April 15, 2013
http://wordfromjerusalem.com/?p=4573
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As we launch into our 65th
Independence Day celebrations it is timely to review and rationally
assess the extent to which our Zionist objectives have been achieved.
When the Jewish state was
proclaimed in 1948, the 450,000 Jews who constituted the Yishuv were
totally engaged in a desperate battle to repel the combined military
forces of our Arab neighbors who from the outset were determined to deny
Jewish sovereignty. In their wildest dreams, the founders of our State
fighting a war of survival could never have envisioned the dynamic and
thriving nation of eight million citizens that would emerge from that
maelstrom.
Indeed by any benchmark, taking
into account numerous wars, failures and disappointments, this
extraordinary Jewish nation state will indisputably be recorded in the
annals of history, as one of the greatest successes of the past
millennium.
There is no historical
situation which remotely compares to the Jewish people’s renaissance and
transformation into a Jewish nation. After being exiled for 2000 years
to all parts of the globe and having suffered endless cycles of
discrimination, persecution, exile and mass murder culminating in the
genocidal horror of the Shoa, we reconstituted ourselves into a nation
state.
Like a phoenix rising from the
ashes, an ingathering of the exiles took place with Jews from all over
the globe flocking to find haven in the newly established Jewish state.
There, against all odds, they bonded together into a melting pot of Shoa
survivors, refugees fleeing persecution in Arab countries, Jews
escaping from the underdeveloped societies of Ethiopia, discriminated
Jews from the former Soviet Union, and others undergoing oppression -
and succeeded in creating one of the most vibrant and resilient
societies in the world.
The ancient and sacred Hebrew
language has been revived as a living and pulsating cultural force and
lingua franca for Jews uniting those from totally different cultures.
There has been a renaissance of Torah studies with greater numbers of
Jews familiar with the traditional texts and teachings of Judaism than
at any period in our history.
Who could possibly have
imagined that a people, subjugated and powerless for 2000 years, would
emerge in a very short space of time, as a dominant regional military
superpower able to deter and defend itself against the vastly numerical
military forces of its combined regional adversaries?
Who could have dreamt that this
tiny arid strip of land would become the fulcrum for a dynamic economy
and emerge as the second-largest high-tech startup nation in the world,
exceeded only by the United States?
And as a special gift, on the eve of our 65th
anniversary, this country, devoid of the oil reservoirs which have
empowered some of our adversaries, virtually overnight became energy
self-sufficient and is now even exploring markets to export its surplus
gas resources.
Our spectacular success far
exceeded the expectations of our idealistic founders. By any rational
benchmark it would be deemed a modern day miracle.
And yet despite this, there are
those in our midst who constantly whine about our failings and
transform self-criticism into masochism. Instead of celebrating they
predict doom and gloom.
There is also a tiny, but
highly vocal minority who disparages our achievements and complains
about the sacrifices required to ensure our security and existence, some
of whom even mock Zionism and challenge the merits of Jewish statehood.
Also there are some young Jews,
never having experienced the dehumanizing impact of powerlessness on
the Jewish psyche, who take the State of Israel for granted. . They
never underwent the chilling experience of their European antecedents in
Europe who in the 1930s sought desperately sought – mostly
unsuccessfully – to obtain entry visas to countries to escape the
impending Nazi genocidal onslaught. And nor do they appreciate the soul
destroying impact of living in an environment of anti-Semitic incitement
where Jews are considered pariahs and the mainstream media shamelessly
promotes frenzied anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic stereotypes.
However, despite the prevailing
belief that after the revelation of the horrors of the Shoa,
anti-Semites would become an extinct species, the world’s oldest hatred
has returned with full vengeance, particularly in Europe whose soil had
been drenched in Jewish blood only a few years before Israel’s
independence.
The extent of the current
European malaise is exemplified by youngsters in some public schools
seeking to hide their Jewishness in order to avert torment or face
social exclusion. In many European cities there is also a growing
reluctance to outwardly wear Jewish symbols like a kipah to avoid random
violence from hooligans in the street.
In Europe, especially in
France, the UK, Scandinavia, Hungary, Greece, Ukraine, and throughout
South America there are daily reports of increasing anti-Semitic
violence, of incitement and even murder. Whereas, in North America,
public opinion is strongly pro-Israeli, the campuses have been
transformed into launching pads for visceral anti-Israelism
anti-Semitism.
But even in these dark areas,
Jews are comforted in the knowledge that today there is a State of
Israel which will defend the Jewish people. A Jewish state which will
always provide a haven for them if their world collapses
Of course we face challenges
and genuine threats. The dream of peace for which we all yearn remains a
distant vision and future generations of youngsters will continue to
carry the burden of defending the nation against its adversaries.
And yes, there are still many
problems in Israeli society which must be overcome. There are too many
poor people and we suffer internal divisions between religious and
secular and between Ashkenazim and Sephardim. We all agree that we must
continue striving for a better society in order to achieve the ultimate
goal of becoming “a light unto the nations”.
But today, almost half the
Jewish people are happily domiciled in Israel. The word happily should
be stressed because despite our masochistic self-criticism and endless
complaints, all polls show that Israelis are numbered amongst the
happiest and most satisfied people in the world.
Our numbers will increase and
an ever-growing proportion of global Jewry will return to live in its
homeland, increasingly out of choice rather seeking a haven.
Thus, as we celebrate Israel’s 65th
anniversary, notwithstanding all the challenges and threats confronting
us, we should remind ourselves of our humble origins and give thanks to
the Almighty for having enabled us to be the blessed generation that is
privileged to live in freedom in this extraordinary country, our
ancient homeland.
Chag Sameach!The writer’s website can be viewed at www.wordfromjerusalem.com.
He may be contacted at ileibler@leibler.com
Some of my recent articles:
Sanctimonious Jewish Bleeding Hearts (April 8, 2013)
Obama’s Visit to Israel: A Turning Point? (March 24, 2013)
The Obama Visit and American Jewry (March 20, 2013)
Mulling over our new Government (March 14, 2013)
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