Powerful Israeli Advice for Coping with Post Election Day Blues
Image by Laura E. Adkins
By Elan Ezrachi November 9, 2016
At this time of devastation and grief it is better to hug, hold hands, exercise and eat well.
But since we have already begun a new day in Israel after a restless night, I will offer these words: What you in America are going through is what we have experienced for the past 40 years. Ever since Likud took over from the hegemony of the Labor Zionist camp in 1977 we have seen, time and again, political defeats against odds, polls, gut feelings, and political analyses. There were times we went to sleep with one result from the exit polls and woke up to another result, the real one. This is true both in our national elections and it is also the case in Jerusalem.
We, the liberals, who believe in justice and peace, have become a built-in minority in a democratic system that thrives on fear, hatred, religious fundamentalism and lack of accountability. It seems like America has caught up with Israel. But we are still here and there is a lot we can do. This is the time for civil society to have its say. We must listen to the other side, try and understand their rage, fight with all the democratic tools against the evil forces and hope that God will give Trump some sense of responsibility.
I remember how we felt when Ariel Sharon came into power. People talked about leaving Israel, and look what happened. I remember when Uri Lopulianski was elected as a Haredi mayor of Jerusalem, and look what we did in this city.
So hang in there. America is not going anywhere and there will be better days.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
