Jan 30/2015

The Eternal Need to Confront Evil

This week Hezbollah, the Shi’ite Lebanese terrorist organization with close ties to Iran and the Assad regime in Syria, launched two cross-fire attacks on northern Israel, killing two soldiers and injuring at least seven others. Other terrorist groups, such as Hamas, were quick to praise the attack, illustrating clearly once again, the moral divide that separates Israel and other peace-seeking countries from those that fuel the fundamentalist viper raising its ugly head in our day.

In the very same week, the world marked Holocaust Remembrance Day for victims of the Shoah, again serving as a reminder of that same moral divide which separates good from evil and the magnitude of atrocities that evil can commit if not confronted.

As he addressed the U.N. General Assembly at a ceremony for the international day of commemoration, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin stressed the need to preserve the memory of the Holocaust, along with the need for all countries of the free world to form a united front against terrorism today. “We must remember that evil is not the property of any specific region; just as it is not the attribute of any specific country or ethnic group. It is evil, that by its very nature, seeks to differentiate and discriminate between one life and another…while the only real difference is between good and bad; between humanity and darkness.”

Shabbat Shalom,

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region

Jan 23/2015

“Israel is one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security, and that security must be a reality"

Like so many of Martin Luther King Jr.'s statements, those words, so eloquently uttered at the annual convention of the Rabbinical Assembly in 1968, are as relevant today as they were when they were first voiced.

This week I had the distinct privilege of participating at a MLK day of service held at Girard College in Philadelphia and had the occasion to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy. To me, the significance of commemorating Dr. King’s life lies in dedicating ourselves to perpetuate the values that underscored his life-work, and which if embraced, make our society, and any society, a better place. 

The values Dr. King imparted include, but are not limited to, an appreciation of the inherent dignity of all people; tolerance and acceptance of the other; the practice of civic engagement and civic responsibility. These should form the bedrock of any healthy society.

Alongside the United States, Israel is arguably the strongest democracy in the entire world. As it heads towards elections this March, I am confident that those values will be manifested in Israel’s voting process, open to all citizens regardless of faith or ethnicity, and that Dr. King’s statement, praising Israel's vibrant and strong democracy, will again be validated. 

Shabbat Shalom,

  

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region

Jan 16/2015

On Thursday this week Justice Miriam Naor was sworn in as Israel’s Supreme Court President. She was sworn in by President Reuben Rivlin at the Presiden’ts residence, in the presence of Prime Minister Netanyahu. She will be replacing outgoing Supreme Court President Asher Grunis.

Israel’s Supreme Court is one of the pillars of Israel’s thriving democracy. A strong and independent judiciary system is the pillar of any democracy. It behooves us to remember this these days, as free societies and democracies all over the world today are confronting forces of evil that seek to challenge and topple them.

In the words of Prime Minister Netanyahu during the swearing in ceremony today “Democracies today stand in the frontline for world peace. As a country which has had its fair share of combat, we know and identify with what recently occurred in France. The strength of a democracy is key to winning the battle against tyranny and evil, warding off dangers and thriving. A life loving democracy must be strong, both inwards and outwards. To that end we must constantly empower and preserve those democratic entities in our state, chief among them the judiciary system, which must be strong and independent. Moreover, the judiciary system is a beacon of justice and morality that reflects our being a freedom seeking society and law abiding country”

Shabbat Shalom,

  

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region

Jan 9/2015

One of the key lessons that needs to be learned over and over again is the importance of standing up to the forces of darkness and evil that seek to undermine and trample our values of freedom and human dignity. 

 This week we experienced two horrific manifestations of the challenge posed by these vicious forces, both of them in France, one still taking place as I am writing this message: The brutal act of savagery carried out in the heart of Paris against the staff of the magazine Charlie Hebdo, and the currently unfolding drama of an armed terrorist who embarked on a shooting spree at a Kosher Deli in Paris, threatening to kill the innocent shoppers he took as hostages.

 

The dark radical forces of Radical Islam know no boundaries. They do not target only Jews, but rather go after our society at large, aiming to destroy our freedoms and civilization. All free countries and all civilized societies must stand up as one to fight this evil scourge. Only if we stand together, undivided, will it be defeated. 

Our sympathies this week are with the bereaved families and with the people of France. In the words of Israel's Prime Minister" This attack on France is an attack on us all. Free peoples everywhere must unite to confront radical Islamist terrorism and to protect ourselves against this threat to our common civilization. The people of Israel stand with the people of France at this difficult time"

Shabbat Shalom,

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region

Jan 2/2015

This week we saw an example of how the U.N. can be used as a vehicle to promote global initiatives for the betterment of the world and another example of how it can be misused to the world's detriment.

On the positive side, this week Israel's Entrepreneurship for Development resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. The resolution encourages all U.N. agencies to promote entrepreneurship for development, enable growth, and help overcome bureaucracy, social barriers and lack of funding for initiatives. "It's important for us as Israelis, who are known for being leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation, to use our experience for promoting financial growth and ideas for development on a global scale. Talent is everywhere, but opportunities need to be given in order to make a significant change," said Hadas Meitzad, Israel's Counsellor for Economic and Social Affairs, echoing the sentiment held by all Israelis.

On the negative side, this week Palestinian leadership presented the Security Council with a draft resolution essentially seeking to impose on Israel a diktat that would undermine its security and put its future in peril. Rather than engaging in direct negotiations with Israel over peace -- in which both sides would be required to make compromises -Mahmoud Abbas and his administration attempted once again to force their positions on Israel through third party pressure. Not only would this not advance peace, but it would harm chances for peace by eroding the already damaged trust between the two sides. Luckily, the Palestinian initiative was defeated this time in large part due to the diplomatic relations that Israel has cultivated and developed in Africa and in eastern and central Europe and the support and help of allies like the United States and Australia.

Two developments at the U.N that occurred this week, one illustrating how the U.N can be utilized productively and responsibly to carry out its mission, the other  an illustration of how the U.N can be used as a political platform for perpetuating hatred and animosity, against its stated mission.

Let us all reflect on the significance of these events as we enter a new year.

Shabbat Shalom,

  

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region