Our prime minister has fallen for the same illusion, which is hardly surprising. One the one hand, Netanyahu could not do anything but praise Mr. Trump for his “creative and innovative idea.” On the other hand, he must realize that the great plan is absurd, DOA. Maybe the Palestinians will turn to another provider, such as the oil-rich kingdoms of Saudi Arabia or the Emirates, and end their reliance on the rich uncle from far-away America.
Both of these examples show Netanyahu as being cynical, insensitive, if not indifferent, to the fate of ordinary citizens who have been caught up in a war, a good part of whose origins can be laid at the door of the prime minister himself. All this will hopefully come to light in the official state inquiry, when and if it comes.
According to the sages, Achav was a brilliant Torah scholar, as well as “a king of the world” – a rabbinical hyperbole. His turning away from the God of Israel was caused in part by his wife, the very beautiful but wicked princess from Phoenicia. Together, the two led the nation of Israel astray. The prophet Elijah reminded them in no uncertain terms that their behavior, and in particular their idolatry, was the cause of the heavens seizing up. Elijah then challenged their priests of Ba’al to a contest, which he won outright. The result allowed Elijah to tell Achav, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of heavy rain...The wind rose and a heavy rain came on, and Ahab rode off to Jezreel...” (1 Kings 19:41 and 45).
These biblical references point to the strong connection between human behavior and heavenly intervention. Whether we can draw from this narrative a conclusion that would fit our own dire situation today is only speculative. After all, we have no king or queen sitting on a royal throne. We are living in “the only parliamentary democracy in the region.” But there are others who might argue for the opposite hypotheses, in particular how the current coalition government is trying its hardest to turn away from democratic values into an authoritarian dictatorship.
Meanwhile, we have no rain.
What has become clear in these months of volunteering is the character of the farmers and their families. Deeply attached to the soil of Israel, they are in the literal sense the salt of the earth.
They are heirs to the intrepid pioneers of a generation or two ago who built the land, without whom there would be no agricultural base to Israel’s burgeoning economy. The individuals we have had the merit of speaking to include highly sophisticated and educated people who have brought to their labors all the best of modern technology and know-how which has turned this previously unproductive land into one of the wonders of the contemporary world. It is a great privilege to be able to help these people and to be reminded how without these farmers, we would lack the basic infrastructure that keeps the country going.
So it is galling that few, if any, of the so-called higher ups, the politicos, have deemed it appropriate to visit the destroyed farms and the grieving families, to apologize or to re-connect with them after the disasters that were caused by their own negligence. A true embarrassment that will take more than an election to erase from the collective memory.■
