Tomorrow's Meretz party primaries are an opportunity to talk about the Left and its importance to Israel in 2022. Not just another column of the "What's wrong with the Left?" variety, and not propaganda that trumpets the absolute righteousness of the beautiful Left.
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My decision to live in Sderot, where most voters lean Right, forces me to answer that question on almost a daily basis. In my opinion, the Zionist Left in Israel, and Meretz as its flagship, is vital to Israeli society as a whole. Even to my friends who vote for the Likud, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Religious Zionist party.
What does the Left represent in the Israeli marketplace of ideas? First, commitment to social justice. There is a direct link between biblical concepts of a rest day on the Sabbath, forgiving debts in a shmita year, rights of workers, and care for converts, orphans, and widows, and the social justice of the Left. In the political arena, this is the place to turn these slogans into actions: a far minimum wage for all workers, eradicating contract employment, real investment in a safety net for those who live in poverty. "Justice, you shall pursue" – and achieve. When I came to Netivot with Meretz, I was embraced by families who were benefitting from a law on public housing than then-MK Ran Cohen had spearheaded. Israelis with disabilities benefit from the late Ilan Gilon's struggle to increase disability stipends.
The Left's second major emphasis is on politics – aspiring to diplomatic agreements and reconciliation in a way that will implement the call of the declaration of independence, and a hand extended to help neighboring states and the Palestinians who live among us arrive at a state of prosperity and good neighborly relations.
Meretz also sheds light on the darker corners of the occupation and our military occupation of the territories, both by questioning its morality and pointing to the heavy costs we are all forced to pay to maintain the situation. Even for those who think that it is a necessary evil, it's important that there be someone to point out everything that is evil in the current situation. To those who think that Israel can do much more to end the occupation and make deals that will ensure both peace and security, this is crucial.
The third pillar is human rights, community rights, and the rights of the individual. Shulamit Aloni, one of the founders of Meretz, campaigned to revoke the legal ban on homosexual relations, which put is in the dubious company of radical Islamist nations. The struggle for freedom of religion and freedom from religion allow most of the people here to enjoy a varied, tolerant life. As we know, Israelis come in 1,000 different shades, and our ability to stay connected to world Jewry and the world as a whole depends on our making a practical stand for human rights.
In the last election, many people voted for Meretz to save the "Anyone but Bibi" bloc. The big challenge facing the shrinking Israeli Left – particularly Meretz – is to prompt Israelis to vote for the ideas of the Left because they're important to society, and if they go unrepresented, we all lose.
The Israeli Left doesn't talk to the people who primarily steer clear of it, in the geographical and social periphery. The Left's oversight pains me. But despite all this, I'm proud of the Left and committed to expanding our grip on Israeli society.
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