that all Jews had a compass that pointed in one direction – towards Eretz Yisrael. Well, now we have arrived! We need a new compass, and that compass is to be mechabrim, to join together – and this is something that Mizrachi is doing!

Our role is to create a model society, a society about which Yishayahu said: “And the wolf shall lie down with lamb.” He did not say that the wolf would become a lamb or vice versa. The secular person will remain secular, the religious will remain religious, but with the ability to live together, with a feeling of mutual responsibility and commitment to our people.

One of the ways I do this is by trying to focus on the positive in everyone. So much of our culture and the media is focused on attacking the other side, and just through bringing out the positive in each group, I hope I can make a contribution to Israel for many years to come.