Cautiously optimistic

To those who think that I see only the positive side of Israel, of course I
see many things wrong here, for example:
1. The electoral system is a mess, based on proportional representation (as
in France) rather than constituency representation (as in the UK and US), so
Israeli politicians have less concern for the people and more for party
loyalty. This results is a lowering of standards, the election of a lot of
party hacks and a lack of responsiveness to citizens' needs and rights. The
whole system requires reform, but since its in the interests of the major
parties to retain it, it may be impossible to change. At least they should
raise the threshold for parties to be represented in the Knesset to cut out
some of the smaller, more ideological and religious parties that gain
excessive influence due to the coalition system.
2. Religious freedom, ironically is not guaranteed in Israel. The orthodox
have an absolute control over all things related to Judaism, and although
there are Conservative (Masorti) and Reform Shools and organizations, they
have no official standing. It is long past due that all forms of Judaism be
treated as equal before the law.
3. Immigrant rights, although there are some guaranteed rights for
immigrants, there are a mass of complex and difficult rules that need an
expert of navigate. Long ago I proposed a single place in each major city
where immigrants could go (a "one stop shop") to satisfy all the
requirements, with reps from the Ministries of the Interior, Absorption and
Customs all together, using one computer system, instead of the immigrant
having to shlap from one to the other. The Nefesh b'nefesh program has
arranged a streamlined system with the Ministries, but you have to be one of
their immigrants to qualify.
4. The driving skills of Israelis are terrible. Its not only that too many
of them drive too fast and recklessly, but they are rude and inconsiderate.
After a while you accept it as part of the life here, although it has
improved somewhat with the improvement in the roads and the general level of
education.
5. Many Israelis are below the poverty level, but it depends how you define
it. Netanya is supposed to be one of the poorest cities in Israel because
of the large number of immigrants, but I have never seen any of the
"grinding" poverty here that I have seen in the US and UK.
6. The Supreme Court has arrogated to itself powers beyond interpretation of
law, but plays an active role in the legislative process, far beyond that
allowed in the US and UK.
7. Learning Hebrew is difficult to well-nigh impossible for some. It takes
determination and effort (which I'm too old to make), but at least being
able to make simple conversations in the street is satisfying.
I could go on, but you get the picture. No-where is perfect, and certainly
not the UK or USA (I could give a list but you can make your own). However,
you don't decide to leave or live in a country based purely on its
advantages or disadvantages.
What about those advantages? Israel is a free, Jewish, liberal democracy,
where everyone expresses his/her views without fear, and I love it. Jews
can walk the streets dressed in a tallit, with a kippah and no-one even
notices. The Jewish holidays are our holidays, and there are a lot of
decent and caring people, especially in the hospitals. For all its faults,
Israel is a great place to live, and is improving all the time.
Recently I met a former colleague (a senior medical doctor) and he told me
he was pessimistic about Israel's future. I told him I was "cautiously
optimistic." So we discussed it. I pointed out that Arafat is dead, we
have withdrawn from Gaza (so fewer Israeli casualties), we have a security
fence (half finished, but 90% less suicide bombings), we have peace treaties
with two Arab States (Egypt and Jordan) and two of our mortal enemies (Iraq
and Syria) are now no threat, and so on. We Jews in Israel have shown great
resilience and staying power. Although the decision about when the conflict
ends is in Arab hands, even they don't have unlimited perseverance (whatever
happened to the Red Brigades, the Shining Path, the Baader-Meinhof Gang,
etc. haven't heard from them for a while). At the end, as he left, he
confided that in future he would also say he is "cautiously optimistic."