Is There a Sense of Unity Among Israelis?

A student of mine read me the following message with a question that he received from his friend who is serving in Gaza during the current Israel-Hamas war as a paratrooper.

“We have become different, there has been a shift in thinking. There are 300,000 of us who have fought and are fighting, and we do not just talk about national unity, we really want it. Whoever has not experienced what unity is like will not understand. It is when your brothers are next to you, and you can calmly give your life for them. We are all different, and we are brothers. Then we come back to civilian life and nothing has changed there. Nothing! The same false patriotism in the Knesset, on television, the same shouts in the streets, in traffic jams. And it turns out that we are returning to the same country as it was before October 7th, before the war. There are many of us, a million with our families, those who really want unity. We are a force! This is happening for the first time ever. This cannot be missed! What should we do?”

I think that all these people who are experiencing this powerful unity in this moment should form a socio-political movement that aims to fuel the nation with such a spirit.

They feel the lack of a cause in the day-to-day life outside of that environment, whereas within their connection they feel captivated by a whole new kind of life that is brimming with a unifying spirit.

Therefore, I trust that a new Israel should emerge from such people. We need to reach a state where we realize that all we need is positive human connection, and then we will see how any wisdom or whatever else we require will emerge from such a connection. Unity should be the foundation for this nation.

However, the current form of unity that they feel, while it is a strong sensation above the mundane everydayness, is still unity against an enemy. That is, it is insufficient to base a unification that would outlast the times of combat.

The foundation for sustainable unity should not be one that is formed against an enemy, but one built on striving for spiritual unity. It is possible, however, for these men now experiencing a powerful bond to each other, to understand, join and accept the spiritual form of unity, and by doing so, start developing a new kind of unity that will continually grow.