Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday compared Israel’s current political conflict to what the Jewish people went through during the period leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70
Speaking during a state memorial for Theodor Herzl, Herzog noted that Jews around the world are now observing a three-week mourning period before the anniversary of Jerusalem’s destruction. These days “require us to behave with dignity and responsibility, in matters that directly affect the unity of Israel and the cohesion of Israeli society,” he said.
“I don’t think there is anyone in Israel … who thinks that what is happening here is good for Israeli society. Families are being torn apart. Neighbors and friends are turning into rivals and enemies,” he continued.
“We all know the historical examples of the ‘Three Weeks’, but this is not history; this is our ‘here and now’ and it speaks for itself. This shocking and dangerous reality is happening before our eyes,” he said.
Herzog went on to say that many people from all sides of the political spectrum in Israel have been telling him, “What a waste. What a tragedy.”
A commitment agreement on judicial reform, including the “reasonableness clause”, which is ready for a first vote in the plenary of the Knesset this week, is still possible, but “no one is willing to sit down and talk, now, without preconditions. This is a mistake of historic proportions,” he said.
Herzog added that this “is the time to think about the big picture. Now is the time to think about the consequences. Put the egos aside. Come talk. Stop the terrible divisions. People expect you to come to your senses and quickly “.
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