Israel's "Radical" move to the political center and lessons for the rest of us

Published: Feb. 11, 2022, 2:35 p.m.

b'One theme of these 2020s is the polarization ripping through the US and other democracies around the world. Every day there\\u2019s a new story. Is there any way out of it?\\n\\nDr. Micah Goodman thinks so. He\\u2019s been studying the Israeli model of consensus as an antidote to polarization. \\n\\nMicah is on speed-dial of several of the leaders of Israel\\u2019s new centrist coalition government. This Government is like nothing else in Israel\\u2019s history\\u2026or anywhere else for that matter. It consists of 8 political parties that span the extremes of the ideological spectrum. In fact, this Government would not have been formed without the kingmaker role of a Muslim Arab Israeli political party in Israel\\u2019s parliament.\\n\\nMicah is a polymath, having written books ranging from biblical lessons for the modern age to Israel\\u2019s geopolitics. Not only have all of his books been bestsellers in Israel, he essentially created a new genre; books that bring core texts of Jewish thought to a general, secular audience. \\n\\n He is a founder of immersive programs fostering personal growth and group identity for young adults at a formative stage in their lives. The organization is called Beit Prat, and Micah is its president. \\n\\nMicah is also a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel.'