A Creative Initiative Gaining Momentum: "We'll Recruit Millions of Supporters and Transform the Country"

He lives in Mitzpe Ramon, 31 years old, a father of six, and he believes he can change Israel's state, and more than that – lead a revolutionary change with a concept previously unknown.

Meet Elishav Wach, who is currently part of the creative team behind the new Facebook page 'People's Wish', which he believes will be the start of a fascinating process to rescue Israel from its dire situation following the establishment of the current government.

"We aren't trying to organize protests, demonstrations, or make noise," he clarifies. "This idea is entirely different, and that's why I believe it holds the power to accomplish what protests and demonstrations have not yet achieved."

"The Public is Desperate, That's the Problem"

Take us back. What drove you to seek ideas and solutions?

"It all began last year, in the months leading up to the government's formation," he recounts. "Back then, it was clear to the public what kind of government we were heading towards and how far from the idea of a 'Jewish state' it was. Simultaneously, we suffered from the May 2021 riots, and our forces couldn't truly handle the disturbances. The feeling was of a certain helplessness in the state. Despite this, I was personally stunned to see how quietly these events unfolded. Sure, there were letters from rabbis and security personnel, as well as public figures warning against the dangerous government and Israel's conduct, but in practice, no one lifted a finger to prevent the government's formation or at least stop the dangerous conduct of Israel."

During those days, Wach felt that as a resident and someone who cares about the country's future, he had to act. "I gathered around me a group of about 30 people and we worked day and night organizing protests and creating public noise. We acted for a full month, without pause. We believed wholeheartedly that once we awakened the people, something could be done. After all, the numbers show that most Israelis are traditionally connected to their identity. The majority is also nationalistic, and nationalism is important to them. Yet, the current government comes and loses all its values, both religiously and nationally, and no one speaks up."

He ended that campaign feeling it was a failure, as no significant change occurred. But for him, that wasn't the end; it was an opportunity to delve deeper into the subject and try to understand what could still be done, and how to make the public cry out loudly.

As part of this, Wach decided to conduct thorough research. "I spoke with experts from all walks of life and knowledgeable people," he explains. "As someone who has participated in so many battles in life, I reached a disheartening conclusion – those in power managed to simply wear out our public. The public has become dormant and desperate, lacking even the strength to revolt."

Wach emphasizes that he's not particularly referring to the religious public, but to the vast majority of people in Israel who desire a Jewish state. "Although we are the majority, those currently in power have managed to control all power centers, media, and judiciary. The simple public has reached a state where it no longer believes it has the ability to effect change. It's tired of struggles and has no strength to continue fighting. It turns out there were people who succeeded over the years to dismantle our public in terms of consciousness, making them lose faith in their ability, making them think there's no chance for ideals to lead life."

You're speaking very theoretically. What bothers you the most about the current government?

"Firstly, the composition of the government. Once you see Mansour Abbas sitting in the Knesset as a king to whom everyone obeys and depends on, and when you see progressive opinion leaders working as one within the established government, aiming to promote topics entirely opposite to Judaism's views, like same-sex marriages, conversions upon demand, kosher reforms, and other issues aggressively blurring Jewish identity, you realize there's a snowball rolling downhill that must be stopped.

"Take a look at our Finance Minister today – Liberman, who announced publicly that he'd throw the ultra-Orthodox out from wheelbarrows into the trash, and now he's taken over the entire budget, with his intention clear. It's no secret; it was all written and agreed upon even before the government was established."

Aiming for a Jewish State

Wach speaks from the heart. It's evident that these issues deeply concern him. "When I understood how much strength the people had lost, I began feeling helpless too. Because the most dangerous thing is to be without trust in our capabilities and our people. That was the moment I realized if we don't make a significant change now to alter the rules of the game, the path from here to a state of 'all its citizens' without any Jewish character will be very short, and no one will do anything to oppose it. If we haven't opposed it until now, then no one will in the future either."

This harsh realization made him understand another thing – the required move now can't be the activity of one sector or another, but a change that needs to come as part of the entire nation of Israel and be cross-sectorial. He further elaborates: "The move should include a broad spectrum – at one end the entire religious and ultra-Orthodox public with their rabbis, and at the other end completely secular network figures, retired IDF generals, etc. In the middle, there will be journalists and spokespeople from all sectors, renowned bodies, new immigrants – virtually everyone."

In the first stage, he decided to gather representatives from all noted spectra, aiming to have a joint brainstorming session. "We sat around a table with 20 heads of different sectorial organizations," he details, "Among them were Nir Geremy from Hidabroot, Elad Tzadikov from 'Benoam', representatives from Har Hamor with LIBA organization, representatives from classical national religious public, various columnists, political advisors, and even opinion leaders like Dr. Gadi Taub, and even Yoav Eliasi – The Shadow, representatives of the Shapira Cafe Forum like Gali Bat Horin, and more. It was a very interesting composition."

And what were the conclusions?

"The subject the meeting discussed was clear – we all understood that a very tough battle is taking place over the Jewish state, and we tried to brainstorm solutions to solve this issue.

We proposed many ideas and ways for activities, and ultimately, I left that meeting having met a new friend who became a partner in the revolutionary plan I'm currently running – it’s Robby Barzani, someone who has been in marketing for over 20 years.

He's a great professional, but for our joint activity, he left his job and devoted himself solely to setting up the project over four months. I, too, left my family in Mitzpe Ramon, left a pregnant wife, a home with children, and moved to Tel Aviv, returning home only on weekends.

Throughout those months, we sat and refined all possible directions to find a solution that could change the situation, and during the journey, we convened our forum and presented our outputs."

Robby Barzani

Without Protests and Without Demonstrations

This sounds truly intriguing. What idea did you finally come up with?

"It is indeed a groundbreaking and innovative idea, born solely from the understanding that we must find a different approach. No protests and no demonstrations, but something genuinely not thought of until today."

Wach takes a deep breath and elaborates: "Our idea is difficult to implement and a bit ambitious, but it arouses hope in an extraordinary way, and we believe that only there lies the solution. As part of the move, we are going to gather all Jewish people in Israel who want a Jewish state. We estimate this to be about 5 million, but even if we reach 2-3 million, we will be satisfied. We will rally everyone together under the slogan: 'Here is the People of Israel.' This mass, we want to awaken, as it was said 'The People of Israel will arise like a lion' – we need to wake and stir the lion."

How will you reach so many people?

"In the first stage, we will use public networks, as that's where the public resides. Recently we opened a Facebook group that already has about 700 members. Naturally, we aim to reach many more and also connect to more networks as our power grows. The group we opened is called 'People's Wish,' and our aspiration is to gather between 2 to 3 million members."

What’s the next stage?

"When we reach hundreds of thousands, we will begin to act and initiate. Here I'd like to explain that in our current situation, we feel like a little child at home, who when his older siblings hit him, he screams because he has no other way to fight. That’s how we look today when we scream 'Gevald,' because we don’t have the ability to change the state. But once we have more than 2 million members, we can launch campaigns that will completely change the discourse in the state and lead us towards a Jewish state. Through campaigns, we will clearly convey what the nation wants, which is also what it deserves. We will also organize huge events where we will clarify our demands. These won’t be protests but events in a festival style. The first of them will be held soon, where we will bring a giant Israeli flag that will break the Guinness Record and stretch over 80 dunams. We will spread it out in the Negev, bring booths and artists, and make a big festival where we’ll talk about governance in the Negev and our demand to dismantle the unlawful elements that control it and establish full Israeli sovereignty. There will also be many other campaigns that will completely change the discourse in the country and lead us towards a Jewish state."

"There's No Civil War, It's an Illusion"

Where's the budget from?

Wach and Barzani are evidently well-prepared. "Membership in our organization will be through membership fees, and since we expect many, many members, the fee will be nominal. Even with very low membership fees, we can launch larger campaigns than all the advertising companies in the state. Thus, through billboards and raising awareness, we can lead the discourse in the right direction."

As you know, the current government managed to do the unimaginable and topple Bibi. It has enormous powers. Aren’t you afraid it’ll thwart your initiatives?

"I’m not afraid at all. The power of the masses is the greatest there is, and that’s exactly what the government fears. It can be seen that in completely totalitarian regimes, the masses have succeeded in creating revolutions. I'm not aiming for that; I just want to emphasize the magnitude of the power and strength we have.

"It's clear the government will try to resist; they'll also try to instill in us the message they've been spreading – that there are quarrels in the People of Israel, chaos, and civil war, they will continue to try to divide us, but we know the truth – there’s a rare love of Israel in our people. Anyone who’s ever been stranded on the roadside knows this, it was evident during Covid, and at many other times."

In the final stage, are you aiming to topple the government?

"For us, the government isn’t the problem, it’s the result of prolonged management, where Israel has been managed in a problematic manner. If, due to everything we'll fight for, the government falls – that’s what’ll happen. But initially, we aren't politically oriented. We didn’t come to raise Bibi or lower Bennett in any way. We’re just ordinary citizens who want the State of Israel to be consistent with its Jewish character."

You sound like a big believer in the idea. Are you sure it’ll gain traction among others as well?

"I believe it’s a matter of process. Even in my close circle, I saw it took time until people really managed to switch gears and believe that it is possible. This concept is truly different from what we're used to, but precisely because of that, I'm sure it will eventually succeed."