There are times when the plague of hatred is more dangerous than the plague of coronavirus.
When dozens of people are dying every single day and the world seems to be on the verge of collapse; when there are hundreds of seriously ill people in the hospital departments and medical staff are stretched thin, it doesn’t sound logical to me that we should be continuing to squabble about what’s more important – prayers or protests – and to insist on them continuing as if there was no pandemic among us.
It’s important to discuss our rights, and therefore we have to protect the right to pray as well as the right to protest. This is what a democratic Jewish state should look like. But it’s important that we stipulate that these take place without large gatherings, and not in enclosed spaces – and without all abandoning of responsibility – whether on Balfour Street or in the synagogues.
Saving lives should take precedence over everything else – including prayers in the synagogues on Yom Kippur. Therefore, we should be satisfied with being allowed to pray in small numbers in the open, spaced far apart, and wearing face masks. Anyone who cries and protests in the streets about norms and values – he should apply those values to himself and adhere to the laws and regulations. We should be displaying mutual responsibility and protecting the lives of those around us. Therefore, people should content themselves with making small protests on the bridges, in small numbers, spaced far apart, and wearing face masks.
Behaving in any other way will not only endanger lives – it will also prolong the period during which this plague of hatred spreads among us. And this plague could end up remaining with us for much longer than the coronavirus itself.
Enough with all this divisive discourse, with the righteous indignation and the obstinacy, with each person insisting on the values of importance to him without taking into consideration the price that they may demand of us in return. The majority of Israelis want us to take a responsible, statesmanlike approach to this crisis, not one involving screams and threats. They want us to save lives and stop sowing hatred.
We can defeat any plague and any enemy – but only if we are united.
Yehiel Tropper is the Minister of Culture & Sport, and a representative of the Blue & White party.