Real People Provide Real Hope

On Sunday, I greeted the Jerusalem morning with news of the assassination attempt against former president Trump. We are grateful that the assassin was unsuccessful, and that President Trump was not seriously injured. We pray for the family of those killed (may Corey Comperatore’s memory serve as a blessing) and for the speedy recovery of those injured. Regardless of our political affiliation we must offer these words of thanksgiving.

Although we do not know the would-be assassin’s motives, this is not the first-time violence has been used in an attempt to settle our differences. We must affirm the conviction that such differences cannot be resolved through violence. Bullets are antithetical to democratic principles. We must cease the glorification of weapons. We must avoid celebrating violence. We must repudiate conspiracy theories.

In November, Americans will vote. And in January we will declare our unity behind the candidate who wins the most electoral votes—at least that is how our system is supposed to work. This occasion is an opportunity to offer thanks that violence has failed and to reaffirm our commitment to democratic principles.

We argue. We vote. We compromise.

On Tuesday, I traveled to Haifa to meet with participants in the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Shared Society initiatives. We met two teachers. One a Jew and another an Arab...

This post continues on The Times of Israel.