Shalom Pollack – The New Elites

 I just viewed a discussion of a group of secular Israeli intellectuals whose common denominator appeared to be their fear of the rise of the “new elites"  of Israel.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eSBQR-Evfc
(this is the link to the discussion, in Hebrew)

It was very interesting to see how the successors of the “old guard", the "blue blood", Ashkenazi founders of the state, feel their grip on power and "royal" prerogative slipping away in favor of "religious messianic extremists." The latter have hijacked true Zionism and "Israelism" for a fanatic intolerant interpretation of Judaism, as they put it.

In 1996 when Shimon Peres, the guru of the Left, lost a tight election to Netanyahu he was asked, "who lost" Peres answered, "the Israelis." And who won"? the Jews", he answered.

The book around which the discussion was based is called, “The third revolution". Its prime subject is the influence of the pre-military study schools (mechina kdam tzvait) on religious youth in Israel.
In short, it claims that its students who famously go on to make huge contributions to the IDF are brainwashed by their rabbis to reject democracy, in favor of religious commitment and thus pose a danger to the country as it was meant to be.

The room was full of secular thinkers (one was an unrepentant, top architect of the bloody Oslo accords) who seemed to compete with one another as to who can paint the "religious" threat to "their" Israel in more apocalyptic terms. The author of the book was asked if civil war was inevitable. He answered gloomily, "It's either that or "we" won't be here any longer."

Listening to the questions and answers during the discussion, one heard a general attack on the Jewish religion, accusing it of having moved from the "universal messages of the prophets'' to a parochial, particularistic, chauvinistic creed. The Israeli 'universalists" are not the first to make these accusations against practicing Jews. The early Christian church preceded them, using similar language.

When I hear such rhetoric, I wish to ask what makes a Jew different from a non-Jew who embraces the same “lofty universalistic messages" of our biblical prophets.  Do the "universalistic” Jews celebrate and embrace the Jewish practices of the "universal" prophets such as Sabbath observance and dietary laws...?

Did the prophets say one can choose and pick from their teachings and still claim their mantle?

The room full of anti-religious Israelis senses the religious take over everywhere. They are afraid.
I would be curious to know how successful they are in passing their own values on to their children and grandchildren. What inspires their children as "Israelis"?
I wonder how many know why they should live in a Jewish state.
How many choose western democracies unburdened by Jewish fanatics?

Amongst other "messianic" values they poke fun of is the "extreme love of the land'' by their opponents. It sounds rather pagan to them. When PM Rabin said that the Bible is a book of real estate and he as PM will decide what to do with that real estate (when he gave huge chunks of it to Arafat) it sounded right to them. No God or book will tell them what to do with land or anything else.

When religious commanders tell their troops that military threats to Israel are not like other such threats in other places but are aimed at the honor of His People and His Land.
A Jewish soldier has the merit of defending not just his family and people but God’s people and God's land and should not show mercy to the enemy because he will show none to you or your family. (Rambam halacha)
This is exactly how the bible instructs Jewish commanders to imbue Jewish soldiers.
It made the intellectuals in the room cringe.
Since when did Jews fight for Jewish honor?
Aren't Jews supposed to turn the other cheek?

I believe that the Israeli intellectuals are in greater fear of the "new elites” than they are of the old Arab enemy that wants to physically destroy all the Jews of the Jewish state.
Indeed, Israeli anti-Zionist Arabs are now pampered by them as indispensable political allies in the battle against the fanatic Jews.  Ponder that a moment.

I believe they fear and hate a Jew (like me) more than an Arab who just yesterday murdered Jews as part of a holy war and today is willing to discuss “peace". Oslo two, three, and four are preferable to their nightmare of the "new elites" replacing them.

Is civil war of the Left (alongside their Arab allies) against the forces of Jewish darkness - a possibility?
I recall just such calls and hopes by prominent intellectual voices on the Left at the time of Oslo(1993) and of the mass expulsions of Jews in 2005. They relished the opportunity to literally destroy any fanatic Jewish opposition.

There is precedent.

During The 1948 war of independence, Ben Gurion ordered the sinking of the Irgun ship commanded by Menachem Begin and targeted the leader of the opposition, Begin.
Ben Gurion would not risk losing  political power to "new elites"
It was Yitzchak Rabin who proudly related how he shot at them even as they swam to shore.

Begin had his best hour when he ordered his people not to shoot back. "There will be no civil war," he declared.
No religious leader today hints at civil war against the Left. The concept of love for fellow Jew is ingrained in Jews. Not Israelis.

Yes, the "new elites" are indeed about to lead the country. Why? Because they care and sacrifice and believe.

The old guard is fighting a desperate battle as they are being phased out.

Our rabbis foretold the difficulties of these times.
May they pass quickly.

shalompollack613@gmail.com
tour guide and author