Dear Friends,
As Raina’s and my time here in Tel Aviv draws to a close (for now), I have been reflecting on some of the incredibly powerful experiences we have had. There is no doubt that, as a result of October 7th and the subsequent war, this is a changed country. Yet time and time again, I have been reminded that the caricature of Israel being presented to the world by so many is just that, an inaccurate, slanderous caricature.
A few back to back experiences the other day made that clearer than ever.
On Wednesday Raina and I headed to the Tel Aviv Expo Center to volunteer with an amazing organization called Eran’s Angels to help pack donated goods for displaced Israelis and IDF soldiers. We got to the bus stop near our apartment, and while waiting I struck up a conversation in Hebrew with a man who was likewise waiting. He told me he had lived in Tel Aviv for over thirty years and loves it here. He told me he wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. And he told me he is a proud citizen of Israel and a proud Arab/Palestinian Israeli. I told him I am a proud, American Jewish Zionist. He gave me a high five.
By this point I felt quite comfortable speaking to him so I said, “Isn’t it hard to be an Arab citizen of Israel? Aren’t there problems?” He paused, looked at me quizzically and said, “Where aren’t there problems?” Sadly, at that moment his bus arrived. “Enjoy your time my new friend,” he said as he boarded to head home.
The bus arrived at the Tel Aviv Expo Center and we got off. As we walked toward it we noticed an amusement park situated right next to it. While I cannot imagine how it is fun being on a Ferris wheel in 110 degree heat, there was a crowd walking toward the entrance gate. As we watched, we saw an orthodox family wearing kippot, a bareheaded secular Jewish family, and a Muslim family wearing hijabs waiting to enter. Everyone stood in line (a miracle in itself in Israel) and then entered together.
We spent a few hours helping to sort clothing and bedding and then headed back to our apartment to change and spend some time on the beach. (We’re on vacation after all.) As we walked to the beach we stopped at the corner store to get some cheese bourekas to snack on. I struck up a conversation with the individual behind the counter who told me he was from a majority Muslim country in Africa and came here looking for a better life. He told me that while he isn’t Jewish he couldn’t be happier living here and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. We paid and I told him we were leaving soon. He reached out his hand and said, “Come back soon… to buy bourekas and to support our country.“
All of these encounters occurred within five hours of each other and none fit the current narrative that Israel is an Apartheid state. But you would never know that from the news or social media. Yes, the current extremist government is a concern. And yes, it is past time for Hamas to release the hostages, for the terror group to disarm, for the war to end and for the process of rebuilding Gaza to begin. Both Israel and the Palestinian people deserve no less.
One last story. Last night we had dinner with friends. A gay couple, they told us that while they still cannot be married in Israel, their marriage WILL be recognized if it takes place in, for example, the US. In addition, due to a recent change in the law, if they do marry and decide to have children they will be able to pursue surrogacy in Israel. They then told us that if a transgender IDF soldier is already in the process of transitioning when they enter the military, or they decide to begin the process of transition while serving in in the IDF, their medical treatment will be paid for by the State. “It’s hard to fathom,” one of them said, “how Israel became the target of progressive Americans when this is and remains the most progressive country in the Middle East, and one of the most progressive countries in the world.”
I am not naive. I know the entire country has been traumatized and it will take years to heal. I know there are innocent Palestinians who have suffered gravely due to the war Hamas started on October 7th. I know the current government is a threat to the Democratic nature of Israel. Yes, Israel is far from perfect. There are challenges here. But, as my friend at the train station told me, “Where aren’t there?”
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Daniel Cohen