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It’s time for unity

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The jokes addressing the as-of-now stalemate result in Israeli elections are starting to roll in. As an example, someone posted, “I’m going to sleep. Wake me up when we have a coalition.” The responses rolled in: “That’s not sleep, that’s a coma,” “enjoy the hibernation,” “competing with Mr. Rip Van Wrinkle?” “Sleeping Beauty,” and “anything to sleep through Yom Kippur fasting and Yom Kippur sermons.”

The deja vu is real. It’s last April all over again. Apparently, Israel is truly divided as to who should lead as the next prime minister.

A unity government may be the way to go. The only problem is that practically every leader of every party has said it’s highly unlikely. Throughout campaign season, it was made known with whom various leaders refused to form a coalition with. Unfortunately, the fragmented spirit again marked this second campaign. “Mo’ed Bet,” as it’s known.

I wanted the results of this campaign to be definitive, if only so that Israel could move forward to the next chapter, leaving slogans and campaign discourse behind. But it seems that Israel is back to square one.

I still hold out hope that all those statements about who leader X refuses to build a coalition with will become moot. It’s time to move forward. Time to build coalitions with MKs one never dreamed of sitting with. Time to bridge gaps and at least aim to build some unity. That’s the priority now.

Ultimately, we are one people. With one tiny scrap of land in this world.

For 2,000 years we yearned for this independence in our land. Today, Israel is a healthy democracy functioning with great vitality. Those old-school cardboard boxes colorfully wrapped, with a slit down the middle of the cover to enable a ballot to drop through, are so endearing.

On election day, Israel, Startup Nation, is Homemade. Kind of like when you craft a homemade card or gift for a loved one, versus a sleek, chic purchased one. The election stations stand as an ode of homemade love of Israel, the democratic state.

In terms of slumbering until a coalition is built — wake up from thy slumber! It is Elul. The blast of the shofar is heard each morning. With elections behind us, the daily call of the shofar is unequivocal: to wake up from our slumber and navigate the twists and turns of repentance, journeying in Elul toward Rosh Hashana as we learn to sit together and truly listen to one another.

Copyright Intermountain Jewish News