I am a new oleh from the United States who had the privilege to vote in my first Israeli election earlier this month. While some parties were very clear about where they stood on certain issues, others were not so clear. So while each of the parties of the coalition are jockeying for position for their respective cabinet positions, to me it is very important what the coalition will do after the dust settles. I would like to share with Jewish Link readers the views of a moderate religious American oleh who believes in Israel security, a solid Jewish democratic state and a state that will actively address the very high cost of living in Israel.
Torah is key to my life, however I recognize there are many Israelis who do not hold Torah as a core. These Israelis need to be respected and their way of life should not be restricted because they do not follow what I follow. I wish everyone kept kosher and Shabbat and had my family values, but it just is not reality. What this means to me is that if someone wants to travel on Shabbat, that should be their decision. The State should not promote travel, but if someone wants to start a transportation solution for Shabbat they should be allowed to do that.
Public education needs to include the teaching of the beauty of the Jewish tradition. Education in our public schools should not include topics that are antithetical to Judaism, such as gender transformation. However, those adults who decide to follow LGBT lifestyles need to be respected and given the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. Chabad has shown that through love and understanding, secular and unaffiliated Jews are returning to their traditions, not with a hammer over their head but through education, compassion and respect.
Security is also key. I have been very impressed with the intelligence that Israel is able to collect to prevent the thousands of attempts to harm Israelis. However, I am also disturbed by the lack response to terrorists who throw stones at our soldiers and civilians. These projectiles can be just as dangerous as a bullet. I hoping that the government takes a strong position in preventing these acts of terror and holding those accountable for such violence. While we are a member of the global community, Israel needs to ignore (in a nice way) those demands by our friends that jeopardize our security. Iran is top of the list, but the Palestinian, Lebonese and Syrian situations are issues that we need to deal with. We cannot have security based on dreams, but only with firm and unbreakable commitments. We also need to more actively help our Arab Israeli citizens fight the crime that exists in their cities.
As everyone knows, the cost of living is very high in Israel. Mostly it is because of the bureaucracy and regulation that inhibit competition. Most of these regulations seem to stem from the socialist beginning of the State to protect many of the near-monopolies that exist today. But we need to strive for an open capitalist economy. The Israel government should encourage foreign retail companies like Walmart and Costco to open up in Israel, by radically changing the antiquated regulations and providing companies from all sectors with incentives to open and compete here.
While these are only three areas I am hoping the new government will address, there are many more. I wish them the best, and hope that I won’t have to vote for a new government for another four years.
Paul Bloom is a retired IBM executive from Edison, New Jersey, who made aliyah a year and a half ago. He currently lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Ettie.
