Being a leader means for many to have power and having command over others. We know manipulation and darkness can rule any land, especially under a tyrant looking out for their own interests. Yet, a true leader no matter where they govern is a person who inspires others to succeed and works to unify a nation. Israel is not without blemish and the leaders are not failable either. We can trace this from King David, Mosses, Abraham and modern day leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu. The Jewish nation always seems to be engaged in a battle regardless of who is at the helm. Theodore Herzl was the founder of the political form of Zionism, a movement to establish a Jewish homeland and said: "We shall live at last as free men on our own soil, and in our own homes peacefully die. The world will be liberated by our freedom, enriched by our wealth, magnified by our greatness." Greatness never comes easy and history proves this but cultivating a foundation of greatness leads to prominence and a legacy which lasts. Israel is proof of this legacy. Here are inspiring words from Jewish leaders to encourage and to enlighten you.
Benjamin Natanyahu
Benjamin Natanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu is the Prime Minister of Israel and has stood up against a nuclear Iran, Hamas, ISIS and other opponents threatening his country. Israel is the only state in the region that respects freedom of religion and freedom of worship for believers of all faiths. He believes you can make peace with the enemy, but only if the enemy abandons the intention of killing you. Netanyahu has invited political leaders to a discussion that could lead to reconciliation many times. And still, things remain silent. "Why are we talking about talking? Why negotiating about negotiating? It's very simple. If you want to get to peace, put all your preconditions on the side, sit down opposite a table, not in a studio, by the way."
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak gained attention during the Yom Kippur War, became Prime Minister of Israel in 1999, and desired peace in the Middle East. The former Israeli special forces commando, IDF Chief of Staff and Israeli government minister, inspires and believes you can achieve peace around the negotiation table. However, he remains strong in shielding Israel at all costs. "Who can guarantee that if we allow the Palestinians to establish a state, we won't find rockets there as well, half a mile from the airport or 10 miles from Tel Aviv?" His view on leadership, in general, is realistic and how it can open people's eyes to the truth or how leadership is easily replaceable when they fail the people.
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert desired to see unison in Jerusalem. He admitted his mistakes when he served the office and when he was the mayor of Jerusalem. He shared in an interview with al-monitor.com that he overlooked the eastern neighborhoods of the city. “When I talk about the advanced city of Jerusalem I am talking about western Jerusalem. I refer to the Jewish neighborhoods, even those neighborhoods on land that was not part of the city before 1967." He knew leaders who wanted to produce a historical change needed to do what is best for the nation and to take responsibility for making decisions to support this agenda even if those choices were not commonly accepted. Olmert followed his own advice and was released after serving about two-thirds of a prison sentence after admitting he was involved in a bribery scam. Despite the good being done by leaders, they're just as weak, but the ones who remain admit their trespasses.
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon was a politician and military leader of Israel and said his responsibility was to his country and the role they played on the world stage. “We're not going to accept any decision by anybody else about the security of the State of Israel. It is our role and only our role.” Sharon also wanted unity with neighboring countries and within the borders of Israel. He believed that Jews and Arabs can live together. "I have never believed differently or thought differently, from my childhood on. ... I know that we are both inhabitants of the land, and although the state is Jewish, that does not mean that Arabs should not be full citizens in every sense of the word." He also extended an olive branch to Palestine and shared Israel wants to have peace, but they never could come to an agreement.
Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin was a Nobel Peace Prize-winning political leader who served as Prime Minister of Israel during the mid-1970s and mid-'90s and was assassinated in 1995 by a right-wing extremist after he gave a speech. Rabin negotiated the Israel-PLO accords with Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafa in 1993 with the hopes of ending the conflict in the region. He also signed a peace treaty with King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan. “We can continue to fight. We can continue to kill - and continue to be killed. But we can also try to put a stop to this never-ending cycle of blood. We can also give peace a chance." Rabin believed we must think differently because peace required new definitions and new theories.
Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres held many top leadership roles including Prime Minister and retired after the end of a 7-year term as President. He was one of the founders of the State of Israel and was instrumental in establishing the Israel Defense Forces and was one of the founders of Israel’s high-tech industry. Peres said serving the Jewish people was the most important service for one to do. Peres indicated that the Middle East was fractured. "The malady stems from pervasive violence, shortages of food, water and educational opportunities, discrimination against women and - the most virulent cause of all - the absence of freedom," he said. As much as he wanted peace, he wanted all people to experience democracy.
Israel has produced some profound leaders over the years. What emerges is one common theme, and that is to negotiate peace in the region. The leaders discussed are not saints, they are people with the same weakness we all have. However, they used their charisma and skill to inspire their country to greatness and stood unified against those wanting them to be destroyed.
