October 23/2015

Israeli aid to Vanuatu and the wave of Palestinian violence

It is possible to gain an understanding of the root causes of the ongoing wave of violence in Israel by looking at Israel’s relationship with the far-away Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.

This week, Israel shipped significant humanitarian assistance to the island republic in the form of food to provide for the nutritional needs of 2,000 of its citizens for a period of one month. The aid was delivered in the aftermath of a disaster caused by a tropical cyclone last March, which destroyed 90% of the structures in the main island of the Republic and decimated 70% of the country's crops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a letter to his counterpart in Vanuatu a few days after the cyclone, expressing his regret for the tragic loss of life, and declaring Israel to be ready and willing to help rebuild the country and provide assistance for recovery.

Nothing compelled Israel to extend this generosity other than a genuine desire to help others in need and to save lives whenever and wherever possible. The values of human dignity, love, and sanctity of life are enshrined in Israel’s declaration of independence, and inherent to our national narrative. They are part of our moral DNA as Israelis and as Jews.

Contrast this with the current wave of Palestinian violence, which seeks on a daily basis to take the lives of Israelis and to kill Jews, and is a direct result of a national narrative and mindset that propagates hatred, terrorism and murder as opposed to reverence for life. In order for there to be a chance of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, the Palestinian leadership must stop poisoning the minds of young Palestinians with hatred of the Jews. When the Arab world sees value in sending humanitarian assistance to far-away countries like Vanuatu, the Middle East will have turned a corner for the better.

Shabbat Shalom,

  

Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region