I Have No Other Country
Rabbi Eliyahu Eidelberg
I Have No Other Country
by Rabbi Eliyahu Eidelberg
I decided to write this because the atmosphere in the community in the United States where I temporarily reside has been one characterized by deep depression over recent events in Israel. I am not an expert in the fields of terrorism or the media, nor am I a strategist or an economist. I am a son of the land promised to the People of Israel. I was born and raised in that Land, and it was I who chose to come here as a teaching representative for the Jewish Agency for Israel , a position in which I have served for nearly two years now.
I - Strategy and Prophecy
It is difficult to predict the future in any field. Our Rabbis have said, "all is written and the permission is granted." It is within man's ability - and it is our responsibility - to "do", to act, to create, for it was for that express purpose that we were created.
However, anyone who "does" is destined to err, particularly those who take upon themselves the yoke of leadership.
The world in which we live accords great importance to facts. In recent weeks facts have become clear that have caused many of those who support the Palestinians and/or the Peace Process to question the validity and morality of their support. "The past is history, the future is unknown and the present is at hand." Since none of us possess knowledge of the future, we must all be skeptics. When the Israeli right wing on the eve of, during and after the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords threatened and forewarned the current scenario, many of the best shook their heads and said their warnings were in vain. We were, after all, in a new world - one of peace and brotherhood - and we stood before an historical reconciliation. The facts seemed to speak for themselves, louder than the fear, and, but instead, we have unfortunately found ourselves where we are today. Even when the facts themselves started to look more and more threatening to Israel's imperviousness, experts said it was all superficial. Stability was guaranteed. The State of Israel was about to sign a pact that would put an end to the 120-year conflict.
Today's facts do not lie - there is no question regarding their validity. Tomorrow's, however, are unknown, therefore the various assessments and theories are nothing more than mere speculation.
II - History and G-d's Hand
There is little doubt that strategists who studied the state-in-making in 1947 or the embattled nation of 1967 or 1973 never imagined a result such as the one we see today.
David Ben-Gurion's decision to declare statehood was considered irresponsible by many. But David Ben-Gurion was blessed with extraordinary courage, which some thought would (naturally) lead to disastrous results, and this just a few years after the European Holocaust.
A tiny country, without any form of organized armed forces, lacking in both financial and material resources, as well as in armaments for her self-defense, declared her independence. Against her stood five mighty, organized and superbly equipped armies, set upon her destruction. Incredibly, or, more correctly, by nothing short of a miracle, the State managed not only to survive the onslaught but to make enormous territorial gains as well, though at a heavy human price (losing approximately 1% of its total population). During the three years immediately following the war, despite an acute lack in means, the country stood before one of the greatest challenges to both states and it's citizens - the absorption of immigrants on so great a scale that the State's population more than doubled during that time. The impact of that wave of mass aliyah can still be seen today - Israel survived yet another of its "missions impossible."
The very same occurred in 1967, when the State of Israel became aware of the impending attack on all her fronts simultaneously. With sophisticated war moves, Israel managed to end the war in seven days. Did Israel's citizens, or world Jewry as a whole, ever anticipate such amazing results on the eve of the war? The political, security and economic situation was so dismal at the time that I believe I can safely say that not a single person placed even 1,000,000-to-1 odds on Israel's taking control over such wide expanses of land at the war's end.
In 1973, Israel was quieter, more tranquil. Although there had been a war of attrition immediately following the "Six-Day War", the universally-felt sense of complacency stemming from the Arab armies' defeat in 1967 brought Israel unready and unprepared into the war that shocked and forever changed Israeli society.
Was there a single strategist in the entire world who believed that Israel would prevail in that war?
Today, we hear testimony from Israel's leaders that points to the fear of an impending destruction of this Third Temple, G-d forbid.
Of course, it is not solely the Hand of G-d, not only a miracle that brought Israel such amazing outcomes time and time again, but still the results are astounding. We must continue to discuss the happenings in Israel since the 1973 war, yet I do not feel this to be the suitable place for such debate. I shall explain further on.
III - Israel and the Arab States
Nowadays, the Arab states view Israel with great jealousy and resentment. They wish to discover how it is that we succeed in everything that they do not. How we, despite poor early development, find ourselves where we are today, when they, with far better beginnings than ours, lag far behind us in Gross National Product, Per-Capita Income, building up the good land, and so on.
Late Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat chose the path of negotiation. He and his countrymen benefited greatly from his noble decision, and we hope that our peace with them shall indeed last forever, despite the horrendous anti-Semitism that runs rampant in the Egyptian media and the unfavorable words uttered from time to time by Egypt's leaders in reference to Israel.
His decision came after his realization that he simply couldn't win on the battlefield, something Mr. Arafat has yet to realize, and, it appears, never will.
The reason that some younger Arab leaders do not express themselves with the same ferociousness and vehemence as their fathers did is simply because the facts compel them to attempt to learn from Israel's successes. But the Palestinians who remain on the sidelines are the same ones who relied on their Arab brothers' assistance in the past and who now realize that only the most extreme Arab leaders are willing to heed their calls.
Those who attempt at claiming that the formation of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders is a solution widely acceptable to and celebrated by the Arabs, ignore the painful and sad indications that there is, in fact, no partner to such a deal.
The conflict that has raged during the 54 years of Israel's existence as a sovereign state can only be solved once all who must participate in the solution take responsibility for their past and present actions, admit their mistakes and act as is required of them. When there is no partner to discussion and there is no one to take responsibility, it appears there is no way to further advance the situation at this time.
It is both unreasonable and inconceivable to expect Israel to solve a problem that, though created because of Israel, was not created solely by her. No one ever considered the refugee problem in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip before 1967, and there appear to be none of the refugee leaders who are willing to solve the problem in that area. This is a problem that Israel cannot and will not be able to solve on its own, but must have the help of those who helped create it - that is, the Arab states.
IV - Demography and the Threats that Never Were Realized
Statisticians, the artisans of numbers, have already eulogized Israel more than once during its 54 years in existence as a state, as have their colleagues, the strategists. Fortunately, though, the facts are indeed mightier than the predictions of peril and Israel's Jewish majority has been preserved to this day. Does this permit us to break and recline under the fig trees? Certainly not. But it becomes apparent that a hidden hand is taking care of ingathering those in exile. We observe the goings-on in Argentina and France with great concern, yet who knows? Perhaps we're in for yet another qualitative wave of Western aliyah.
V - Democracy
The State of Israel is a young country. A young country with no long tradition of government. Those who follow the Israeli political scene closely can see how we are still trying hard to find our path: In which issues does the Supreme Court decide to intervene, and in which does it choose not to; the tensions that exist both within the country's Jewish residents as well as with the Arab population; the power wielded by tiny political parties - absurd, inordinate power, completely unrelated to the parties' part in society.
There are those who might claim this to be democracy at its finest. There are others who may call this is a cynical exploitation of the mechanisms of democracy, that which does immeasurable harm to the national interest.
We must recognize that democracy is a fact and integral part of Israeli life. The number of citizens who participate in elections and votes, both for the Knesset and the government, coupled with the fact that political talk is a vital component of everyday conversation, is indicative of the heavy involvement of the people in the democratic process.
There is no doubt that the mechanisms of rule have not yet taken their final form, that social, economic and security (among other) problems still exist, that there is still a long way to go before these problems are solved. However, one cannot fail to realize that this is a country constantly occupied with its own development, a country with a Western economy that invests an enormous percentage---far exceeding its GNP---on defense needs, this at the expense of many important matters that must be found on the public agenda and that demand solutions.
Is every aspect of Israeli democracy perfect? Of course not. Is every aspect of Israeli democracy good? I have my doubts.
Democracy must protect itself from those seeking its harm.
The Israeli Arabs, many of whom suffer from an acute identity crisis---which are they? Israeli or Palestinian?---expect the democratic establishment to help them identify themselves. Even failing to prevent the questions of cooperation with the enemy and the communication of secrets in the name of democracy have caused those whose identity is clear to them great difficulty, and it was up to both democracy the rule of law to help them out. Not everything that appears to be good to democracy is indeed acceptable. For example, it would be inconceivable here in the United States for a representative of the elected government to support the path of Osama Bin Laden and to communicate state secrets while the very government in which he or she serves decides to battle the enemy. If such a case were to arise, democracy would undoubtedly defend itself with the prosecution and punishment of this mutineer. The State of Israel has yet to decide how it will examine the leaders of its Arab community and the matter of confused identities makes it very difficult for the young country to make decisions. It therefore becomes clear that not everything that appears at first glance to be good for democracy actually is, and there is great need for a careful and responsible examination of the nature of every accomplishment---is it good for the rule of law, or is it not?
The Arab Israelis' inclusion into the military is also dependent upon the finding of a legal solution to the aforementioned question.
It is very possible to criticize and examine all the negative aspects of Israeli society, yet one must keep in mind all the problems exclusive to the Israeli democratic system, which prevent the State of Israel from advancing and dealing with matters that are seen by those outside the country and are of great concern to many of those who reside within it.
Narrowing the financial gaps, taking care of the deprived, advancing the educational system, terminating monopolies, privatization - all these and many other issues are of concern to many, yet due to the inordinate power accorded the smaller sectors, the government is prevented from fashioning the country according to the will of the majority.
Identifying the problems in the current system and the present situation is not very difficult, yet solving those problems the democratic way is. Those things that should serve to be the very advantages of the democratic system are taken advantage of and are utilized toward the subjugation of the majority. Israel must not allow itself to be bullied in such a way. Rather, we must try to think of solutions out of a deep and fundamental understanding of the form of government in Israel.
VI - The Spirit of the People, the Spirit of the Nation
It is a known fact that one of the greatest surprises of the "Oslo War" has been the spirit of the people. Many within the State of Israel - dwelling on the failure to predict and prepare for the Yom Kippur War, on those of our soldiers who refused to serve during the Peace for Galilee War in the '80s and on those who today refuse to serve in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip - have already lamented over the perceived corrosion of the collective glue keeping Israeli society together.
According to all strategic analyses on the matter, that bond was the most important factor in ensuring Israel's survival in the past. That is the reason that Ben-Gurion chose to bring the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel before the People's Council on 5 Iyar, 5708 (May 14, 1948), despite overt indications of the imminent war(see Section II above).
David Ben-Gurion knew that when the people were strong in spirit and had faith in what was being done - despite the losses, despite the hardships and crises - the State of Israel would prevail.
Many social scientists have analyzed the tired and divided Israeli society, that which argues over every last agora of the budget and possesses an insatiable urge to debate and argue over every topic under the sun, and their conclusions have always looked pretty much the same - we're at the end of the road, the situation stands at the pit of despair.
Arafat, too, reads those studies, and he chose to try and deepen that divide, up until the point that he decided the time was ripe to declare war.
This war found the Israel Defense Forces ready for what was coming. Despite the euphoria of peace, the IDF had anticipated what we see happening today and was not at all surprised (unlike many Israelis, who were quite shocked at the onset of the recent violence). The fact that the IDF was ready for the violence comes to teach us that lessons have indeed been learned from the Yom Kippur War, both military and social. Ariel Sharon, whose name and image were slandered against for many years, won the elections with an unprecedented majority vote. Despite the image of him that many had created in their minds, he knew what was really important - the spirit of the nation. The path to this goal included national unity, which meant setting aside ideological differences and leaving behind long-lived beliefs in order to bring the people together.
Ariel Sharon is a strategist of war and of peace. The secret of Israel's existence and the reason she will emerge strong from the Oslo War lies in the unity and spirit of the people.
The war will not be won in Tel Aviv, Netanya or Hadera, nor will it be settled in the refugee camps - it will only be decided in the spirit of the nation. However, the places mentioned above will have an important influence on the final battle for the people's spirit.
It is true that Israel's relations with the nations of the world carry great weight, but when the leaders of Israel's extreme left declare to the world that there was no massacre in Jenin, demonstrate a balanced and responsible position that, uttered as it is by these members of the left wing, who usually, criticize the conduct of the government, and are active partners in Israel's imperative battle - to survive against a terrible, unyielding, incessant terror - we shall definitely prevail in the long run as well.
Just as refugees believe they have nowhere to go, so too do many Israelis (and with good reason). In Israel the battle is for the home, from Metullah in the north to Eilat in the south, even if the battle against terror is taking place in Jenin, Ramallah, Shechem/Nablus and Bethlehem. We wandered for 2000 years in order to reach the Promised Land. That we have done, we have come home, and we have no intention of leaving (unless our enemies succeed in their bid to push us into the Mediterranean). The spirit of the nation of Israel is the key to understanding all that will be. It becomes apparent that Ariel Sharon does indeed know where he wants to go, where there will be the widest public consensus. It wasn't Israel who chose war this time, just as it has never been Israel who has chosen to go to battle in past wars. And with G-d's help, just as we have emerged from all of Israel's wars stronger, more ethical and more respectful of all images of humanity, so shall we emerge from the current bloody battle, forced upon Israel by base murderers who possess absolutely no recognition for the human image found in man.
VII - Conclusion
Israeli society today finds itself prepared for deep introspection and examination of those issues that are difficult to answer without a profound recognition of the many facets and shades of that society.
The Israeli society's inner strength becomes apparent in the incredible national unity and in most Israelis' standing firmly behind for their government's decisions.
Israel has not yet reached the point where security and defense concerns are a minor part of the range of problems that the country must face. There still are many pressing issues that have yet to receive proper attention due to this fact.
We all hope and pray that Hashem will display his infinite mercy and compassion towards us, and we all look forward to a speedy salvation, but, unfortunately, we must realize that it is the powers of spirit, motivation and faith in our actions that will decide much in this battle. Israel needs the support of the nations of the world, and specifically the world's Jewish communities, because of the failure of Israeli hasbara and the ability of so many of the best and talented from the outside to contribute towards presenting the background, facts and truth in the cruel battle of murderous terror against a civilian population.
King David's army would hear the passuk, "chazak ve'nitchazek be'ad ameinu u'be'ad arei Elokeinu" - "Strong, stronger and we shall be strengthened, for the sake of our people and for the sake of our G-d's cities" - when it went to battle, and would also be aware of its conclusion - "Ve'Hashem ha'tov be'einav ya'aseh" - "And G-d shall do as He deems best."
"Netzach Yisra'el lo yeshaker ve'lo yinachem ki lo adam hu lehinachem" - "The Eternal of Israel shall neither deal falsely nor repent, for he is not a man, that he should repent."
"Alo na'aleh ve'yarashnu otah, ki yachol nuchal lah" - "Arise we shall and we will conquer it, for we can." The Zionist mission has yet to be concluded, and we shall invest all our strengths and energies towards returning the People of Israel to its Land, free of pursuer and foe - for we have no other country.
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