Diaspora Minister Nachman Shai's latest interview reveals a dangerous trend that has been gaining momentum among leftists and has by now established a foothold in the Lapid-Bennett government.
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"Immigration to Israel is not part of my ministerial goals," he said nonchalantly, as if the idea of a diaspora minister working to bring more Jews to Israel was absurd.
His statement is the latest in a series of short-sighted actions on behalf of the current government with regards to their roles. Most notably, Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid was criticized for failing to attend a single Coronavirus Cabinet meeting that dealt with Israel's response to the coronavirus pandemic since the new government was formed in June.
And while Lapid tried to reason that the pandemic was not directly related to his ministerial position, heaven knows what was going through Shai's mind during his interview.
Perhaps he believes another ministry is responsible for aliyah or it is simply of no interest to him. Either way, it reflects a flawed approach that could lead to a dangerous situation in which ministerial offices operate in an uncoordinated matter.
Shai's statement reflects the ideological deterioration that has prevailed in the left-wing camp in recent years. It has not only stopped viewing aliyah as the ultimate goal of the entire Jewish state, but even that of the diaspora, or any other ministry, itself.
What else could we have expected from a politician whose party adamantly opposed the Basic Law that defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people? After all, there is no expression more tangible of the essence of our state than its Jewishness, and it being a place of ingathering for all the Jews of the world.
No wonder aliyah is a sore subject for those who dream of turning Israel into a state for all citizens. Only those who oppose the concept of a Jewish state would oppose aliyah.
The immigration of Jews to Israel was and continues to be the overarching goal of Zionism. The idea is clear: we were exiled from our country, but we have returned and continue to ingather from all corners of the globe, for it is only natural for a people to live in their national homeland.
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