We all need to find our voice and share it with all who will listen. I have been reading and listening to a variety of commentaries about the future of my home, Israel. They all take on the different flavor of the moment and form a diverse group of special interests with wide ranging agendas.
I found my voice any number of times but quickly lost it in the maelstrom of outside chaos that can terminate any quieting of the mind and divert attention outward losing inner clarity. My voice is unique and is full of life. My life generates great enthusiasm for family, friends and the place where I choose to live: Israel. It is a voice that loves to sing the praise of the possibilities that are manifested everyday in Israel. My voice is part of the myriad of voices that express the contradictions of life in Israel and the surrounding hostile community that wants nothing but to eliminate me and my people from the face of this earth. Not nice.
Since I choose to live here with the voices of hatred at our gates and borders it is particularly important for me to listen carefully and understand just how clear these voices are and the ideas they convey. We have little room for margin of error unlike others countries that may have hostility near the gates but have alliances that transcend the issues that plague us directly in this small part of the planet.
We all bring a unique expression of life through our voices we sometimes confuse the right to free self-expression and the chaos that may reside in any number of our voices that express personal fears, hatreds and prejudices that takes power from us and the surrounding environment. We must discern the true voices of clarity and honesty to that of conflicting, self-hating and tormented souls that share a need to destroy themselves and the rest of us through their camouflaged language and passion of ideology. These voices must not be allowed to direct the forces of good intention in the direction of self-destruction.
How do we know for sure when these voices surface and how do we expose them for their potential harm if accepted in the one voice arena of policy and global action.
Israel being a Jewish State consists of many varied voices that have one voice in their interest to discredit and instill old-prejudicial fears of Jewish global domination. These voices are expressed under the guise of academic freedom and freedom of expression. I hear voices in the winds of change and they are clearly sending a cold chill in our direction. There are voices of hope within our country and the desire to have peace with the Palestinians in spite of the fact that not one of our potential partners believe that the Jewish State has a right to exist. Not one of them, including Abbas.
So where do we go from here. Cautiously move towards peace but with a clarity, strength and resolve that agreements must be mutual. We owe no one nor anybody anything other than a solution based on real-politic and compromise. With a shared interest in peace and respect for each other’s place side by side with no hostile actions from within the recognized borders. This resolve must be based on reality on the ground not words or promises. We don’t have the margin of error for mistakes or careless capitulation out of pressure from non affected parties. I hear voices in the winds of change and it is sending a big chill to this part of the region.
