Former AP editor urges Israel to reflect on Yom Kippur — Jerusalem Post
In Israel, former Associated Press editor Dan Perry, in a column for the Jerusalem Post, called on society during Yom Kippur to rethink the consequences of political decisions, the war in Gaza and internal polarization. The author proposed assessing the state of the country through the prism of the Ten Commandments.
Criticism of politics and social polarization
Perry writes that part of the Israeli right, in his view, has turned nationalism, power, ideology and political leaders into objects of faith. He also criticizes the use of religious arguments to justify political goals, particularly in discussions on settlements and sovereignty.
The author believes that political disputes in Israel are increasingly accompanied by mutual accusations of treason, fascism or hostility toward democracy. In his view, democratic debate requires recognizing opponents as fellow citizens rather than enemies.
War in Gaza and the situation in the West Bank
Perry notes that the October 7 attack imposed on Israel an obligation to protect its citizens, return the hostages and eliminate the threat posed by Hamas. At the same time, he emphasizes that the large number of civilian casualties in Gaza, in his opinion, should be a subject of moral reflection in Israeli society.
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He also writes about attacks by Jewish extremists on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and argues that Palestinian land, in his assessment, is being appropriated through unauthorized outposts, intimidation and the expansion of settlements. The author separately criticizes ideas of a mass “voluntary” departure of Palestinians from Gaza.
A call to return to moral principles
Perry links the concept of teshuvah — repentance or return — with the possibility of changing the political and social course. He calls for combining the protection of Jewish life with compassion for innocent non-Jewish victims, and religious tradition with the rejection of coercion.
The author refers to biblical principles of loving one’s neighbor and treating the stranger as a native resident. In his view, Israel can be a state capable of simultaneously defending itself, preserving democratic institutions and recognizing the human dignity of people outside its own community.
