Progressively Speaking: Is Donald Trump the answer to peace in the Middle East?
Deborah Blausten takes a topical issue and offers a progressive Jewish response
With talks still suspended after four years, any attempt at resurrecting the moribund Middle East peace process would seem
reasonable to consider.
The pursuit of peace is valued highly in Judaism. The psalmist urges us to “seek peace and pursue it”, the words “justice, justice shall you pursue” animate our sense of religious purpose.
Our daily Amidah prayers end with a prayer for peace. So surely any attempt to move towards this goal should be welcomed?
Although noble in its professed aims, the desire of the Trump administration to have a deal on the table within two to four months should be met with trepidation, not because of the goal, but because of the conduct of those pursuing it.
The nature of the peacemaker matters in Jewish tradition, and the Talmud says: “There is no one more humble of spirit than he who pursues peace.”
According to Rabbi Daniel Roth, Aaron the priest is depicted as a model peacemaker.
He is given the honour because he was willing to humble himself to make peace and never rebuked one of the sides or dismissed their argument.
The archetype of Aaron the priest, humble peacemaker who respects both sides, feels far from that of Donald J Trump.
One of the key attributes of peacemakers in Jewish tradition is that the peacemakers themselves are secondary to the people who matter most – those who are involved in the conflict.
We should ask whether the peacemaking plan is motivated by helping those involved, or merely to achieve the prowess of having solved a difficult problem.
Steps already taken by Trump, including withdrawing US funding to the UN’s Palestinian Refugee Agency, have caused concern among the Palestinian leadership that the US might not be equally committed to both sides.
From a religious perspective, our values demand that we must expect others to enjoy the same rights as we do.
Achieving a solution where the rights of one side are given automatic primacy over another is clearly not equitable.
If we would reject this treatment, we must also consider whether it is acceptable when the bias appears in Israel’s favour.
True peace requires enfranchisement and the people it impacts at its core if it is to last longer than the peacemaker’s flight back home.
υDeborah Blausten is a rabbinic student at Leo Baeck College
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
