Happy Independence Day, Israel . . . Kind Of

by Camie Davis

Happy Independence Day, Israel!  Well, kind of.  I mean you’re a sovereign nation.  But as far as being independent . . . not so much.  To put it bluntly, Israel, as long as your leaders continue to do what other nations tell them to do, you will never be independent.

Why do Jewish leaders do it?  Why do they take the advice of nations who do not have Israel's best interests in mind?  Jews are smart.  I mean really smart.  Look at the ratio of Jewish Nobel Prize winners.  But Jewish politicians are, well, there’s really no other way to put it; they are stupid.  Or at least they act stupid once they come into office.   Perhaps that is too harsh.  Perhaps it would be nicer to say that Jewish leaders are rendered stupid when they take the advice of the nations.  Does that sound nicer?  Not really, huh?  The bottom-line is that Israel has not done what is in its best interest for decades because they have followed the advice of the nations.  Hence, their own people have suffered horribly.  And that is stupid.   

When observing the actions of Jewish leaders, one is led to wonder if there are lock boxes in the Knesset for elected officials?  Lock boxes labeled “Common Sense,” “Duty to Fellow Jews,” “Logic,” “Chutzpah” and all elected leaders are required to empty themselves of such traits until their terms are over.  And after giving up traits such as common sense, duty to fellow Jews, logic, and chutzpah, is there an oath of office the politicians take in a back room, behind closed doors?  An oath that states, “I will serve the interest of the nations instead of serving the interest of my fellow Jews”  Sound crazy? 

Then how else do you explain the actions of Jewish leaders in Israel?   How do you explain rockets being fired at Jews without retaliation?  Who decided to let the number of rockets surpass the 10 count, the 100 count, the 1000 count?  Why has the madness of deadly weapons being shot at Jews been allowed to continue for so long?  Long enough to build the largest indoor playground, otherwise known as a bomb shelter.  What a disgrace that Jewish children need a bomb shelter masquerading as a playground.  Do you know what kind of message that sends?  It advertises to the world that, “Our kids will need a place to play for a long time because we aren’t going to do anything to stop rockets being fired on them.”

How do you explain Jewish leaders prohibiting Jews from praying on the Temple Mount?  Surely if Jewish leaders hadn’t allowed their “Chutzpah” and “Common Sense” to be confiscated then there would have been an outcry when an elderly Jewish man, who said a blessing before drinking from his water bottle while on the Temple Mount, was arrested by the Israeli police.  Surely if Jewish leaders had not traded their “Duty to Fellow Jews” for “Appeasing the Nations” then there would have been an outcry when an elderly Jewish rabbi/hero, who was a paratrooper from the Six Day War, who helped liberate Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, was arrested for having the gall to say a prayer for his fallen comrades while he was on the Temple Mount.  Instead crickets chirped while Jewish leaders remained emasculated.

How else do you explain thousands of Jews from Gush Katif being kicked out of their homes and businesses by their own government, making way for terrorists training camps to replace the once thriving Jewish neighborhoods?  One would think that the cataclysmic mistake made by the government would have been the climax of their madness.  One might even hope that the government would rend their garments and grovel at the feet of their fellow displaced Jews with apologies.  But instead, the Jewish leaders allow bulldozers to continue to destroy even more Jewish homes in hopes of appeasing those who were not appeased the first time Jewish homes and entire communities were destroyed.  Those lock boxes aren’t sounding so crazy now are they?  The rational of the Jewish leaders has disappeared somewhere!

Yet, the above actions of the government will be swept under the carpet and a grand parade charade will happen on Israel’s Independence Day.   Jewish leaders will celebrate Israel’s Independence Day with riveting, patriotic orations.  Banners and flags will fly.  Acknowledgements will be made for all the sacrifices made to build a nation.  Fireworks will boom.  But then what will happen after the cheering crowds have dispersed?  After the confetti is swept away?  Will the so-called leaders continue walking the same path humming the same tune, “Hi-ho, hi-ho it’s back to the usual appeasing we go?”

During the days, the weeks, the months following the celebrations will heroes from the past still be arrested for praying on the Temple Mount?  Will pioneers continuing the work of building up the land today, literally fulfilling the words of the ancient Prophets and making the land bloom, be treated as enemies of the State?  Will the pioneers of Judea and Samaria continue to be treated as scapegoats, arrested in the middle of the night for the so-called “crime” of defending their homes and families against marauding Arabs?  Will children who are the future of the State continue to have to live with bulls-eyes on their backs?  Will they be expected to continue to scamper into shelters and indoor “playgrounds” hoping a rocket won’t explode on them during the 15 seconds of run-for-cover time?  Will the IDF of today continue to be taught how to be constrained sitting ducks?  Will they be ordered to idly watch while Arabs burn Jewish crops, while Arabs murder Jews with rocks, while the tombs of Matriarchs and Patriarchs become a den for those with murderous intent?

Or will this be the year that the hypocrisy ends?  Will the daily treatment of Jews live up to the once-a-year speeches and celebrations lauding a nation of independence?  Or will the leadership continue to trade their own dignity and sacrifice the safety of their fellow Jews to appease the nations.  The modern nation of Israel turns 65.  It is time for her leaders to grow up and quit suckling the teats of the nations and swallowing the poisonous milk.  It is time for the newly elected Jewish leaders to dismiss the advice and opinions of the nations and to seek what their Leader, the G-d of Israel requires and wants.  

The day Israel can truly celebrate her independence will be the day she cuts the cords that bind her to the nations, and instead she binds herself to Hashem.  When she becomes solely dependent on Him, she will at last be free.