Israel's next leader must be ambitious for Israel, not themselves

We will spend the coming weeks arguing about Gaza, Iran, the haredi draft, the economy, judicial reform, the Palestinians, and the consequences of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks. We will scrutinize party platforms, coalition possibilities, and opinion polls. 'Hate positions of power.' It is a striking instruction. Judaism clearly does not oppose leadership. The Torah is filled with leaders. Jewish communities cannot function without people willing to take responsibility. These questions matter in every election. In Israel in 2026, they matter enormously. The next prime minister will inherit a country still carrying the wounds of the October 7 massacres and the Israel-Hamas War that ensued. Israeli society remains divided, bereaved, and exhausted. Enormous decisions lie ahead concerning security, the economy, the haredi draft, our relationship with the Palestinians, our relationship with the wider world and, perhaps most difficult of all, our relationship with one another. The writer is a rabbi and physician. He writes and teaches on Jewish ethics, leadership, and resilience. His work appears on rabbidrjonathanlieberman.substack.com and youtube.com. @rabbidrjonathanlieberman