WHO DOES THE STATE OF ISRAEL BELONG TO?
THE 3RD ANUAL MOTKE YEHEZKELY FALL CONFERENCE ON ISRAEL'S NATIONAL QUESTION
Sunday, November 3rd, 2013, Kibbutz Movement Building, Leonardo 13, Tel Aviv Israel
Organized jointly by the Kibbutz Movement task force and the Ani Israeli and the Hug Ha'amakim associations
General outline of the conference
The conference is dedicated to the persuit of hope which only comes with a courageous open debate of controvertial questions about what matters. Thus the conference will addresse the question of the national identity of Israel, crucial for our country’s social and foreign-policy prospects: Who does the state of Israel belong to: its citizens or world Jewry? The undefined national identity, alongside with undefined borders, has been one of the root causes of the chronic conflicts that have plagued the State of Israel. The question of Israel’s national identity is obviously important, yet it continues to go unaddressed. By refusing to address it we condemn our country to continuing conflict and discord. The current political stalemate makes open debate on this issue urgent and vitally important. Open debate is also essential both to maintain democracy and to be respectful of our religious heritage. But most importantly, the open debate remains the only way towards solidarity and peace. Accordingly, Participants in the conference should reflect the pluralistic character of Israeli society, as well as the wish for social cohesiveness and solidarity.
Motke Yehezkely
Hillel Kook
The conference is dedicated to the memories of Motke Yehezkely and Hillel Kook (Also known by his wartime alias, Peter Bergson). These two men were as contrasted as they come: Motke was a kibbutz movement activist whereas Hillel was a member of the Herut Movement and the ETZEL - the National Military Organization; Hillel was a liberal who entered politics and then left it and became a business man, whereas Motke remained a socialist and a devout kibbutz member throughout his adult life; and Motke was a staunch Zionist whereas Hillel maintained that the Zionist movement fulfilled its role with the establishment of the State of Israel. Yet, what they shared was more important than all that: they were both courageous people who dared express views that were unpopular in their movements; they both aspired towards political normalization; they both viewed the honest open debate an expression of friendship and appreciation rather than aversion; they both tried to stir up such a debate in their respective movements; and they both, to our detrement, failed.
Interest for world Jewry
The State of Israel defines itself as the national home of the all the Jews – namely, as the state of the Jewish religion-nation. This self-definition has raised controversy from the very beginning of the Zionist movement. Since then, most Jews have not moved to Israel, and continue to define themselves as Jews religiously, ethnically and culturally – but not nationally. Moreover, the only way to join the Jewish nation as understood in Israel is to undergo religious conversion. All this is at the bottom of much controversy, together with the fact that nearly one third of Israel’s citizens are not Jews to begin with. Thus the question of Israel’s national identity directly impacts on Jews around the world, who are often held responsible for what Israel is and does, through no choice of their own.
הכנס מאורגן כולו בהתנדבות וללא תקציב. לתרומה לחץ כאן