Israel needs tikkun olam, not silence about its problems - opinion

SEPTEMBER 6, 2026 07:44Before the digital age, washing of Israel’s dirty linen in the media was widely regarded as treason. However, there were exceptions, such as the failed Lavon affair of 1954 in which a group of Egyptian Jews was recruited to plant bombs in civilian targets owned by Western entities. The idea was that after the bombs detonated, the blame would be attributed to the Muslim Brotherhood and other extreme elements in Egypt. Once the plot was discovered and published in the international media, it could also be published in Israel – but not before.A similar policy with a different slant existed during the Yom Kippur War. Israel obtained photographs of IDF soldiers who had been captured and tortured in Syria. These photos were distributed to members of the foreign press; and only after they had been published abroad could they be published in Israel.One particular publication, the long defunct Haolam Hazeh, dared to publish political and social scandals, and was frequently in and out of court contesting charges of libel. In July, 1982, Its editor Uri Avnery, was the first Israeli journalist to interview PLO chairman Yasser Arafat.Nowadays, it is very difficult to keep anything under wraps. The profusion of digital publications, social media outlets, webinars, and podcasts, along with the addition of AI increases the difficulty of keeping operations secret, and distinguishing between fact and fiction. In some cases, fake news evolves into real news.Yet for all that, some people continue to believe that it’s treason to publish anything negative about Israel in the Israeli media. This, despite the fact that all the mainstream media publishes warts and all reports and features.The spiritual longing for a more just and beautiful world has always been the soul of Judaism (credit: PEPE FAINBERG)At the same time, both secular and religious leaders of organizations and institutions are talking about tikkun olam (repairing the world).The expression has its origins in the Talmud and refers to being fair in legal and social rulings.The essential question is: How can anyone practice tikkun olam if they refuse to acknowledge what needs repairing?The most blatant example is the firm denial in certain quarters that there is such a thing as Jewish terrorism. In the minds of such people, Jews cannot be terrorists, but all Arabs are potential terrorists. Such an attitude borders on racism.Yet when outside forces accuse Israel of racism or apartheid, political leaders are quick to point out that Jews and Arabs sit alongside each other on public transport, shop in the same markets, and work together in hospitals.But let’s be honest. There are many places in Israel where Arabs suffer discrimination. For instance, they have a very hard time getting building permits, so they build illegally, and sooner or later their homes are demolished by the local authorities or the IDF.Doesn’t such a situation come within the orbit of tikkun olam? Is it treason to make it public and thereby put ammunition in the hands of those who seek to delegitimize Israel?Meetings and negotiations with the enemy are defined as treason by ultra right wing patriots. Yet as Yitzhak Rabin emphasized: Peace is made with enemies. There is no need to make peace with friends.Members of peace movements often incur the wrath of the extreme Right because they reveal some of the worst characteristics of certain sectors of Israeli society. Peace movement activists, especially those who belong to Breaking the Silence, are regarded as traitors because they publicize human rights violations by certain military units or individuals in their dealings with Palestinians.Holocaust survivor and acclaimed author Elie Wiesel often spoke of the perils of indifference because indifference allows the oppressor to continue to cause suffering to others.We can see this in attitudes to anarchy in the West Bank where gangs of Israeli thugs make life miserable for the Palestinians. Yes, there have been condemnations from high quarters, but words are not enough. Words must be accompanied by deeds.Israel has proved time and again that the most difficult obstacles can be overcome. So why is it so difficult to stop these masked, lawless individuals?This is where tikkun olam is a vital necessity.Discrediting opposing political partiesAnother area where tikkun olam is essential is in putting an end to discrediting legitimate political parties and their members.Leftist has become a dirty word under the present administration. Leftists are no less patriotic than the ultra right, but their patriotism takes a different route. Political leaders who identify with right wing policies but disagree with the present administration are labeled leftists. It is absolutely ridiculous to call Avigdor Liberman a leftist or to discredit Gadi Eisenkot by charging him with being a leftist. Yair Golan is a declared leftist, but that is no reason to launch conspiracy theories to undermine the heroism which he displayed on October 7, 2023.Perhaps he’s just a thorn in the side of the political Right.Some people on the Right spit out the word leftist as if it was synonymous with treason.They conveniently forget that a left-wing politician declared the establishment of the State of Israel, and an army officer who became a left-wing politician declared in June, 1967: “the Temple Mount is in our hands.” The Left likewise tends to overlook the fact that the first peace agreement with an Arab country was signed by a right-wing prime minister.There are possibly more numerous issues on which the Right and the Left agree than either side realizes.They are just so busy trying to discredit each other that they tend to forget that when all is said and done, we are all Israelis – some by birth, some by choice, but nonetheless Israelis.Perhaps the next government will see fit to create a ministry of tikkun olam or advisory council made up of Left and Right, religious and secular, Jews, Arabs, Druze, and Circassians who can discuss social injustices in a rational and mutually respectful manner. Such discussions could be live streamed to make the public aware, and to promote solutions in communities affected by the topics under discussion.Follow us on Google