This summer, I attended a meeting during which former President Shimon Peres spoke. Peres is always a touching speaker, but at this particular event he said something that moved me. Peres, who is now 92 years old, was asked if he had any regrets. No, he said, he didn’t worry about regret, explaining that if you have more future hopes than past regrets, you are a young person. Then he was asked if he would do anything differently regarding the creation of the state of Israel. Yes, he replied — we didn’t dream big enough. We should have dreamed even bigger!
In the months since Peres spoke, disagreements have been rife between the leadership of Israel and the United States, and between different factions within the Jewish leadership here in the Bay Area. They have voiced strong and conflicting opinions about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech in Congress last spring, and President Barak Obama’s proposed agreement with Iran has sparked many reactions in our community this summer.
Our vigorous views and debates reflect our passion — passion for the preservation of Israel, for peace, for the safety of the Jewish people, and for the liberties and rights of all citizens of the world. But we must not allow passion to eclipse one very important fact, a fact that I hope all of us hold very dear: Israel and the United States share a profound relationship based on shared values and hopes for the future.
I am happy to report that the relationship is thriving. In the region I represent — Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana — there are continuing collaborations, specifically in science, technology, water and energy. Just last December, another agreement was reached: Israel’s Center for Industrial Research & Development and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will collaborate on stem cell research. During the past year delegations of academics, elected officials, civic leaders and entrepreneurs have visited Israel. At the same time, many Israeli delegations from the arts, sciences and technological fields have come to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California seeking ways to globalize and opportunities to innovate.
So our nations’ shared tradition continues unbroken by the politics of the day: We look to each other to realize achievement, seek innovation and create new opportunities. But while we celebrate our collaborations, we should not ignore our differences. The Jewish and Israeli communities have always faced many challenges from external forces. My hope for the coming new year and for this Rosh Hashanah is that our discussion will be dominated by the many reasons we have to feel proud. Yes, we can find room for lively discussion on matters where we don’t see eye to eye, but we should agree that these debates must not overshadow our common values and goals.
I understand that we are not a homogeneous community; we represent all points on the political spectrum. But for thousands of years your family and mine have repeated the same prayer: next year in Jerusalem.
Israel is not the source of conflict, nor is it the cause of violence or misery. Israel is a force for peace and justice in this world. It remains today what it has always been since the destruction of Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago: the hope of millions upon millions of Jews for a land of peace, safety and prosperity. Now the duty is ours to safeguard that hope.
We are a nation with a homeland that after so long, after so much struggle, has finally been realized. Whether you agree with Israel’s policies or not, whether you agree with various factions within the Jewish leadership or not, during Rosh Hashanah, the Days of Awe and Yom Kippur, let us remember every previous generation’s hope for our Israel and let us dream even bigger.
Andy David is the consul general for Israel to San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest.