There are very few people in Israel today who are liked by everyone. Doron Almog is one of them. Since the summer of 2022, he has served as the chairman of the Jewish Agency, the last position, as of now, in a chain of positions he has fulfilled throughout his life for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. This, and only this, he says, is his approach in life.
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Almog (71), recipient of the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievements and Special Contributions to Society and the State (in 2016), founder of " ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran", a village for the physically disabled, a major general in the IDF reserves, commander of the Shaldag elite unit, the first soldier to disembark from the Hercules plane in Uganda during the Entebbe Operation in 1976, the army officer who took part in bringing the Jews of Ethiopia to Israel, and a bereaved sibling, who lost a brother in the Yom Kippur War. These are just some of the milestones he has experienced in his life, and the prices he has paid.
"Love your God," "Love your neighbor as yourself." The most important value that we have as Jews derives from our only word we have as Jews: "Love," he opens with the motto that follows him through life. "Therefore, despite everything that is going on here right now, despite the current rift, which is deeper than the rift that existed during the Yom Kippur War, I am optimistic, because of the great soul that exists in this nation, and the unconditional love that many here have for this place.
"There are those who, when the going gets tough for them, they say: 'I'm going, goodbye.' But there are those who, like my grandparents, came here from Ukraine, and say, 'A voice called me, and I followed,' like the words of Hana Szenes' poem, because their love was unconditional. This is the education I received from my mother, after she lost my brother, the late First Lieutenant Eran Abrotsky, in the Yom Kippur War, after he was left for a whole week bleeding and being left to die at the age of 20. She could have said 'Enough, this doesn't suit me anymore.' And yet, when the paratroopers' brigadier general asked her for permission to allow me to command the paratroopers elite unit, the most dangerous position, she told him: 'If he dies too, we will know how to cope with this.'
"And because of her unconditional love, she allowed my younger brother, Modi, who was 14 years old when our brother Eran was killed, to enlist in the IDF Sayeret Matkal elite unit. And because of that love, when she received a phone call at four o'clock in the morning after terrorists from Lebanon infiltrated the children's home in Misgav in 1980, she answered the call and told him to 'get there as fast as you can.' She did it even though he was on vacation and even though she knew very well what it meant for him to be one of the first soldiers to attack. The Binding of Isaac was held at my home. But this is unconditional love. That's how I was raised."
These were not the only personal and familial prices Almog has paid during his lifetime. Five of his family members were murdered in the suicide attack at the Maxim restaurant in Haifa in 2003. Three arrest warrants were issued against him in Great Britain, during his term as GOC Southern Command in the early 2000s, preventing him from flying abroad for many years – all because of the military activities he initiated to thwart terrorism. He risked his life dozens of times in battles and military operations and lost a vast number of close friends.
"Ashamed of your son"
Almog and his wife, Didi, who live in Ness Ziona, felt equally disappointed and shocked when they discovered that the State of Israel offers disgraceful solutions to their eldest son (of three), Eran OBM, who suffered from autism and severe retardation and died in 2007, at the age of 23. "I don't want to tell you how we felt when we saw these closed institutions, the terrible smells, the lawlessness, the attitude of the Jewish state towards us: 'We are ashamed of your son and we are hiding him.' Is there anything more difficult than experiencing something like this?" he says, highly agitated.
"Nevertheless, our response was to stand up and take action (the establishment of the Adi Negev village), and also to embark on an educational journey that is continuing to this day, even though Eran has passed away, to fight for the place of the weak in our society. This is the unconditional love on which I was educated."
In light of this difficult introduction, Almog tells his personal history written in blood, in order to reach the point at which he decided to break media silence.
On a daily basis, he is reluctant to be exposed, so he has interviewed with the Hebrew media since assuming the position of chairman of the Jewish Agency. Almog is not a politician. He is not an expert in sweet talk and does not come to an interview with prepared messages. It is evident that he says what he thinks, and in recent weeks his heart, like that of all the people of Israel, is exploding.
Q: How do you prevent the rift from growing?
For this reason, even before Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu suspended the planned legal reform, Almog took a stand and appealed to all parties to calm down. He says to the government: "Things need to be done by consent. When an important process is being carried out – and I think that such a reform is required – it must be done slowly, with broad agreement, with explanations. A large part of the fracture was due to the speed at which it was done. There is no state of emergency here. It is a choice to make these changes. That is why you have to do it slowly, listening, explaining, and paving the way.
"The question is how to prevent a bigger rift. That is why everyone, and especially the leaders, must stop and create intense dialogue and reach broad consent because the issue touches on one of the sensitive nerves of our existence."
Q: The government claims it has tried to initiate compromise and negotiation.
"There was sharp criticism of the legal system, including from me when I was a general in the IDF. Search on Google and you will see headlines: 'Major General Almog vs. the High Court of Justice'. At the time decisions were being made that I thought were part of the jurisdiction of the professional and operative language of IDF commanders (the High Court of Justice overruled Almog's decision to destroy houses and cut down trees in the Gaza Strip, which were used as a hiding place for terrorists. After more civilians were killed on that road – the High Court of Justice reversed its decision. 'There are issues that are not within the jurisdiction of the court,' Almog said publicly at the time; AK). There are decisions that can be made only by higher military echelons. During the Yom Kippur War, when the IDF went to bomb the Syrian General Staff in Damascus, they did not ask for permission from the High Court of Justice.
"We need to reach agreements on the demarcation between the legal system and the operating system because there is a breakdown in the unwritten contract between the state and its citizens. My friends in special units; in the squadrons, and in special forces, are very concerned about this rift. There is a sense of a breach in the agreement between the state and the people. It is deeper than what has been termed 'Reform' and who elects judges and what is the balance between the judiciary system, the Knesset, and the government. The social rift goes far beyond the Reform."
Q: If so, why are you optimistic?
"Because there is a deep understanding among many, among hundreds of thousands, of how precious and beloved this land is, and how important and sensitive the relationship between the citizens and the state is. For 2,000 years the Jewish People were in exile and prayed 'If I forget thee, O Jerusalem'. This place is one great miracle and there is nothing like it. It is an unprecedented miracle among nations that people return to their homeland and language. That is why I believe that ultimately we will come out of this crisis even stronger. There is a volcanic outbreak of pain here, that comes from a great sense of love and anxiety for this place. There is an enormous feeling of unification here, that will bring hearts closer together. I do not see any other situation".
Q: How will this happen?
"It will start with communication; sitting down and talking. There are already things going on, including initiatives by people like Eliezer Shkedi and Amnon Sha'ashua, who are working intensively to find employment for the ultra-Orthodox. This is an example of bringing hearts closer to finding a bridge. Since I was discharged from the IDF (in 2003; AC), I'm constantly working on inclusiveness. Yesterday, for example, I went to Har Bracha to hug the parents of Yagel and Hallel Yaniv who were murdered a month ago in a terrorist attack. I drove through Hawara. Then I went to Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, the rabbi of the village, to talk about bringing diverse people together. He has recently authored a groundbreaking book about non-Jews who immigrated to Israel.
"I don't believe in two sides. There is one side – the People of Israel. Like the evacuees of Netzarim. I was with them until the last moment in the synagogue, and as the commanding officer, I left the place together with them and with the Torah scrolls because that's what the state ordered. Some of them work for me today in the village. I see one society. We care and create harmony".
Q: The criticism sounded in recent weeks against IDF officers and commanders was that they had, in fact, suspended their service.
"I understand these statements, because they were voiced out of a sense of distress, and the feeling is that the agreement has been broken. The feeling that there is a Beit Shammai and not a Beit Hillel. These are things that could have been neutralized".
Q: But even during the disengagement, in 2005, there were calls for refusal of orders, and then the system denounced them, and rightly so. The feeling that also emerges from your statements is that there is reluctance towards which one can show understanding and patience, and there is one that is not.
"I understand what hurts those people, but I am against refusals of orders. We have one country. We need to be sensitive to our coexistence. There needs to be a dialogue of respect, and the process needs to be conducted in agreement and cooperation. But love is unconditional. We all have to be sensitive to the fact that the Israel Defense Forces, which guarantee our physical existence, is out of bounds. Reporting for training and deployment should be done without question. At the same time, those who want to demonstrate – should be allowed to demonstrate."
A surge of immigration like in the 90s
Q; What are you, at the Jewish Agency, doing to calm the complicated internal tensions and strengthen unity?
"We talk, meet, and train our emissaries to talk and communicate and we hear the concerns there, abroad. We are in constant dialogue with World Jewry, who is concerned with what is going on. The President of the Jewish Federations of North America, Eric Fingerhut, headed a delegation to Israel to express concern. It comes from all over the world, out of the sense that Israel is the insurance policy of Diaspora Jewry. Unity was the strength of the Jewish People and now something has been unraveled. This concerns every Jew in the world."
Q: Does this affect immigration data?
"You will be surprised to hear that at this time there is more immigration than during any other period. These numbers are reminiscent of the large wave of immigration from the FSU in the 1990s. In the past, the average was 25,000 immigrants a year, but in 2022, 75,000 immigrants came to Israel, most from Russia and Ukraine, and many thousands more from the USA, France, Belarus, Ethiopia, Argentina, and dozens of other countries around the world.
"By the way, more than a quarter of the immigrants are young people aged 18-35, who are a source of growth for the society and economy. About 12,500 new immigrants all residing at Jewish Agency absorption centers and programs throughout the country, including thousands of young adults who immigrated to Israel alone, to build their future here, and hundreds of doctors who will strengthen the Israeli health system".
Q: What about the continued activity of the Jewish Agency in Russia?
"It's a sensitive issue that I don't want to expand on. I'm just saying that we're doing everything necessary to allow the continuation of activities, and I hope we will succeed in doing so."
Q: For many years, it has been claimed that the Jewish Agency is no longer needed and that its role is over. What do you answer to this?
"There is really a question as to why the Jewish Agency is needed, and the answer is that a country cannot afford to tell the citizens of another country 'come to us' – this is unacceptable. That is why there is the Jewish Agency, which is the executive body of the Jewish People. There is a basic idea of the ingathering of the exiles, to go to that place called Zion. The Jewish Agency maintains contact with Jewish communities in 65 countries around the world, through 2,000 emissaries. Of these, there are approximately 190 gifted boys and girls, aged 18-19, who embark on a year of voluntary service, undergo training, and do exciting work in diverse communities around the world. At their young age, they are the ones who explain everything needed about Israel, including answering the most difficult questions about 'apartheid' and human rights, which are used to blame Israel for its success story.
"They sometimes visit eight different locations in one a week, and this is the most influential activity in the field of aliyah. Dozens of emissaries work on campuses of major universities throughout the US and in other countries in the world, in light of the increase in antisemitism and anti-Israel outbursts among faculty and students at certain academic institutions."
To teach what the ingathering of the exiles is
Almog mentions a long list of programs that the Jewish Agency runs, both to bring immigrants to Israel and to maintain a connection between world Jewry and the State of Israel. In total, as part of the various projects, about 12,000 youngsters from 60 countries come to Israel each year for an extended period of time. In addition to that, there is a global network called "Partnership Together", which connects 95 Jewish communities in the world with 70 authorities in Israel.
The Jewish Agency has been heading a fund for the security of Jewish communities since the murderous attack in Toulouse, France, in 2012. In the last decade, the Jewish Agency financed the protection of hundreds of schools, synagogues, and Jewish institutions in 78 countries around the world.
An additional widespread activity is held in Israel, among others in an effort to reduce gaps between the periphery and the center of the country. About 12,000 children and their families participate in the "Opening the Future" program in 37 locations around the country.
Another expression of the solidarity between Jews in the Diaspora and Israel is the Jewish Agency's fund for victims of terrorism, which operates on donations and provides support and guidance to families affected by terrorist attacks. Since the establishment of the fund, twenty years ago, approximately 8,500 families affected by terrorism have received assistance.
There are also about 7,000 elderly people and Holocaust survivors who live in the 55 senior citizens' homes run by Amigur, the Jewish Agency's public housing company. At the same time, the Jewish Agency is working with the government, and with the help of donations from the Diaspora, to establish thousands more public housing units for eligible seniors, with the aim of reaching a total of more than 5,000 apartments.
"The people of Israel need to recognize the importance and strength of the connection that Jews in the Diaspora have with the country. As part of Diaspora Week, which we celebrated about two weeks ago, I spoke at a government meeting about the recognition and appreciation of world Jewry and about the partnership between the people living in Zion and those living around the world. They have contributed hundreds of billions to the people of Israel over the years. There are industries here in Israel that were established thanks to them.
"We need to teach the public in Israel to say thank you for the contribution of Diaspora Jewry to Israel. Throughout the country, the Jewish Agency has 1,600 properties, 83 of which are in Jerusalem and were given as gifts by Jews around the world. These include nursery schools, schools, parks, public institutions, synagogues, and more. There are five villages for youth at risk and 19 pre-military training schools. We have 26 centers for immigrants."
Q: How can you explain the fact that there is not enough awareness among the Israeli public, at least not in public dialogue, of the importance of the relationship with Diaspora Jewry?
"I said in the government, and I'm saying it here: Programs should be taught in schools, starting from elementary age, about Kibbutz Galuyot. The education system doesn't talk enough about Diaspora Jewry. Young Israelis don't know how many Jews there are in the world, where the second largest Jewish community after Israel is. We want more aliyah, but it won't happen if we don't reach out to them.
"I also want to connect Israelis living abroad to Israel. As we approach the upcoming Soldiers Memorial Day we are sending IDF soldiers and officers to visit families abroad who have been affected by terrorism and to participate in ceremonies held there."
Do not change the "Grandson Clause"
Q: Why do you believe that Israelis feel disconnected from Jews around the world?
"It's like the issues between the left and the right: to love is a decision. You have to decide to do it. It is an eternal campaign, to move from one place to another; to talk about it and explain it. The accepted concept in Israel is: 'I was born here and I belong here. I am a fighter and they are not here with me. They speak a different language and not Hebrew. They are different from us.' But we have to talk and we have to get closer to each other."
Q: When talking about world Jewry, aliyah, and the current government, one of the most volatile topics is the "Grandson Clause" in the Law of Return.
"There are about half a million Israelis here that we brought under the Law of Return. We brought them here. The Grandson Clause must not be changed; there's no question about it."
Q: Actually to prevent the problem from worsening, there is a call to change the law.
"This is also part of the secular-religious tension. There is a Chief Rabbinate, and it will determine who is a Jew, but anyone who feels that he has an affinity, love, and interest in Israel – we must open our arms and bring him under the Law of Return; providing him with Zionist and Jewish content. This is also something that the Jewish Agency does, through the 'Nativ' Ulpans.
"Those who we bring to Israel should ultimately be recognized as a Jew, according to what the Rabbinate determines, but I don't want to touch the Law of Return. Because the right to the state is based on 'If I forget thee, O Jerusalem' and the longing for Zion. And whoever has a longing – should be allowed to come."
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