3 minute read
Opinion
Positive not negative
OPINION PIECE BY ROBERT FESTENSTEIN
Over the last few weeks, Jews and Israel have taken a bit of a hammering. It started with criticism of Samuel Hyek re the JNF followed by the resignation from the Board of Deputies of their Senior Vice-President. Then came the Amnesty International report alleging apartheid in Israel and most recently the visit to the UK by a Member of the Knesset which was met with substantial open hostility.
What has been missing from all of the discussions and social media output is anything which could be described as positive about Israel. We have got so used recently to responding to criticism that there appears to be no room for something positive. Instead, we have got used to what is now a regular stream of complaints from Jewish organisations about Israel, its politicians and its policies, often under the disguise of providing ‘helpful advice’.
Sometimes, we need to slow down or stop, look around us and take in what it is we have or can do. So many things are taken for granted that often we lose sight of what is important. Medical treatment in this country is free, yet so many grumble about poor service. In the USA, it is estimated that half of all bankruptcies every year are as a result of medical bills. When complaining, context is crucial, as with Israel as well as medicine.
The contribution to the world from Israel is phenomenal but too often we ignore it. Instead of grumbling about the Jewish state, surely we should be celebrating it and promoting it outside our community, if for no other reason that it is in our own self-interest. The latest CST report made it very clear that the rise in anti-Semitism last May was due in a large part to the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Promoting Israel to a wider audience not only enhances her status but also helps to allow those outside the community to understand the issues faced by Israel and Israelis so that when a conflict does arise, they do at least have some practical understanding of the background. There is little prospect of reining in the complaints of those Jews and Jewish organisations who are determined to carp and it is a
serious waste of effort and time to argue with them. To do so largely plays into their hands, since it not only gives them legitimacy but distracts us. There needs now to be a determined approach to promote and defend the democratic State of Israel in a new way, one which pushes outside of our usual comfort zones of Shuls and JW3. We need to take the message of Israel’s astonishing accomplishments and share it with those who don’t know any Jews and whose closest contact with an Israeli has been the film Wonder Woman. Stop looking inwards and make an effort to work with the wider The contribution to the world from Israel community so that they understand the advances made in medicine and science is phenomenal but too often we ignore it. which can have a direct and immediate impact of lives in this country. In other Instead of grumbling about the Jewish words, be a light unto the nations.
self-interest.HALF PAGE ADVERT JAN 2020:Layout 1 09/01/2020 16:04 Page 1 Robert Festenstein is a practising solicitor and has been the principal of his Salford based firm for over 20 years. He has fought BDS motions to the Court of Appeal and is President of the Zionist Central Council in Manchester which serves to protect and defend the democratic State of Israel.
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