The Fate of the Nation Is in His Hands
During his tenure, a significant decision will be made about Iran, so Benjamin Netanyahu shouldhave topped this list. With the right decisions, he will become an important figure in Jewishhistory. His enemies must acknowledge that
In Netanyahu’s case, it is easy to make such a claim. Not only does he currently stand at the helm of the Jewish state, but he has already been there twice in the past, and just recently won an election that will keep him in power for several years more. He was also an influential finance minister, and was a key figure in Israel’s transition from a semi-socialist economy to the prosperous “startup nation” of today, a global leader in technology and entrepreneurship.
Moreover, Netanyahu is leading at a time when critical decisions are being made with regard to the future of Israel and of all the Jewish people. The current agenda includes, for example, such issues as what to do about the Iranian nuclear program: Can Israel, or should Israel, attack the nuclear sites in Iran? Should it risk a counterattack from the Iranian side, and possibly face international condemnation and sanctions? Or rather, should Israel learn to live with an Iranian nuclear bomb, and face the risk of Iran increasing its support of terror, including nuclear terror, or even a direct military attack on Israel, a country Rafsanjani once called a “one-bomb country”? All of this is open for debate – but the debate will end under Netanyahu’s leadership; it is highly unlikely that this debate can remain stagnant and be handed down to his successor, whoever that might be.
If you believe that the Iranian nuclear program is the greatest threat to Israel today, and the only real threat to the country’s existence, then the fate of the Jewish state is in Netanyahu’s hands more than anyone else’s. This issue alone turns Netanyahu into the most significant figure in the Jewish world.
I am saying “Jewish world,” and not just “Israel,” because the fate of Jewish communities around the world is bound almost inextricably to the fate of the Jewish state. And when we talk about the growing significance of Israel: Though it is only symbolic, it was during Netanyahu’s term as prime minister that the Jewish population of Israel surpassed both that of America and that of the historical benchmark of six million. This detail reminds us that as prime minister, Netanyahu is indeed at the center of the Jewish world.
That, obviously, is a political position and not a religious one. But his influence is felt even in areas concerning religion, since during his tenure he has formed a coalition that seems ready to revisit the terms of the arrangement between the ultra-Orthodox factions and the state – and the rest of society. The weight of this issue has been steadily increasing from decade to decade, and now it poses a major challenge for the IDF and for the country’s economy. Whatever the outcome, positive or negative – Netanyahu is going to play a role in producing that outcome.
So Netanyahu must be there, at the top of the list. But the prime minister of Israel is not always going to be the most influential Jew in the world. There are times when no critically important decisions are made in Israel. We would gladly imagine a leader in the scientific field – a Jew who makes an amazing discovery that cures cancer, like Jonas Salk did for Polio – topping the list.
On the other hand, for better or worse, it is not easy to envision a religious leader, a chief rabbi or brilliant Torah sage, becoming so influential today. If even Lord Jonathan Sacks does not top this list, who could be there in his stead? It is hard to find religious leaders who influence the Jewish world the way he does who would obviously be counted among the top hundred.
Going back to Netanyahu, there are those who will claim that he has not done much about the most pressing issue: Israel coping with its Arab neighbors. The answer to this claim must be that Israel has no ability and no control (nor any influence) over the direction the current crisis in Egypt is taking; that Netanyahu is doing everything that his predecessors did before him in order to maintain stability and good relations with Jordan; that Israel is intelligent enough to steer clear of involvement in the war in Syria, as long as it can.
The developments referred to as the Arab Spring were and remain an internal Arab affair. Israel can only watch. It is true that Netanyahu did not make progress with the Palestinians, but is it possible to claim in all sincerity that the leaders of the Palestinian Authority are eager to restart talks? Could there have been real progress had Netanyahu been more “flexible”? While it is probable that under Netanyahu only minor change can be expected in relations between Israel and the Arabs, it is hard to claim that it would be any different under any other leader.
Ranking Netanyahu in first place would not necessarily mean supporting his policies; those who actually oppose his every move must still recognize the significance of his mission. But if we agree that Israel is at the center of the Jewish world, if we assume that Israel is going to rebuild the relationship between religion and state while Netanyahu is in office, and if we believe that the Iranian threat must be dealt with (not to mention the collapse of Syria) while he is prime minister, then this man indeed stands at the very center of Jewish life today and can turn himself into a significant figure in Jewish history.
