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New Leaders Must Have Continuity With the Past, But Vision and Courage for a Brighter Tomorrow
US President Joe Biden holds a press conference during NATO’s 75th anniversary summit, in Washington, DC, July 11, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard
In his 2015 book, Lessons in Leadership, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote: “Leaders must have the strength to know what they cannot be if they are to have the courage to be themselves.”
One must wonder if at any point over the past few weeks, this thought crossed President Joe Biden’s mind, as his ability to be the leader of the free world was put into doubt in the full glare of the public spotlight.
In a stunning turn of events, Biden announced this week that he will not seek re-election. The US political landscape, already tumultuous and chaotic, has been thrown into total disarray as Biden’s vice president, Kamala Harris, has been ushered in, totally unopposed, as the presumptive Democratic candidate.
The news of Biden’s sudden departure and Harris’s meteoric emergence as his replacement has sparked intense debate and speculation, leaving the American public and political pundits alike grappling with the implications of this unexpected shift.
For many, Biden’s decision to step aside marks a pivotal moment in American politics. Questions abound: What does this mean for Biden’s presidency over the next few months? If he feels himself incapable of running for election, how is he capable of running the country? And how will Harris fare against Donald Trump? Will this bombshell change of candidates energize or divide the Democratic base? Will the idea of a Harris presidency win over swing voters?
Amid the uncertainty, one thing is clear: the process of choosing a new leader is fraught with challenges and opportunities.
Throughout history, there have been leadership changes that not only shocked those they had led, but also left an indelible mark on the political landscape. One example much cited over the past few days is the resignation of President Lyndon B. Johnson in late March 1968, a decision he framed as an act of selflessness: “With America’s sons in the fields far away, with America’s future under challenge right here at home, with our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace in the balance every day, I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office—the Presidency of your country. Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”
Johnson’s decision not to seek re-election amidst the Vietnam War was a turning point in American politics. The next president might have been Robert F. Kennedy, who was expected by many to win the election against former vice president Richard Nixon. But his assassination in early June left the Democratic Party in turmoil, and opened the door for Nixon’s stunning victory. Nixon’s win marked a significant shift in American political dynamics, influencing the course of the nation’s history for years to come.
Elsewhere, the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936 was a monumental event for Great Britain. Edward’s decision to abdicate in order to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite, resulted in his brother, George VI, ascending to the throne.
George VI’s leadership during World War II was crucial, as his resolve and moral integrity in the face of the Nazi threat to Britain contrasted sharply with Edward’s known sympathies for Nazi Germany. This shift in leadership undoubtedly influenced Britain’s posture and resilience when war with Germany broke out in 1939, and in the demanding years that followed.
Another notable, far more recent example of a dramatic leadership change is the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013. Benedict — who cited his advanced age and declining strength as reasons for stepping down — became the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years; the last pope who resigned was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415.
Benedict’s surprising resignation paved the way for the election of Pope Francis, a leader who has brought significant changes to the Vatican’s approach and policies. Pope Francis is known for his focus on social justice and his efforts to modernize the Catholic Church, an institution not known for its inclination to change.
Francis has initiated numerous reforms aimed at addressing issues like financial corruption, sexual abuse, and the role of women in the Church. His leadership style and priorities have marked a distinct departure from the far more conservative approach of his predecessor, bringing new optimism and direction to the Catholic community worldwide.
This small selection of historical examples illustrates how leadership changes can have profound and lasting effects on the trajectory of those being led. And as we watch the current unfolding political drama in the United States, these lessons from history remind us of the significance of this moment, and the potential impact of the choices that will be made in the coming months.
There is a powerful narrative about leadership transition in Parshat Pinchas that offers timeless insights. The Torah recounts the appointment of Joshua as Moses’ successor, a moment of great significance for the Israelite community. Moses indicated that he wanted God to gift the leadership to one of his sons, but it was not to be.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch highlights the qualities that made Joshua the ideal candidate to lead the people into the Promised Land, emphasizing that Joshua was chosen not for his charisma or political savvy, nor because he had been the assumed leader should Moses step down. Even Moses had believed one of his own sons would replace him.
Joshua was neither the expected choice nor a flashy choice — the Midrash records that he was the one who prepared the study hall for sessions with Moses, a seemingly menial role. What made Joshua suitable was that he represented both continuity from the past, as the devoted disciple of Moses, and also, a change from the past and the hope for a better tomorrow. Moses was a great leader, but his time was up. The break from his era had to be palpable and real.
As we navigate this pivotal moment in American politics, the story of Joshua’s appointment is a powerful reminder that what hasn’t worked in the lead-up to this moment won’t change if we get more of the same. Effective leadership is not about maintaining the status quo but about ensuring continuity while also inspiring progress and hope for the future. In seeking new leaders, it is essential to find those who honor the values and lessons of the past while also having the vision and courage to lead toward a brighter tomorrow.
As the well-known American author and leadership expert John C. Maxwell so aptly stated, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Let us strive to find such leaders, who can guide us with wisdom, integrity, and the vision for a brighter future.
The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.
The post New Leaders Must Have Continuity With the Past, But Vision and Courage for a Brighter Tomorrow first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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As Gaza War Continues, Hamas Calls for Global Protests While Israel Marks Breakthroughs in Medical Innovation
A pro-Hamas march in London, United Kingdom, Feb. 17, 2024. Photo: Chrissa Giannakoudi via Reuters Connect
As the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas calls for global protests amid stalled Gaza ceasefire talks, Israel has broken new ground despite the ongoing conflict, achieving a major medical breakthrough in synthetic human kidney development.
The contrast illustrates a stark contrast between the priorities of Hamas, an international designated terrorist group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, and Israel, the lone democracy in the Middle East that has long been a leader in tech and medical innovation.
On Wednesday, Hamas urged worldwide protests in support of Palestinians, calling on the international community “to denounce Israel’s genocidal war and starvation policy in Gaza.”
“We call for continuing and escalating the popular pressure in all cities and squares on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday … through rallies, demonstrations and sit-ins outside the embassies of the Israeli regime and its allies, particularly in the US,” the statement read.
The Palestinian terrorist group also called to expose what it described as “the terrorism of the Zio-Nazi occupation against defenseless civilians.”
Hamas’s latest move against Israel comes amid stalled indirect negotiations over a proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal, which collapsed last month after the group vowed it would not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state is established — rejecting a key Israeli demand to end the war in Gaza.
In its statement, Hamas demanded the opening of all border crossings to allow immediate aid into the war-torn enclave and urged a global condemnation of “the international community’s inaction on the Israeli crimes.”
Amid mounting international pressure to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israel announced new measures to facilitate the delivery of aid, including temporary pauses in fighting in certain areas and the creation of protected routes for aid convoys.
Israeli officials have previously accused Hamas of diverting aid for terrorist activities and selling supplies at inflated prices to civilians, while also blaming the United Nations and other foreign organizations for enabling this diversion.
Hamas’s statement also emphasized that the “global resistance movement must continue until Israeli aggression on Gaza ends and the siege on the coastal strip is lifted.”
Meanwhile, as Israel faces escalating hostilities and the heavy toll of war, the Jewish state continues to push the boundaries of innovation and resilience, achieving new medical breakthroughs while confronting ongoing challenges.
In a major medical breakthrough, scientists at Sheba Medical Center and Tel Aviv University have successfully grown a synthetic 3D miniature human kidney in a lab using specialized stem cells derived from kidney tissue — one of the most promising advances in regenerative medicine.
Dr. Dror Harats, chairman of Sheba’s Research Authority, described this achievement as a reflection of Israel’s leading role in global medical innovation.
“Despite growing efforts to isolate Israel from international science, breakthroughs like this prove our impact is both lasting and essential,” he said.
In a landmark study, a team from Sheba’s Safra Children’s Hospital and Tel Aviv University’s Sagol Center for Regenerative Medicine created synthetic kidney organs that matured and remained stable for 34 weeks — the longest-lasting and most refined kidney organoids developed to date.
Nearly a decade ago, the research team became the first to successfully isolate human kidney tissue stem cells — the cells responsible for the organ’s development and growth.
Previous attempts to grow kidneys in a lab using general-purpose stem cells were short-lived, typically lasting only a few weeks and often producing unwanted cell types that compromised research accuracy.
However, this Israeli research team used stem cells taken directly from kidney tissue — cells that naturally develop into kidney parts — allowing them to create a much purer and more stable model with key features found in real kidneys.
This medical breakthrough could have far-reaching implications, redefining the current understanding of kidney diseases and advancing the development of innovative treatments.
Researchers believe the model could help assess how medications impact fetal kidneys during pregnancy and move science closer to repairing or replacing damaged kidney tissue with lab-grown cells.
The discovery came days after researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and international partners discovered a way to boost the immune system’s cancer-fighting ability by reprogramming how T cells, which are white blood cells critical to the immune system, produce energy.
The researchers explained in a study published in the peer-reviewed Nature Communications that disabling a protein known as Ant2 in T cells greatly enhances their effectiveness against tumors.
“By disabling Ant2, we triggered a complete shift in how T cells produce and use energy,” Prof. Michael Berger of Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine, who co-led the study with doctorate student Omri Yosef, told the Tazpit Press Service. “This reprogramming made them significantly better at recognizing and killing cancer cells.”
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Netherlands to Push EU to Suspend Israel Trade Deal but Won’t Recognize Palestinian State ‘At This Time’
Netherlands Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp addresses a press conference, in New Delhi on April 1, 2025. Photo: ANI Photo/Sanjay Sharma via Reuters Connect
The Netherlands is spearheading efforts to suspend the European Union-Israel trade agreement amid rising EU criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, while simultaneously refusing to recognize a Palestinian state, contrasting with other member states as international pressure mounts.
On Thursday, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced that the Netherlands will push the EU to suspend the trade component of the EU-Israel Association Agreement — a pact governing the EU’s political and economic ties with the Jewish state.
This latest anti-Israel initiative follows a recent EU-commissioned report accusing Israel of committing “indiscriminate attacks … starvation … torture … [and] apartheid” against Palestinians in Gaza during its military campaign against Hamas, an internationally designated terrorist group.
Following calls from a majority of EU member states for a formal investigation, this report built on Belgium’s recent decision to review Israel’s compliance with the trade agreement, a process initiated by the Netherlands and led by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
According to the report, “there are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations” under the 25-year-old EU-Israel Association Agreement.
While the document acknowledges the reality of violence by Hamas, it states that this issue lies outside its scope — failing to address the Palestinian terrorist group’s role in sparking the current war with its bloody rampage across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israeli officials have slammed the report as factually incorrect and morally flawed, noting that Hamas embeds its military infrastructure within civilian targets and Israel’s army takes extensive precautions to try and avoid civilian casualties.
In a Dutch parliamentary debate on Gaza on Thursday, Veldkamp also announced that the government would not recognize a Palestinian state for now — a position that stands in sharp contrast to the recent moves by several other EU member states to extend recognition.
“The Netherlands is not planning to recognize a Palestinian state at this time,” the Dutch diplomat said.
“This war has ceased to be a just war and is now leading to the erosion of Israel’s own security and identity,” he continued.
This latest decision goes against the position of several EU member states, including France, which has committed to recognizing Palestinian statehood in September.
The United Kingdom has likewise indicated it will do so unless Israel acts to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and agrees to a ceasefire.
For its part, Germany said it was not planning to recognize a Palestinian state in the short term, and Italy argued that recognition must occur simultaneously with the recognition of Israel by the new entity.
Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia all recognized a Palestinian state last year.
Israel has been facing growing pressure from several EU member states seeking to undermine its defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.
On Thursday, European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera strongly condemned Israel’s actions in the war-torn enclave, describing the situation as a “grave violation of human dignity.”
“What we are seeing is a concrete population being targeted, killed and condemned to starve to death,” Ribera told Politico. “If it is not genocide, it looks very much like the definition used to express its meaning.”
Until now, the European Commission has refrained from accusing Israel of genocide, but Ribera’s comments mark one of the strongest European condemnations since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
She also called on the EU to take decisive action by considering the suspension of its trade agreement with Israel and the implementation of sanctions, while emphasizing that such measures would require unanimous approval from all member states.
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Graduate Student Unions Promoting Antisemitism, Reform Group Says
Students listen to a speech at a protest encampment at Stanford University in Stanford, California US, on April 26, 2024. Photo: Carlos Barria via Reuters Connect.
Higher-education-based unions controlled by United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE) are rife with antisemitism and anti-Zionist discrimination, according to a new letter imploring the US Congress’s House Committee on Education and the Workforce to address the matter.
“Tracing its roots to communism in the 1930s, the UE is a radical, pro-Hamas labor union that has a long history of antisemitism,” the National Right to Work Foundation (NRTW), one of the US’s leading labor reform groups, wrote on July 30 in a message obtained by The Algemeiner. “The UE openly supports the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, which is designed to cripple and destroy Israel economically. Today, the UE furthers its antisemitic agenda by unionizing graduate students on college campuses and using its exclusive representation powers to create a hostile environment for Jewish students. The hostile environment includes demanding compulsory dues to fund the UE’s abhorrent activities.”
NRTW went on to describe a litany of alleged injustices to which UE members subject Jewish student-employees in the US’s most prestigious institutions of higher education, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to Cornell University. At MIT, the letter said, “union officers” aided a riotous group which illegally occupied a section of campus with a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” participating in the demonstration and even denying access to campus buildings. UE members at Stanford University, meanwhile, allegedly denied religious accommodations to Jewish students who requested exemption from union dues over that branch’s supporting the BDS movement. And Cornell University UE was accused of denying religious exemptions in several cases as well and followed up the rejection with an intrusive “questionnaire” which probed Jewish students for “legally-irrelevant information.”
The situation requires federal oversight and intervention, NRTW said, including Congress’s possibly clarifying that student-employees are not traditional employees and are therefore afforded protections under sections of the Civil Rights Act which apply to the campus.
“These continuing patterns of antisemitism are illegal, immoral, and must be stopped,” the letter continued. “We encourage you to do all that is in your power to investigate and help bring an end to the UE and its affiliates’ nonstop harassment and intimidation of Jewish students … The Trump administration can also use tools available to it under Title VI and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act against colleges who work with unions to create a hostile environment for Jewish students.”
July’s letter is not the first time NRTW has publicized alleged antisemitic abuse in unions representing higher education employees.
In 2024, it represented a group of six City University of New York (CUNY) professors, five of whom are Jewish, who sued to be “freed” from CUNY’s Professional Staff Congress (PSC-CUNY) over its passing a resolution during Israel’s May 2021 war with Hamas which declared solidarity with Palestinians and accused the Jewish state of ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and crimes against humanity. The group contested New York State’s “Taylor Law,” which it said chained the professors to the union’s “bargaining unit” and denied their right to freedom of speech and association by forcing them to be represented in negotiations by an organization they claim holds antisemitic views.
That same year, NRTW prevailed in a discrimination suit filed to exempt another cohort of Jewish MIT students from paying dues to the Graduate Student Union (GSU). The students had attempted to resist financially supporting GSU’s anti-Zionism, but the union bosses attempted to coerce their compliance, telling them that “no principles, teachings, or tenets of Judaism prohibit membership in or the payment of dues or fees” to the union.
“All Americans should have a right to protect their money from going to union bosses they don’t support, whether those objections are based on religion, politics, or any other reason,” NRTW said at the time.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.