The President of the EAJC Addressed the Jerusalem Post Conference in London

Dear Friends,

I am grateful for the opportunity to address you today. Now, more than ever, we must speak out in the hope that our voice may be heard.

And today, we must speak of peace. Peace is not merely a beautiful word. We utter it frequently, yet we sometimes forget what lies behind it. Peace is a profound respect for human life, liberty, and the opinions of others. It is cooperation between individuals and nations. It is the exchange of ideas, and scientific and technological progress. Above all, peace is humanity and the sanctity of life.

This is what Judaism has taught the Jewish people for centuries. If there is a cult in our tradition, it is the cult of respect for human life. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses speaks directly to the people: between life and death, choose life. For the sake of life and its preservation, we are not only permitted but obligated to violate one of the most important commandments—the observance of Shabbat. In such cases, the violation becomes the observance. Recently, many were struck by the photos taken on Shabbat showing religious Jews sitting in front of computers with phones. One of them, Rabbi Zilberstein of Chernihiv, explained to his young daughter that G-d had sent him a rare opportunity to save 65 people. Even in the darkest of times, rays of light will always emerge.

Today is a dark time, and we cannot remain silent about Ukraine and the tragedy that has befallen it. A dire humanitarian crisis, devastated cities and shattered destinies, millions of refugees, uncertainty, and despair.

According to various estimates, approximately 200,000 Jews and their family members resided in Ukraine before the outbreak of the war. Jewish life in Ukraine spans centuries. We know from Jewish documents discovered in the Cairo Genizah that Jews inhabited Kyiv as early as the 10th century. Many spiritual leaders of our people—rabbis, writers, and political figures—originated from Ukraine.

Over the past 30 years, numerous Jewish communities have emerged in Ukraine, in major cities and small towns alike: Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv. Today, war has overtaken them. Today, the future of Jewish life there is called into question.

Many Jews have fled; some, thank G-d, have reached Israel and, with G-d's help, will establish a new home here. Yet many remain. And certainly, for many, life will never be the same. We hear the pleas for help from local rabbis and community leaders. Today, prayers in Ukraine's synagogues sound far more poignant, and the doors are open to all in need. A new reality is unfolding, and we must work with it.

We do not have the right to stand aside. We, the global Jewish community and public leaders, are duty-bound to do everything in our power to halt the bloodshed and human tragedies, and to facilitate the arrival of peace. We must assist all those suffering now, and we will be required to rebuild the Jewish communities.

For 30 years, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, in cooperation with the World Jewish Congress, has addressed the needs of the communities in the region, including, of course, those of the former Soviet Union. We have supported the communities in their most difficult moments, and we will support them now. Almost immediately, we established a humanitarian aid fund; we actively support the Jews of Ukraine in their needs and assist the Jewish community of Moldova in welcoming and housing refugees. We facilitate the evacuation of people to Israel and assist refugees in European countries.

We believe and pray that the Jews of Ukraine will soon be able to return to their former lives, but until then, it is our moral duty to rally around them, offer support, and deliver them from distress.

At one time, the global Jewish community rallied around the fate of Soviet Jews. Back then, Jews were deprived of almost all rights, yet after decades of state-sponsored antisemitism in the USSR, Jewish life truly flourished in post-Soviet countries. Young democratic societies realized that antisemitism is an obsolete disease that must be combatted with the strictest measures.

In recent years, we have witnessed a significant decline in violent antisemitic acts in the countries of the former Soviet Union. However, we must remain vigilant. After all, the majority of antisemitic acts in the post-Soviet space occur in verbal form: through antisemitic remarks, the dissemination of conspiracy theories, and the denial or trivialization of the Holocaust.

Regrettably, we already know that global crises invariably spawn a multitude of antisemitic conspiracy theories. We saw this clearly during the pandemic, and we are already observing and noting these phenomena now. We hope to maintain the positive trend regarding antisemitism in the countries of the region. However, we are monitoring the situation closely and stand ready to counter any threats.

Today, some still allow themselves to express opinions that wars are instigated by Jews. But we, the Jewish people, know better than anyone the cost of the terrible wars of the past. We know how dearly and with what difficulty peace is achieved today. We know the specific price and the names of the people who died fighting for the peaceful existence of the Jewish nation and state. Every year in Israel, we spend a week remembering this price—from the 6 million lost in the horrors of the Holocaust to the 24,000 who gave their lives for the security of Israel. A price far too high.

Modern Israel was forged in wars, yet our primary achievements are realized precisely during peacetime. Science, education, and technologies aimed at improving life and progress are the priceless fruits of peace.

Today, Israel is one of the global technological leaders; it is this sector that has allowed the small Jewish state to become one of the leading forces in the region and the world. The role of the innovation sector in the Israeli economy can be judged by a single fact: since the beginning of 2022, 20 new so-called "unicorn" companies—private startups valued at over a billion dollars—have emerged in Israel. In total, there are over 60 such companies in the country, the second-highest number in the world after the United States. With 7,000 startups per capita, this yields the highest density of innovative businesses in the world.

In conditions of peace and security, Israel is prepared to cooperate and share its technologies. Alongside the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, I also head the startup companies Watergen and Vertical Field, which are designed to resolve the crisis of drinking water shortages and ensure food security in the world's most problematic regions.

Vertical Field's urban container farms represent an innovative and accessible method of growing food in any indoor or outdoor urban space. The unique geoponic platform is capable of growing more than 200 crop varieties, meeting the demand for clean, natural, and healthy food products.

The patented Watergen technology generates clean, fresh drinking water from the humidity in the air without requiring a connection to a water source. Our technology was recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Economy as one of the 7 most innovative inventions in Israel's history.

Today, many countries in the Middle East have also come to realize the importance of cooperation. The recently signed Abraham Accords have already led to an unprecedented level of cooperation between Israel and the Gulf states. We are part of this process and are working with partners in the United Arab Emirates to jointly address water scarcity and food security issues in our region.

Our devices are already in use in 85 countries worldwide. We are particularly proud that several of our units have been installed in the Gaza Strip, where nearly two million residents suffer from a severe shortage of clean drinking water. Watergen became the only company to install dozens of its devices in Gaza, in cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces and local partners. They are connected to solar panels and located in venues including hospitals and other healthcare institutions.

Throughout history, wars have often been fought over water resources. Today, we are doing the exact opposite—we are establishing peace and building a common future through technology.

I am convinced that many conflicts between individuals and states stem from a lack of humility and a desire to impose one’s views, culture, and lifestyle on an opponent. Yet only genuine humility, acceptance, and the ability to recognize the right to a different perspective open the gates to understanding and mutual respect. It seems to me that, first and foremost, we must acknowledge our own mistakes and shortcomings, while striving to see the positive, strong attributes of our opponent. We must consider what we can learn and how we can enrich one another. This is the essence of trust and respect, which pave the way toward resolving the most acute problems and establishing true peace.

Because peace is beautiful; peace is what we are obligated to strive for. Peace is what we must speak of.