The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Elie WieselRead
My loyalty to my people, to our people, and to Israel comes first and prevents me from saying anything critical of Israel outside Israel… As a Jew I see my role as a melitz yosher, a defender of Israel: I defend even her mistakes… I must identify with whatever Israel does – even with her errors.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Loyalty to one's homeland and people can sometimes mean defending even their faults.
Elie Wiesel reflects on the deep sense of loyalty he feels towards Israel and his people as a Jewish individual. He expresses that this loyalty compels him to defend Israel, even in the face of criticism or mistakes, highlighting the complexity of identity, belonging, and accountability in relation to one's nation and culture.
Themes
LoyaltyIsraelDefenseJewish IdentityPatriotism
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at a community gathering to promote unity among supporters of Israel.
More from Elie Wiesel
All quotes →With every cell of my being and with every fiber of my memory I oppose the death penalty in all forms. I do not believe any civilized society should be at the service of death. I don't think it's human to become an agent of the angel of death.
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We're alone, but we are capable of communicating to one another both our loneliness and our desire to break through it. You say, 'I'm alone.' Someone answers, 'I'm alone too.' There's a shift in the scale of power. A bridge is thrown between the two abysses.
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No one is as capable of gratitude as one who has escaped the kingdom of night.
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I've given my life to the principle and the ideal of memory, and remembrance.
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