The world is on fire – and it is not just the record-setting heat wave – it is also the ongoing attempts by so many political leaders to hijack democracy, to usurp authority and to leave power in the hands of the few.
Whether it is Putin in Russia, Xi Ping in China, or Erdogan in Turkey, we continue to see the rise of authoritarianism around the world.
And now – this cancer has reached our own Jewish state.
The latest example of a brazen disregard for democracy is taking place in Israel. On this past Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition took the first step in a so-called ‘judicial reform’ process that greatly reduces the power of the Israeli Supreme Court to challenge the Knesset. The result of the vote on Monday and potential other votes is that Israel could effectively be ruled by one branch of government – with few if any checks on its authority.
This past week, Jews around the world observed Tisha B’av – a day in which we recall and mourn Jewish catastrophes that have occurred throughout history.
It is fitting that this period of grieving falls in the very same week that Israeli democracy has begun to crumble. This year, we grieve not only for historical events but also for those events that unfold before our very eyes…
Importantly, Tisha B’Av does not conclude with fear; but rather with hope – at the end of the day, we are called upon to be involved in a kind of rebuilding process. Tisha B’av literally ends with our calendar facing the upcoming High Holy Day season – a time of introspection and commitment – a time in which we take on new obligations – recognizing how much our world needs us.
In this time following Tisha B’Av, let us be committed and obligated, let us stand up for democracy and the rights of the most vulnerable in our society. Let us stand with all of our Israeli friends and family who have been marching in the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, who have been protesting for months now and raising their voices in support of democracy and freedom — in support of Israel.
The world is truly on fire – with bad actors seeking power, with authoritarians seeking to remove and dismiss any opposition, the world is burning…
Let us be the ones who extinguish the flames and set the world right again – beginning in Israel, our sacred home which is both Jewish and democratic.