I choose life – now it's the leaders' turn to choose us | Yona Bartal

On the eve of the elections, Yona Bartal writes a personal column in which she chooses life, action, and hope, reminding leaders that citizens want security, health, and quality of life. She describes Shimon Peres as a model for active and meaningful longevity, and calls for making quality of life part of the national agenda.

Yona Bartal, a former close aide to Shimon Peres, writes a personal column on the eve of the elections in Israel. She describes the feeling of being flooded with political messages and the citizens' desire to be allowed to breathe. Amid the noise, she chooses life every day: waking up early, exercising, meditating, and remembering that there is meaning. She notes that October is World Quality of Life Month, and is excited to hear about a longevity conference in Brussels led by Israeli Dr. Ilya Stambler, held under the auspices of the European Parliament. According to her, precisely in a time when attitudes toward Israel are complex, fields like health innovation transcend borders. She describes Peres's character, who maintained a simple diet, boundless curiosity, and a sense of urgency for action, and from whom she learned that longevity is measured by content, not just years. Ahead of the elections, she calls on leaders to place personal and national security, a stable economy, the healthcare system, and healthy longevity at the top of the national agenda, not as luxuries for the few. The central message: the elections do not end at the ballot box, but continue every morning in the personal choice to live with action and hope.