By Sarah Belzer, Contributor / The American Rant
March 1, 2020
Israelis understand they're left toeing the line alone as they fight off the barbarians who seek not only their destruction, but the destruction to anyone who is not them. The only free nation-state in the Middle East without the world's support. And if they didn't? If the only Jewish state were to hand over the keys? Then what? What home would the Jews have? What home would we, the Jews in the diaspora have? Forget Tehran, been to Europe lately?
Israel. The right to exist? They’re hated by the world for their mere plea to exist. The world ignores them. It's said that you can know when someone’s done you wrong when they give you the cold shoulder. All we have to do is to watch as the civilized world opens its boarders to all of Israel’s enemies. They’re invited in and voted in—but we'll have to fight our way out of the mess that's certain to come.
Ask any Israeli and they’ll tell you “Any moment you can die.” But they don’t talk about it unless asked, because no one is listening. But you can feel it when they do. It’s unfamiliar, the delivery. It echoes from ashes and chills the bones. Its life or death with them every day. The world can't see it. Or won't. Not until we see rockets fly past our own balconies will we get it. After the Jews, comes everyone else. So when people think that to get rid of the Jews is to get rid of the world’s problems—they're in for a surprise. It’s Israel that continues to hold at bay the enemies of the world.
Just talk to a high school graduate (in Israel) —one minute they’re a kid, the next they’re learning how to spot a terrorist, disarm a knife-wielding teenager, survive a gas attack. As children, every Israeli learns what do when under enemy fire. When those sirens go off, they know the drill. They've got two minutes to run for cover. Fortunately, there’s a ‘safe’ room (read: bomb shelter) in every corner of every floor of every apartment building. And yes, also in the kindergarten, at the park, the movies...
One need only to look into the eyes of an Israeli. Deep pools. Sincere. Brave. Whether by choice or DNA or centuries of condition, but one thing's for certain — every Israeli knows it's up to them. No one else has got their back and there's no back up plan. These are a people where yes means yes, no means no, laughter is real, smiles are deep, and the door is always open for a warm meal and good conversation. So when I hear tourists visiting Israel complain that superficial niceties are sometimes lacking, I say listen up. I say the real thing is better than shallow exchanges any day of the week. I say send YOUR high school graduate to Israel, throw a uniform on them, and let them do their part in keeping Israel safe—or support those that are doing the job for world Jewry at large. Otherwise, sheket bevakasha.
Why should Israelis have to go it alone? And who are we to think we have a voice when it's not our sons and daughters putting their lives on the line? We get to go back home and tuck our kids in at night with fairy tales instead of instructions on how to apply a gas mask if you can’t find mommy and daddy in the rubble to do it for you.
Why do the world’s Jewry get to decide what's best for Israel and which Jewish child should serve? Every parent who doesn’t send their kids to Israel to play their part in protecting it is making a decision. They’re choosing who goes to the front line, they're allowing Israeli parents to go it alone. It's the Israelis that are left holding their breath each time an emergency newscast interrupts their afternoon, their sleep, their dental visit. By keeping our children stateside we're saying, “you do it”. We're willing to risk the lives of someone else’s kids. Not ours. And then think to have a dissenting opinion worth voicing? No.
On Yom Kippur we ask for forgiveness for the things we do, and also for the things we fail to do. Being Jewish isn't tied only to a country, but to a people. A people holding the fort — for us, if ever, G-d forbid we need our own safe haven. So, why do we get off scot-free? Talk about the short end of the stick. And don't get me started about those who fail to support our politicians who support Israel, or worse, support those who kowtow to their enemies. I’m sick and tired of hearing about someone’s 'feelings' when the survival of a people is at stake. Enough with the fantasy that the barbarians who attack Israel will stop with the Jews. After us comes the Christians, and everyone who isn't them. If you want to talk about feelings then hop on a plane to Israel and listen to some feelings grounded in reality. You'll find them on the front line.
Until Jews from every other nation are willing to send their sons and daughters to defend ’our' homeland (If you’re Jewish, then by the ‘right of return’ Israel is by law, the nation state and safe haven of every Jew in the world; where we can legally emigrate to and become a citizen of should we find our country of origin too great a threat. Just ask France.), then they shouldn't have a voice in the political decisions Israel makes for its survival.
I say don’t just do ’something’, let's do 'everything' we can—sign a petition, march in the streets, pick up a bullhorn, send all our money. Or even better—send our sons and daughters.
How long are we going to have our brethren sitting on this tiny sliver of land in the Middle East surrounded by huge enemy nations that want to push Israel into the sea—go it alone? Israel exists so the Jewish people can exist everywhere else.
In the great words of JoJo Rabbit: "We are people who wrestle with angels and slay giants." Get with the program or get out of the way.
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