Concluding his Australiasian tour with a visit to Perth, our community was treated tonight to an inspiring and motivating talk by Jerusalem Post correspondent Amotz Asa-El.
One is always weary of an Israeli wearing a suit and tie (even if fastened loosely), but our guest this evening was one of the most assuming, logical and articulate commentators on Israel that we have had the pleasure of hearing locally for some time.
On the topic of “Restoration of the Israeli Consensus” Amotz started out by sharing the unifying strength of the Israel economy, and described the role of economic reform as a catalyst for social change within Israel. He advanced this by noting that the political vision of Israel (driven by its elected leaders) is now far more devisive than the population it serves, although it wasn’t always so. It was noted Israel used to be a split society on many grounds, but the cultural maturation, coupled with economic prosperity places the population in a less polarised position now than ever before.
It was once said that if you stand in the middle of the road that you get run over. It is also true that Israel is a very diverse country, and being a moderate middleman can be a dangerous career choice, especially for a journalist. However Amotz proudly brands himself to middle Israel, and deservedly so. If you stand in the middle of the road and start to direct traffic, then you are far less of a hazard.
A big heads up to the Institute of Jewish Affairs for hosting this evenings talk.