Spring has already arrived, which reminds us of the Exodus from Egypt: the event that marks the start of history itself. Prior to the Exodus, the concept of time was solely cyclical: Spring was followed by summer, then by autumn and finally winter, in a never-ending cycle. Man had a fixed and pre-determined place in the universe, for his powers of both good and bad. He was at the mercy of the gods and their fury, without the ability to determine his fate.

The Exodus from Egypt shocked the world and established history. It taught that the future is something that can be different from the past. It taught that a person can adopt his positive strengths, that he can be released from obstacles and injustices, and can promote the world for his redemption. Rabbi Kook teaches us that the Exodus from Egypt will remain as a testament to the spring of the whole world.

In our public and political lives we are also obligated to remember that the future is in our hands. Since its establishment sixty years ago, Israel has proven that a small country with scant resources and a population comprised almost entirely of refugees, can make the desert bloom and instigate a political and economic miracle in a hostile and backward region. The sole democracy in the Middle East was also the first country that, on the one hand knew how to fight terror and conquer it, (from Entebbe to Operation Defensive Shield,) but also developed ways to absorb a vast number of refugees without collapsing economically and socially.

The Israeli spirit of the Israeli Initiative--accepting responsibility and improving the world-- is exactly what is lacking today in contending with the challenge of peace. Previous peace processes that have failed were characterized by a short-sighted way of thinking. They surrendered to violence, ignoring historic justice by being dragged towards mistaken and common conceptions. We at the Israeli Initiative are trying in many ways to liberate public thinking from this trap, and to place our initiative and the spirit behind it on the public agenda.

These days of spring should present all of us with an opportunity to return to ourselves on an individual basis, to return to ourselves as a people and to take responsibility for the future. We must stride ahead towards a just, long-term and real solution to the problem that continues to bring disaster to the region.

On behalf of MK Benny Elon and the Israeli Initiative team, I wish a joyous Festival of Freedom to all our dear supporters and to all those to whom the future of Israel is close to their hearts.

Yours,

Yoav Sorek
Israeli Initiative Team