As soon as Trump’s “Deal of the Century” for peace between Israel and the Palestinians was launched, the controversy arose. It was expected, considering what is at stake: the solution to the most complex and longest running conflict in the world. The proposal could pave the way for a new Middle East but the ball for its realization is in Israel’s court.
There is no doubt that in the coming weeks and months there will be many for and against the proposal, and as politicians do, there will be a lot of protests and spins both from the right and the left to inundate the media with the sole purpose of standing out and standing apart.
It Is in Israel’s Interest to Support the Plan
Despite all the background noise, it would be highly advantageous for the State of Israel to agree to the plan. As long as the US protects us, we need to be wise and take advantage of the opportunity given to us, even though the Palestinians oppose it.
The truth of the matter is that a peace agreement is highly unlikely to be signed between Israel and the Palestinians at any time in the near future. We have witnessed many unfruitful plans and attempts throughout the years. At this stage, the maximum that can be realistically discussed are maps and the annexation of West Bank settlements.
In order to look deeply inside the vision offered in Trump’s detailed 80-page plan, we need to consider how we could catalyze and complement it. There is a need to combine Trump’s plan with an additional force, one that could connect and bring people together.
According to the wisdom of Kabbalah, true peace will come from above, as it is written, that “He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He in his mercy create peace for us and all of Israel.’’ Peace between us and all other nations will come only when we will first be united peacefully among each other, with friendship and internal solidarity. We will then fulfill our destiny to bring peace to the world.
“Israel is a light unto the world. The hearts and history of our people are woven together. The Land of Israel is an ancient home, a sacred place of worship, and a solemn promise to the Jewish people that we will never again repeat history’s darkest hour,” stated President Trump at the launching ceremony of his peace plan. Other world leaders also highlighted the importance of a strong and safe Israel to humanity during the remembrance of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau that took place just days before at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem.
Why Is There So Much Attention on Israel from the Nations of the World?
The international community’s attention toward Israel is no coincidence. What does the world expect from us? Subconsciously, they expect from us to be united. Through our unity, will we become “a light unto the nations.” As Rav Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) wrote in his essay, “The Arvut (Mutual Guarantee)”: “The Israeli nation was established as a conduit to the extent that they purify themselves [from egoism], they pass on their power to the rest of the nations.”
The founding tenet of the Jewish people is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Brotherly love and mutual guarantee are the keys to our security and prosperity. When we rise above our conflicts and disputes, we unleash a positive force in nature that neutralizes threats and bring about tranquility. It is the force that maintains the balance of creation, and its absence among us causes society’s decline.
We could achieve peace if we would rekindle the brotherly love we cultivated centuries ago and share the method for achieving this with everyone. Peace among us would bring about global peace. The sensation of solidarity among us would bring about political security and national strength. This is how we would exemplify ourselves as “righteous,” and the nations would want to be like us.
Righteous Among the Nations
One who is righteous is one who loves and wishes to be connected with everyone, justifying every single person.
Why? It is because evil emanates from the individual alone and not from another, as it is written in the Talmud, “Every person judges others to the extent of his own deficiencies.” A person is a small world, wrote our sages in the Midrash Tanhuma. Thus, everything that a person considers bad and harmful is actually a derivative of his own distorted perception of reality, because the egoism which is inherent in the person, the desire to enjoy at the expense of others, projects a negative reality before his eyes on many different levels.
But it is enough for us just to sincerely desire to transmit goodness and confidence to all of the world’s inhabitants in order to attract the upper force of nature that will correct all imbalances. Exactly how could this be possible? Our effort to connect the Jewish people enables the achievement of the desired goal by drawing the force of connection from above. The force of connection in Israel can radiate a positive power capable of permeating every person in humanity.
We have been given the method of connection, the wisdom of Kabbalah, for the sole purpose of connecting in human society “as one man with one heart.” By achieving such a state, we will become capable of providing a positive unifying example to the rest of the world. The unification of the Jewish people will lower the flames of hatred among the nations of the world, unifying humanity as one global community. That would not only be a big deal, but the deal of all time.
Featured in The Times of Israel