Jun. 29, 2005
Q&A with Natan Sharansky

Natan Sharansky, a former minister and currently a distinguished fellow at the Shalem Center, answers JPost.com readers’ questions on disengagement, the current political situation in Israel and the relations of the Jewish state with its neighbors, Diaspora Jewry and the international community

Lee Jakeman: Israel doesn’t seem to do much to tackle anti-Israeli sentiment in Europe. I believe that there is a lot that you Israelis could do to counter the one-sidedness of our media and universities and that you, Sir, are someone who is well placed to take on this role. What do you think about that?

Sharansky: It is really important to understand the connection between anti-Israel sentiment and anti-Semitism. Israel has done a great deal in the last two years to overcome criticism. We have proved that demonization of Israel is a form of modern anti-Semitism. We have been part of international resolutions and decisions on the subject. It is also important to stop the vicious propaganda coming out of the Middle East.

Barbara Shapiro, Teaneck, New Jersey: Please describe how we can successfully have a separation with the Arab population in Jerusalem, for those of us who feel it WAS right for us to have annexed Jerusalem.

Sharansky: Those of us like me, who believe in Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel can foresee no real separation from the Arab population. We have to find ways to live peacefully with Jerusalem’s Arabs by improving their quality of life. Anyone who doesn’t want Arab neighbors should be prepared to accept a divided Jerusalem.

Sergey: When will you run for PM & win?

Sharansky: If all the Jews in the US, Europe, and Russia who express their support for me make aliya, there is a good chance!

Eliyahu Karpov, Toronto, Canada: How would you describe your legacy in terms of the past fifteen years of your public career, current affairs and the nearest prospects of the State of Israel?

Sharansky: My career has actually spanned 30 years — from activist and prisoner of conscience, to making aliya, involvement with organizations, party activist, minister who resigned twice, etc. I’ve always done the same work, strengthening the connection of Jews to Zionism and democracy. The two causes are closely related. This is what I believed when I had no support, and what I believe now.

ES, Jerusalem: As an idealistic Diaspora Jew I am now living in Israel. You are someone with vast experience with the Jewish Diaspora so I think you are the most credible to pose this question to. Why should I continue to live in Israel when other countries are more tolerant of Jews than Israel? This country is losing all the ideals it was founded on. Mr. Sharon is drawing us down into disaster and civil war. Why should the Diasporas continue to support Israel?

I used to love Israel as the one place I was free to be Jewish and the one place with a Jewish army to protect Jews. That is not true any longer. I feel far safer in New York than I do in Jerusalem. In New York if I am victimized, I have the law to fight for me. Here, the law is not sacred any longer. The law is used as a tool for dictatorial policies.

Sharansky: You might ask why you should stay in your family despite whatever problems exist. Your decision to live in Israel is not a choice of one hotel over another. Israel is your past and your future, no matter what difficulties exist here.

Jason Pearlman, London: How does Mr Sharansky see the relationship between the Diaspora communities and Israel in fighting anti-Semitism?

Sharansky: At one time, leaders in Israel believed that anti-Semitism was "not their problem,‘ while Diaspora leaders took the stance that anti-Zionism was an ’Israeli problem." Our enemies have proved that there is no difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. I am very proud to have had the honor of creating a global forum on this issue that convenes in Jerusalem once a year.

Domotor: Dear Mr. Sharansky! How do you see Israel’s connection with the EU in the next 10 years?

Sharansky: There are limits to how much EU nations are willing to give up their national identity. They have formed one economic zone, but national identity is as important for them as it is for us. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that shares European values.

Rabbi Moshe Rudner: It seems to me entirely evident that with a third of all Israeli first graders being Arabs, the Jewish state as it now exists will no longer exist 30 years from now. This concerns me far more than Gaza, terrorism, Iran or any of the other issues facing Israel.

Owing however to the explosiveness of the issue and the fact that no great solution easily presents itself, all that we’ve heard from Jewish leaders of all sorts is vague statements about aliya and other feel-good words. Straight talking therefore: In your opinion, what is to be done? Will the world still have a Jewish state in 30 years?

Sharansky: I am an optimist. Assimilation abroad is a very serious problem, and the Jewish community in Israel is the only one that is increasing. We have a demographic problem on our hands. We can address it if we stop controlling the lives of Arabs as we have since 1967, as a result of serious peace arrangements. The closer the Arab quality of life is to that of the Jews, the less disparity exists in population numbers.

Daniel  R., New York, NY: I’m pleased to have this chance to send you a question. I’ve read your books and essays and, since I was very young, followed your development from Jewish refusenik and prisoner in Soviet Russia to Israeli minister, global actor and renowned thinker.

How important is it to the development of the Jewish people for American Jews to move to Israel?

Sharansky: The decision to make aliya is a deeply personal one. But for everybody who wants to actively influence our history and to contribute to the mutual future of all world Jewry, the best place is Israel.

Dave Berg, Santa Margarita, CA: Do a people under occupation, who have had their land confiscated, have the same rights as the people of the occupying army? Does a democracy have the option of providing different standards in how they treat different people living under their control? And if so, is it really democracy?

Sharansky: We have a problem as an occupying power. Our challenge as a Jewish democratic state is how to stop controlling Palestinians’ lives without endangering our own existence. We must make sure that the emerging Palestinian state is democratic and not terrorist. It is wrong to think that by supporting a Palestinian dictatorship, we are serving either the cause of peace or the Palestinian people. Their interests are not served by Israel giving up control to placate Hamas.

David Morris: What are the odds that Saudi Arabia, the kingpin of the Arabs will recognize a Jewish state in this century?

Sharansky: I think that there is a large chance that the Saudi regime would fall if the free world were to stop supporting it. When the regime changes, Saudi Arabia will probably recognize the State of Israel.

Paul Kotik, Plantation, Florida: Do you still believe US President George  W. Bush is a firm and reliable ally of Israel?

Sharansky: I believe Bush is a firm ally. We can’t expect him to be more Zionist than our own government.

President Bush took a huge step forward by linking human rights and US foreign policy. These standards should be applied to many countries, including Saudi Arabia.

Rick Dorfman, Cherry Hill, NJ: In the spirit of the anti-establishment, grassroots initiative that sparked the Russian Jewry movement, what advice can you give to American, Jewish college students who are interested in combating the adversity faced on campus? How can independent-minded students overcome pressure from the bureaucratic establishment not to act when the Jewish people are singled out for admonishment on campus?

Sharansky: Our enemies, those who hate us as a people and a state, have hijacked the banner of human rights. Jewish students have no reason to be ashamed of Israel, their people’s state. Thousands of Jewish students should be ready to stand up when Israel is accused of being an "apartheid state." Being non-apologetic and aggressive in defense of Zionism and democracy will bring about a change.

Ze’ev Brodkin: Dear Mr. Sharansky, With all due respect to you, how did your decision to leave government because of your disagreement with its decision to disengage from Gaza contribute to the unity and security of the Jewish people in the land of Israel and the unity with Jews in the Diaspora?

Sharansky: I believe very strongly that when the prime minister’s decision is wrong and dangerous, it is immoral to stay in the government and enjoy the privileges of a minister. Jews can only benefit from leaders who vote their conscience.

Matthew Mausner, Givat Shmuel: Is there still a possibility of stopping the disengagement from Gaza politically?

Sharansky: As long as there were ways to act politically, I remained in the government. Now that what is left us is the struggle for public opinion, I left in order not to be restricted by policy.

Elaine Sarid, Jerusalem: Dear Mr Sharansky, I, for one, am distressed, and feel betrayed, by the strong-arm tactics of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his cohorts, and of their distortions of the truth and outright lies. The latest example is what took place at the election for a new head of the Jewish Agency.

How can you, and do you, remain optimistic about our future as a Jewish nation, in light of the ongoing flagrant abuses of our democratic principles?

Sharansky: First, I am optimistic because I am an optimistic person. Second, our history is optimistic. In a democratic state, the future is not dependent on the acts of one person, but rather on the strength of the system.

Gershon Portnoy, Elon Moreh: As an ex-prisoner of Zion, I want an answer from you why you are not at the forefront of an active and uncompromising campaign for the sake of Jonathan Pollard.

Sharansky: I am fully committed to the release of Jonathan Pollard. I believe that the story is a shame for us as a country and as a people. I do whatever I can at all levels to aid his release. But unlike prisoners of Zion, this is a situation in which the leaders of the US are against his release, as is public opinion. US Jewry feels very awkward about this issue, and not every Israeli politician considers it a top priority.

Philip Taussky: How do you explain the success of the communist party in Bulgaria and a moving away from democratic principles in Iran and Russia, for example?

Sharansky: There are books on how to move from capitalism to communism, but no books on how to move from communism to capitalism. The transition is not a smooth process. Democratic institutions must be built, and if they’re weak, there may be retreats from democracy. In the case of Iran, the country was never democratic.

Gary  M. Cooperberg: When you were a member of the Netanyahu government and came to see Hebron for yourself, why did you then vote to give control over 80% of the city to the PLO?

Sharansky: In nine years in the government, the only vote I regret is my vote on Hebron. We should not control the population there, but any agreements guaranteeing the safety of the Jewish community in Hebron have not been implemented. The Palestinian Authority has not fulfilled its obligations.

Allen Klein, Sao Paulo, Brazil: Dear Mr Sharansky, With your previous experiences in the Likud party, I would like to know if you are satisfied with your current political party.

Sharansky: I don’t like the fact that decisions are so often ignored by the leader of the Likud party. But compared to other parties, the situation could be worse.

Alex Feitag: Israel’s greatest existential micro problem is the carnage on Israel’s roads. Will you address this horrific problem?

Sharansky: I don’t know what to do about this. Car accidents are a problem of the society as a whole. The situation is tragic. Everyone should feel responsible for the safety of their children and the children of their neighbours.

Rachel Simson: Dear Mr. Sharansky, Why do we have to have so many immigrant workers when we have such a high rate of unemployment?

Sharansky: The problem of foreign laborers began at the beginning of the 1990s. The last two governments have taken steps to decrease the number of illegal workers in Israel, and there is an almost weekly decline. But we have to remember that most Israelis are unwilling to work in construction or cleaning. If we don’t, someone else will.

Evan Winer, Evanston, Illinois: Dear Mr. Sharansky, Many argue that unlike elsewhere in the world, democracy is a foreign, even alien, concept that is unlikely to take root the Middle East.

How do you counter this argument and what do you say to those who say democracy will only bring Islamic militants to power in states where there are currently stable, albeit authoritarian regime?

Sharansky: Elections are not democracy, as the voting process in Russia and Iran has shown. Democracy is about institutions that protect the rights of individuals. It’s about people living without fear. I believe that people everywhere prefer freedom to dictatorship. People used to claim that Japan would never be a democracy, that it went against the character of the Japanese people. The same for Eastern Europe. Today we’re hearing the same thing about the Middle East. This is racism and a justification for supporting dictatorships.

Yoel Nitzarim, Skokie, Illinois: Dear Mr. Sharansky, In your opinion, what will be Iran’s political role in both the Middle East and the world in consequence of its nomination of an extreme conservative as the new president?

Sharansky: These elections have no connection to democracy. The opposition voice favored a referendum, supervised by the free world, which didn’t support the idea, the US included. Iran is a good example of a country that in the space of a generation turned from a country of "true believers" to a country of dissenting voices.

Bruce  A. Brinberg: Dear Mr. Sharansky, I have had the opportunity to read your book The Case for Democracy.

I must confess relief that you mentioned God on the final page of the book. I’ve been pondering how Hashem must have worked through Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, et al in bringing democracy to the ’modern’ world. And He is working through you.

Can you give us your thoughts on the role of God in this process?

Sharansky: In my first book, Fear no Evil, I describe how G-d sent King David to my cell. Long ago I stopped trying to understand whether G-d gives us a mission, or we choose a mission to be worthy of being created in G-d’s image. As long as we live with a feeling of worthiness, we have enough.