A change of leadership – from secular/socialist to religious/nationalist

By Danny Hirschberg, ISRAEL HAYOM

Something has changed in Israeli society. The appointment of Yossi Cohen as head of the Mossad, with Yoram Cohen [no relation] in charge of the Shin Bet security agency and Roni Alsheikh becoming the new police commissioner a few days ago, graduates of the religious Zionist school system are now at the helm of three out of the four main branches of Israel’s security apparatus. It doesn’t matter how you view it, the change demands special examination.

The leadership in Israeli society, which in the past was made up of secular Ashkenazi men, looks completely different today, when many Sephardi and national religious (when it comes to women, there is room for improvement)people moving up, when in the past it seemed that they faced a glass ceiling. For some time now, Sephardi and Zionist religious soldiers have comprised a large percentage of the army’s elite combat troops and officer training cadets, and top-tier positions in the business sector are no longer filled by members of one particular sector. How did this happen? It appears to be a combination of a natural process society has undergone, detachment from prejudice, an understanding in Israel that change is vital, and ideological, values-based education stressing cooperation and responsibility.

In the early days of the state, it was led by members of the various incarnations of the Labor Party, and they served in all the key positions in the nascent state and left their religious partners the job of supervising kashrut practices. Slowly, as aliyah increased, so did integration. Also, it appears that prejudice toward different sectors lessened, and society realized that it could not do without them.

But the most significant point is education. Religious Zionist education in the spirit of the Bnei Akiva movement that reached hundreds of thousands in the periphery, in big cities and in settlements has left its mark and is yielding fruit. This is education that calls for modesty, for integration into all fields of life, and for personal responsibility.

Is any of this a reason for suspicion? Certainly not. Israeli society can only benefit from the welcome change. It allows entire sectors that until now have been marginalized to take part in leadership. It allows Israel to enjoy the contribution of quality individuals who in the past were left out of leadership circles.

But something is still missing. The IDF, Israel’s melting pot, must include everyone — a reality that is still far off. Israel cannot allow itself to pass up on quality, principled people on the front line and in top security positions.

What now? It looks like we have a long road ahead, but it’s there. There are still organizations and agencies whose doors are not open to everyone. Likewise, entire sectors are still missing in Israeli leadership, such as Ethiopian immigrants, who are virtually absent from the vanguard. Another obvious example is the small percentage of women in key positions compared to their numbers and abilities. We can assume that full integration that includes everyone is only a matter of time.

One final point. Don’t be afraid of us. We haven’t come to conquer or make changes. The recent appointments were made not because of the appointees’ kippahs, but because the individuals were valued. We will be wherever we are needed to be part of building the state that belongs to all of us and do our part for the development of Zionism. Come, let’s lead together, for our common future.

Danny Hirschberg is the head of the Bnei Akiva youth movement in Israel.