Dudu Saada, of Israel National News - Arutz Sheva, spoke to Rabbi Shai Piron about the current situation in Israel.
Rabbi Piron is an educator, politician and former Minister of Education, and the president of the Pnima magazine.
"I believe that the State of Israel as a country does not have a story, The story that tells why we are here, Why we want to be in this place," Rabbi Shai Piron said. "We need to create a common story for the whole of Israeli society about all its sectors and parts. That will be the anchor that will allow us to be here."
"You need to find the common roots. Today our common story is our anxieties. Even before what happened in the terror attack two weeks ago. Memorial Day and Holocaust Day are the most united days in a country of shared a destiny. Why does it have to be like this...?"
Rabbi Piron added, "I feel that the events of Simchat Torah force me to invent new words. I have guided trips to Poland over forty times in my life, and I will give you just one example of the difference between the Holocaust and the events of Simchat Torah. It must be understood that what motivated the Germans was to hide and disguise their actions. All that motivates Hamas is to broadcast their actions on Facebook Live."
"In other words," he continued, "the Germans did not tell anyone where the gas chambers were, they made killing pits and tried to hide them. Hamas went into battle with close-up cameras so that they could show on live screens what they were doing. There are certain things that I think in some ways, moral values – the struggle against Hamas is worse and more serious than what happened in World War II."
"Speaking of the concept, this also stems from the fact that we are not fighting against a national entity that wants a state. We are fighting against people who want to murder Jews. This is a religious war. This is jihad."
"I don't know what the image of victory is. I don't know what it's called to destroy Hamas. But I don't just want to survive, I mostly want to build. I decided to focus on two locations of evacuees, with the goal of getting to know almost everyone by name and trying to have a personal conversation. Above all to embrace, listen, and hear. We are all suffering very strong post-trauma. Right now, the time is to listen and build."
According to Rabbi Piron, "Many big questions are going to be asked, taking responsibility. The IDF Chief of Staff, the head of the Security Services, and the head of the IDF intelligence will not continue in their positions. The issue of responsibility is not just who is to blame for the attack on Simchat Torah. I meet many citizens who feel that the partnership, the very simple and clear contract between a state and its citizens, which says – I the citizen pay taxes, volunteer, serve in the IDF - and you will take care of me in my daily life and especially in times of emergency – has been breached. I think there are many Israelis who feel that the State was not with them in a time of need. An even worse thing happened – the trust has dissipated, simple trust that when something happens to me – there would be someone who would stand by me."
"I think that the State of Israel needs to do several things in the context of haredi society: turn ZAKA and Hatzalah into service units, allow training courses, and establish regional protection groups in haredi concentrations, and create options for people who want to enter the worlds of technology."
"Finally, I will share what I said under a chuppah (wedding canopy - ed.) this week: the brothers selling Yosef was a great tragedy. Were the brothers concerned with who was to blame? Why was he sold? Who caused it? How did it start? Reuven, the eldest son, the leader, sat on the side and fasted, and Yehuda – took action, married a wife and a built a home. We need to be Yehuda's sons. The question is where you put your focus, you can invest all of your energy in being busy selling tribes, in investigative committees – or you can engage in building."