As I stood in shul, taking stock of my blessings and atoning for my sins, I thought about Israel, too: our blessings and our sins as a state. It seems to me there is a great gap between what the elected government of the State of Israel does, and what the voters would like it to do. If, as a religious Jew, I can ask for whatever I want for the coming year, and the worst God can do is say no, I figured we have the right to do the same as a nation. Here then, is my wish list for our nation, in no particular order:
- All members of Knesset must swear allegiance to the State
- Jews will be free to pray wherever and whenever they choose, for instance, on the Temple Mount, at Joseph’s Tomb, and at the Cave of the Patriarchs.
- Anyone jailed for terror will not have access to free education and jail conditions in general, will be more jail-like and less five star hotel
- Any non-Jew caught disturbing the peace on the Temple Mount will be permanently banned from the space
- The next missile shot into Israel from Gaza will result in the carpet-bombing of Gaza and the retaking of this territory
- Any member of Knesset who engages in terror will be tried for treason
- Any member of Knesset who denies the Jewish connection to Israel or its holy places will be stripped of office and tried for incitement
- No terrorist with blood on his hands shall be released in exchange for a Jew’s freedom
- The State will follow through on the findings of the Edmond Levy commission and exercise sovereignty over Judea and Samaria
- Israel will leave the UN and expel all UN personnel, including UNWRA personnel
- Someone will start an English media outlet that is both friendly to Israel and well-written (PLEASE GOD)
- Stone-throwers will be shot on sight, irrespective of age
- The State will fund low-cost housing in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem
- All those expelled from Gush Katif will receive full compensation for their losses
- The State will cut diplomatic ties with any country that endangers Israel economically or existentially, for instance, for being signatories to the Iran deal
- The State will implement legislation to prevent foreign funding for NGO’s in Israel ineligible for State funding
- The State will offer a prize to media outlets showing Israel in a positive light
- Media outlets will receive government stipends for balance: at least 50% of all stories show Israel in a positive light
Consider this a national project and feel free to tack on your own wishes in the comments section, below.
