Israel at 60 – Views from our Partner Organizations

1.06.2008 The Israel office of the Heinrich Boell Stiftung sends out a monthly report in German to a mailing list of German speakers under the title “What moves Israel?”
In these reports we pick up issues that are part of the public discourse in Israel but may not have been covered extensively in the German press (i.e. the controversy surrounding Minister of Justice Daniel Friedman and the incoming of African refugees).
Concerning the May issue of “What moves Israel?” we have been thinking about how to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel in a way that would contribute additional value to the extensive coverage that has already been done.
Therefore, we requested from our project partners to write a short piece from the specific perspective of your organization or project on the following two questions:
• What does the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel mean to you?
• What do you wish for the future of Israel?
We are presenting to you the answers that we got – a mosaic of views which we hope will give you interesting insights.

Ludmilla Oigenblick, Director The Association for the Rights of Mixed Families

• What does the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel mean to you?

First, the Jewish people deserve their own state, as any other people. Second, Israel became as a refuge for the Jewish people all over the world and as a force for protection of the world Jewry.
Third, Israel turned into developed country and has one of the world’s fastest growing economies Fourth, technically advanced Israel Defense Forces provide real physical security of the state today.
Fifth, Israel today is not isolated than ever before and acquired since its establishment many vitally important allies like the U.S.
Sixth, the state successfully has reached mature age, which comes with benefits, such as wisdom accrued from 60 years of survival.
Seventh, alongside Israeli society has lost its confidence. The state underwent a crisis of the national leadership that caused a sense of detachment in Israelis and loss of trust in government and political leaders.
Eighth, Israel became much better place to live attracting young, ambitious people and investors all over the world.

• What do you wish for the future of Israel?
1. To stop the polarization within Israeli society that thrusts toward violence, sense of persecution, insult, frustration and alienation.
2. To stop to regard that only religion is playing a cohesive role in surviving and bringing together Jewish people which contributing to the failure of immigration and integration strategy.
3. To ensure human rights, religious liberty and cease violence in order to achieve political objectives
4. To make Israeli society more open and friendly toward the "others"
5. To recover the sense of partnership and mutual guarantee in the Israeli society
6. To bring better national leadership and better political outlook
7. To find replacement energy sources and ways of using energy more efficiently
8. To restore the Dead Sea's water level and Mediterranean Sea ecology Other views are available at www.boell.org.il