by
Mike Prashker* , September 2005
There is a deep connection between the need to develop fairer "shared
citizenship" in Israel and the future strength and unity of the Jewish
People.
57 years after Israel's establishment, developing
Israel as a more inclusive, democratic society, offering equal
opportunities and full political, cultural and economic access for all
Israeli citizens, is one of the next great Jewish-Zionist challenges
that must urgently activate the entire Jewish People.
Because of the relatively rich democratic experience of Jewish
communities in Western Europe and North America, this is a social
justice challenge that these communities are uniquely equipped,
historically, culturally and normatively, to partner.
Over the
past 57 years these communities have played a key role in catalyzing
Israel to engage in a string of vital endeavors and issues. After
helping secure Israel’s physical existence, such "big ideas" as Jewish
pluralism, feminism and environmentalism have been introduced to Israel
largely out of their experience, conviction and investment. Whilst
Israel, like all other democracies, has a long way to go in all these
areas, these must all count as major contributions to building a more
enlightened and stronger Israel for the undoubted good of Israeli
society and the Jewish People.
Faced by a range of deepening
inter-Jewish and Jewish-Arab tensions, developing fairer "shared
citizenship" in Israel, for all Israelis, is not only essential for the
sustainability of Israeli society, but will directly impact the
cohesion of the Jewish People. The quality of the relationship between
these democratically imbued communities and Israel, as national home of
the Jewish People, will also be influenced by the character and quality
of Israeli democracy.
Full and decent "shared citizenship" is
nothing more than the basic social justice Jewish communities in the
world’s most advanced democracies fought for so tenaciously and
successfully throughout the twentieth century. In the process, these
communities undoubtedly helped their countries become more successful,
if obviously – and recently very starkly - far from perfect, unions
between citizens of increasingly diverse backgrounds.
I
believe that such an initiative is now of the utmost urgency as Israel
faces internal rifts that, in my opinion, threaten, the cohesion,
security and sustainability of Israeli society and with it the greatest
modern venture of the Jewish People.
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