ISRAEL@60: A Light Unto The Nations?
Sixty years have passed since the founding of the State of Israel, and it is fitting, therefore, to look back and to assess. Since her founding, the expectation was that the Jewish State would become “A Light Unto the Nations,” in keeping with biblical prophesies to that effect. Has this hope been realized, or has Israel failed to measure up to the hopes of its founders?
In many respects, the light of Israel has shined brightly for the world to behold. Due in large part to the boundless courage of her defenders, she came into being out of the ashes of the Holocaust, and in spite of a concerted and protracted effort to destroy her. She nurtured and sustained a vibrant democracy even in the face of persistent and existential threats to her security. She prospered economically using very few natural resources, save the natural resourcefulness of her citizenry. She successfully absorbed disproportionately high numbers of refugees with open and loving arms. She has pioneered untold advances in science and technology, while holding fast to a love of art and culture. In these, and many other ways, Israel’s accomplishments can be considered A Light Unto The Nations.
And yet, Israel’s history remains a mixed bag of good and bad, as is the case with almost all nations on earth. Each accomplishment is offset by a detriment of sorts. True, she has met the security challenges forcefully, but at the expense of occupying and subduing a neighboring population which feels hopeless and dispossessed. True, she has prospered economically, but at the expense of an increasingly wider gap between the haves and the have-nots. True, she maintains a vibrant democracy, but at the expense of a contentious vying for power between secular and religious Jews, and between the Jewish majority and the Arab minority within its borders.
At every turn, each success is countered by an equally significant threat, either from within, or from without. It is as if the path to Israel’s perfection is lined with a multitude of impediments, like a ship passing in the night through treacherous waters teeming with hidden mines and explosives. In this regard, Israel’s light does not always shine as a beacon of hope, but as the light of a lighthouse, point to unseen dangers, and lighting the way toward a safe passage.
The threats to Israel, as she turns 60, are the threats we all face in this increasingly globalized world: How do we usher in an age of peace in the face of ideological extremism which is hell bent on war? How do we defend our way of life, when extremist elements are aligning to take that life away? How do we empower the dispossessed with a Vision of Hope for the future, when that vision seems to be slipping away? How do we close the gap between the wealthy few, and the impoverished many? How do we prosper economically while protecting the health and sanctity of our environment? How do we defend ourselves militarily without dashing the hopes and aspirations of the innocent? How do we advance scientifically and technologically without losing sight of the values and emotions which make us human?
The answer to these and other questions rests in the promise that Israel offers as she forges ahead toward the next 60 years. And the answer she comes up with can shine a light for others to follow. And what would that answer look like? It’s not all that complicated: Israel will use her technology, her knowledge, her drive, and her inclination toward business, to partner with Arab entrepreneurs, to solicit Saudi investment, to hire and train Arab workers, to produce green technology products, to clean the earth, and to safeguard our place upon it. The answer is staring us in the face, if we care to look; Good- paying jobs, aimed at green technology products, with the ultimate goals of: revitalizing the stagnant economies of the Middle East, conditioning people for peace, neutralizing the effects of extremist ideology, protecting the environment, and giving the impoverished and the dispossessed a helping hand out of the clutches of extreme poverty and hopelessness. All this can be done, believe it or not, while enabling all concerned to turn a healthy profit.
With God’s help, Israel will continue to shine her light unto the nations. Every once in a while her light will shine with pride; the pride born of success. But more often than not, Israel will have no choice but to face the same challenges that all nations now face in this, the 21st century. And in that struggle, she will continue to shine her light, to point to the dangers which lie ahead, and to point to solutions which are effective, equitable, and just. In this manner, Israel will truly fulfill her destiny to shine as A Light Unto The Nations.
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Before Israel can act as a light unto the nations, it must surely establish a true democracy and initiate internationally recognised freedoms, for example, repealing laws that discriminate against Arabs, abide by UN resolutions calling for the right of return of the 1948 refugees, halt settlement expansion / building and withdraw from land occupied since 1967.
Israeli society also needs to examine and tackle issues within the Jewish community, such as discrimination against the non – Ashkenazi communities, achieve equality for women and redistribute wealth.
Sure, Israel has democratic institutions and has democratic functions, but it is not a true free, democracy and would not be in the position it holds today without American financial, political and military backing and support.
In short, Israel is in no position to shine as a light unto other nations, no more than America or Britain is. Surely hoping for such a time is ideological, no people or country is perfect enough to set a precedent.
Shirin, there is truth to a lot of what you have to say, but there are reservations as well.
There is some discrimination against Israeli Arabs, who constitute 20% of the population. But it should also be mentioned that Israeli Arabs enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the Middle East, along with the most rights and freedoms.
A right of return for the 1948 refugees could probably be negotiated, but a right of return for their descendents would destroy the Jewish state demographically. This issue could be resolved with compensation, and with Israel having discretion to re-unify families for humanitarian reasons.
Most of the settlements could be disbanded, and most of the land captured in 1967 could be evacuated, as Israel did in Gaza, but you need a good faith negotiating partner to make this happen.
Sephardic Jews were discriminated against but I think this is on the wane as we speak, with many of them assuming high positions in government and private life.
Women are discriminated around the world, and their empowerment is probably the single greatest step that can be taken to restore the balance in the world, and to shift the world toward the possibility of peace.
The gap between the poor and the rich is becoming pronounced throughout the world and closing that gap will mean investing in the poor for the sake of stability and for the sake of making a buck.
Israel’s excessive dependence on American support is indisputable, and it is incumbent on Israelis to wean themselves off of this lifeline, in favor of self-sufficiency. Many Israelis are coming to terms with this need.
You are right to say, Shirin, that Israel is not perfect. But I think that to survive she must find the courage, and the originality, and the resourcefulness, to “set a precedent.” And such is the case with America and Britain.
There is not much time left before things start to fall apart. A new model is needed. And Israel, for various reasons, is strategically positioned to be able to make a difference, by pointing to the possibility of change. And if her example shines bright enough, others with a lot more resources will follow, and what begins as a project, may end up as a movement. Therein lies the hope for the betterment of man.
Is it close to impossible? Yes. But considering the alternative, what choice do we really have, but to try?
I agree time is running out to find a solution for this conflict and I sincerely wish that Israel, and indeed the Palestinians and surrounding Arab countries can strive for change to make a resolution possible. So in your desire for hope and change – I’m with you.
Israel is a a country with many social-political-religious-andcient-modern… dimension, with a fascinating variety of migrants who came to the same place based on the historical common heritage to establish a modern homogeneous entity. Regardless of the conflict, which will hopefully come to and, there are many things in this young and ancient country that is inspiring. The ongoing conflict and the problems between Palestinians and the state of Israel blurs much of the positive aspects of this country declaring independence some 60 years back, after the disintergration of the Ottomon empire and after the British mandate.
I hope countries in Middle East comer tofether and appreciate one another, assist each other in the very major problems we might all be facing as humnan beings.
As an Iranian, despite all what the officials here in mny country might say or broadcast or declare our standfard way of thinking, I feel previledged in saying what I believe and that is recognizing all the countries around us in the region with respect and honor, all including Israel, and the Palestinian authority which will be an independent state in near future, and we all deserve to have a reasonable3 relationship based on mutual respect and common good. Happy birthday Israel
Shirin, if you’re with me, that’s all I need.
The potential for hope is there, but we have to find a way to realize that potential. My guess is; less talking, and more doing. We have to create realities on the ground which speak louder than words. If somebody hates your guts, don’t worry about it so much. Just do what you have to do, and soon enough you’ll discover that attitudes change in direct proportion to new economic realities on the ground.
And Elinor, you have a big heart, and always something nice to say.
I was born in Israel, and know it to be a good country, populated by good people. But like any other place she has her share of problems. The one good thing about Israel is that most people there recognize their problems, and have the resourcefulness to do something about them.
I think that Israelis have to expand their horizons, and expand their vision of what is possible. If they become as innovative about peace as they are about so many other things, then they will bring about the kind of change that has a momentum of its own, and that will break down the doors of short-term, short-sighted, and divisive thinking.
Every country is shit and every country is a good.. all depends on the person who you are talking to. Now can we get on with the real issues.
Way I see it, as long as Israel keeps expanding into Palestinian land, rocket attacks by Hamas are fair. If Israel wants to be morally superior to warent sympathy from international community, then stop the expansion. Also, you can only fool idiotic Westerns when you give Gaza back and claim your moral superiority because they don’t know about your expansions elsewhere. Fucking pathetic…
Hold on a sec, didn’t Hitler use this same excuse to kill like 6 millions of you? Why are you even bringing this bs up… is this statement suppose to justify the racism within the Jewish communities against another?
Jina- can u exp;ain to me what u know re discrimination toward sphardic jews?
Jina, I know you have an allergic reaction to BS so I’ll have to pick my words carefully.
In terms of the settlements, I don’t disagree that most of them will have to be disbanded as part of a settlement agreement. And that offer, believe it or not, was put on the table in the year 2000 by President Clinton and Prime Minister Barak.
In fact the offer on the table was something along these lines: between 94% and 96% of the West Bank, 1% to 3% of Israeli land to offset the 4% to 6% that Israel would retain for security purposes, all of Gaza, a Palestinian state with Arab Jerusalem as its capital, complete control of East Jerusalem and the Arab Quarter of the Old City, as well as the entire Temple Mount. Israel would retain control of the Western Wall. Israel agreed to accept a limited number of refugees on humanitarian and family unification grounds, but most refugees would live in the Palestinian state. In addition, 30 billion dollars in compensation would be paid to the refugees. Finally, most of the settlements would be dismantled.
So I think it is fair to say that the problem is not the unwillingness by Israel to negotiate, or even the settlements. All that could be resolved. The greatest obstacle, if we really want to cut the BS, is that the Palestinian people have to decide, once and for all, whether they want to cut a deal, or whether they want to destroy Israel. I am not saying that all Palestinians think this way. But there is enough that do, to make peace almost impossible to achieve. But I also believe that Israel could be doing a lot more to garner enough popular support among the people, so that they would be inclined to sqeeze the leadership to allow for some meaningful negotiations.
As to the discrimination against Sephardic Jews, who are the 850,000 Jews who originally came from Spain, and were dispersed throughout the Arab world, and who made their way to Israel after being kicked out of Arab countries; I agree with you that discrimination is wrong. However, there is racism, and there is racism.
My family is Sephardic, and yes they suffered some discrmination at the hands of the Eastern European Jews. But you’re talking about being made fun of, or not getting the job you wanted. That’s bad enough, but not even close to the likes of Hitler.
Hitler was hell bent on destroying the Jewish people, by inflaming mass hatred, and using the hate to power the cold and precise machinery of genocide. He perpetrated one of the most evil deeds in the annals of human history. His actions, which were the culmination of some 2000 years of Jewish persecution, confirmed to Jews the need for a state of their own, if they were to survive as a people.
Palestinians have suffered, and are morally entitled to a state of their own. And Israel, strange as it may seem, is best positioned to make that happen, and to help the Palestinians achieve a great measure of peace, prosperity, and freedom. Palestinians must find a way to embrace that vision, and to let go of the need for revenge, because in the final analysis, justice will emerge from embracing life, and not from pursuing or glorifying death. It’s time to move on.
seeing how things are in day to day life here I would like commend the author for writing a wonderfully balanced piece. remember Israel is only 60 years old and for this very short time its a amazing achievement which of course does not mean that there is not lots of room for improvement.
Roo, things will gewt much better than this as well, wait and see when the countires in the Middle East sign contracts of not threatenig one another at any rate, backing each other.. Who doesn’t want to flee his/her country to come and live in our mystical Middle East?
Israel is a racist colonial state that continues to oppress the Palestinian people, both within and without its borders, and no amount of “birthday celebrations” invented by PR firms will hide that. Ever.
Israel is the Nakba.
Yaman, as you can well imagine, I respectfully disagree with your assessment.
Israel is not a “racist colonial state,” but is instead a state that is trying to live up to the ideals which underpinned its founding, but which is having difficulty doing that while surrounded by those committed to her destruction.
In short, it’s difficult to be good when those around you are planning your demise. To protect yourself you have to take action which is very difficult to reconcile with your stated ideals and goals.
But despite her struggle in this regard, Israel has proven time and time again her committment to human rights. The Palestinians living within her borders comprise 20% of the population. And while there is some discrimination toward them, they still enjoy the full rights of citizenship, with more freedom than anywhere else in the Middle East, and with a higher standard of living as well. And even with regard to the discrimination, this is internally recognized as a problem, and there are forces at work to rectify the situation.
As for Palestinians living in the territories, Israel’s treatment of them is very much dependent on their motives. If they aim to destroy her, she will protect herself vigorously, even at the expense of her committment to human rights. If they wish to live side by side in peace, and in their own state, then Israel will make that happen, and will work harder than anyone else to assure the economic and democratic viability of the newly created state of Palestine. It is unfair to judge Israel’s behavior without taking into account the aims and actions of her enemies.
As far as calling Israel the “Nakba,” that depends on your vatantage point. For the millions of Jews who suffered the ravages of racism and Anti-Semitism for 2000 years, persecution which culminated in the Holocaust, Israel was not the Nakba, but was instead the salvation of the Jewish people. And if Israel is really in the best position to assure the peace, posperity, and freedom of a Palestinian state, then once again, Israel is not the Nakba, but the potential friend of the Palestinian people. It’s all how we want to look at things.
Israel is not the salvation of the Jewish people. It is the authoritarian structure which claims to speak and work for all Jews. If there was a state that claimed to speak and work for all people like me, I would feel that my freedom to deviate and dissent was threatened. Any state which pretends its existence allows for the existence of a people has borrowed the worst ideas and features of extreme nationalist, fascist ideas. The fact that the Palestinians had to be destroyed and expelled to make the state of Israel is no accident: it was a necessary feature for any state founded on this ideology, and you should not forget that Israel was founded by European Jews. And it is not an ideology unique to Israel, but one that informs the early European nationalism that produced the dispossession, marginalization, and persecution of the Jews of Europe. I think few Arabs or Palestinians are interested in the “demise” of “the Jewish people” or of Jews living in the Middle East. If you equate the demise of “Israel,” the structure and association of institution that produces dispossession, marginalization, and persecution of the Palestinian people, with “the demise of the Jewish people,” then you have done a huge disservice to the fight against anti-Semitism and racism more generally. Your respectful disagreement does not conceal any of these features.
Also, do not co-opt the work of dedicated and devoted activists who are working to fight the inequality of Jews and Arabs in Israel, for the ends of your Israeli-state propaganda.
Also, do not co-opt the work of dedicated and devoted activists who are working to fight the inequality of Jews and Arabs in Israel, for the ends of your Israeli-state propaganda. The fact of their work does not show what is so good, right, or hopeful about Israel: it is proof of everything that is wrong with Israel.
Yaman,
That I hope 
Have you ever visited Israel? I have Arab friedns there who don’t think that way. Well the problems are not yet settled but they will be settled and your feelings will change as well
Once again, I respectfully disagree with most of what you have to say.
Let’s begin with your last point. You say that the fact that people are working in Israel to eliminate discrimination does not show what is “so good, right, or hopeful about Israel; it is proof of everything that is wrong with Israel.” I don’t agree with that. The fact that Israeli people recognize discrimination, and vow to do something about it is a testament to Israel. The fact that they can speak out and demonstrate is a testament to Israel. The fact that they can and do effectuate policy in this regard is a testament to Israel. Where else in the Middle East can this take place without severe reprisal?
As to your other points, I disagree as well. You say that it is fascist for a state to assure the existence of a people. I don’t think so. You don’t account adequately for the historical significance of the Holocaust. For most Jews, the Holocaust confirmed the lingering suspicion that without a state of their own, they would likely be finished as a people. Israel was one of the few steps taken to attempt to assure the continued survival of the Jewish people. This is not fascism, but is rather a coming to terms with reality. If people our out to get you, you better figure out a way to survive.
You say that Palestinians were destroyed and expelled as a result of Israel’s founding. Not really. They were not expelled, because the vast majority of them left voluntarily, assured by the Arab invading armies that Israel would soon be destroyed. They were not destroyed either, and a good many of them stayed in Israel and now have more rights and a higher standard of living than any Arabs living in the Middle East. If Israel wanted to destroy them, as you suggest, she would not offer them citizenship, with rights, with representation in government, and with an opportunity to better themselves economically.
As you can see, we disagree on quite a bit. But most of all, I would disagree with you in that you paint a very dark picture indeed. If we accept your premise then there is no hope for moving forward peacefully to empower both people, with two states, and to bless them with peace, prosperity, and freedom.
You are quick to cancel any sense of decency with regard to the motivations of Israel and its people. That is both unfair and unrealistic. I said before, and I say again, there is no state out there that is more inclined or more able to help the Palestinian people than Israel. Israel is best positioned, and is most motivated to do this. What will prevent this from happening is an ideological committment to the destruction of the Jewish state. Once Israel senses that this is your aim, it would be foolish for her to pretend that things were any different.
(1) “Israeli people” collectively do not recognize it. One of the cabinet members openly calls for Arabs to be expelled from Israel, even the citizens. A small segment of Israeli society is actively working on these issues, and people like you exploit that fact in order to support an idea, ideology, and system that those actual activists are opposed to. Just because there are Israelis working on this issue, does not mean there is something special about Israel. Get off your high horse. There are people working on similar issues everywhere in the Middle East, and many of them are in jail–not bragging about the states which are the cause for the oppression they are working against in the first place.
(2) I am not ignoring the Holocaust, I just don’t think it follows that when European countries fail their Jewish citizens, it is necessary to displace 700,000 Palestinians and continue to oppress them for 60 years. Sorry, that conclusion does not follow. I understand the need for protection for European Jews who were oppressed, but I don’t think that translates to Israel, whose advocates pre-date the Holocaust by decades.
(3) The ludicrous claim that Palestinians ‘left voluntarily’ and therefore do not have a right to return is so old. People don’t leave “voluntarily” when they are in fear of their lives. And if it was so “voluntary,” and not a result of official Israeli designs, then why did Israel take it upon itself to destroy the Arab villages that were de-populated, and then prevent all those Palestinians from returning? Because those are the rules that Israel just made up and will play by forever?
(4) I am not pessimistic at all. I know many Israelis and Palestinians who work together to resolve these issues, and guess what, they don’t do it by celebrating made-up birthdays. They don’t do it by attending meetings between Ehud Olmert and Abu Mazen. They do it by working side-by-side, on the ground, in places like Bil’in. I’m sorry you think that states are the only way to empower people–in fact, they’re the best way to disempower them.
(5) Israel is not a Jewish state. Stop marginalizing the 20% of Israeli citizens who are NOT JEWISH. That is one million people whose existence you are continually denying. Israel is not a Jewish state.
A spirited debate is a blessing in itself.
(1) You mention that one cabinet member advocates expelling Israeli Arab citizens. So what? You don’t see Israel taking his advice, do you? Israel is very strong militarily, but to the best of my memory it has never tried to take such action against its citizenry.
With regard to discrimination against Israeli Arabs, this is unfortunate and should be rectified. However, discrimination is non exclusively an Israeli phenonmenon. The fact that there are Israelis at work to remedy this is a tribute to the country because it points to the sense of freedom and the sense of conscience that permeate much of the Israeli mindset.
(2) Zionism did predate the Holocaust, but let us not forget that the Jews were persecuted for some 2000 years before that: expulsion from the land of Israel, forced conversion, landlessness, progroms, inquisitions, expulsion from Spain, etc. There is plenty of historical justification for the need for a Jewish homeland.
However, the harsh history of the Jews did not justify an intentional effort to displace 700,000 Palestinians from their homes. But in my opinion, there was no such intentional effort. In fact, efforts were taken to be fair, and to be just. How else can we explain Ben Gurion’s acceptance of the U.N. partition plan, in 1947, by which the land would be divided fairly. The Jews accepted the plan, before declaring a state, and the Arabs rejected the plan, and proceeded to invade the newly declared country.
Also, if the intent was to displace all Palestinians, how do you explain that 20% of Israel is Palestinian Arab, and that the vast majority of these people want to stay where they are, and do not wish to become part of a Palestinian state? These two factors alone indicate that Israel did not intend to bring harm to anyone, but was motivated instead to create a Jewish homeland so that the travesty of the past could be rectified by the promise of the future.
(3) When we say that the vast majority of Palestinians left their homes “voluntarily” we are not using that word in the naive sense. We are saying they they were not forced out by Israelis, but were rather convinced to leave by the invading Arab armies who assured them that Israel would soon be destroyed. It was voluntary in the sense that it was their choice, and not forced upon them by Israel.
Once they left, and once Israel was forced to defend heself in the War of Independence, and once that war was won, against all odds, then a new reality emerged. War creates its own reality. The poor Palestinians became refugees, and I believe were kept locked in that status by Arab leaders who wished to use their status for political purposes. The Palestinians were used to deflect attention from internal problems, and as a rallying cry to stir up passions for reasons other than their own welfare. If the welfare of the Palestinian people was the only issue, then that issue would have been resolved fairly long ago.
(4) The reason I say that you sound pessimistic is that you don’t offer any solution other than the destruction of Israel. This is pessimistic for me because I happen to believe deeply in the legitimacy of that state. It is also pessimistic because Israel will do everything in its power to survive as a homeland for the Jewish people, and any attempt to destroy her will result in catastrophic results for the entire region. Therefore, unless you can propose a solution that takes into account the rights of both people, without bringing about the destruction of either, then you are being pessimistic, as far as I can tell.
The solution I propose, in contrast to yours, is optimistic, in that it points to a bright future for all concerned. I believe in Selling a Vision of Hope by which we do five things: Use an Ideology of Common Sense to talk to one another with common sense and with a sense of personal dignity. Invest in one another to create good paying jobs which protect the environment. Use Ideology and Investment to sell one another on a Vision of Hope, a vision of Peace, Prosperity, and Freedom. Sustain the hope by launching a set of Public Dimplomacy programs which are specifically designed to prop a Vision of Hope up and to carry it forward. And be willing to Fight against extremism, but position the fight within a Vision of Hope. Raise the fight on the ground to a higher moral plain by giving the fight a moral clarity of purpose.
You are welcome to read about this vision in more detail on my website http://www.sellingavisionofhope.org Your comments would be welcome as well, since you’re obviously a thoughtful and caring person. But I would argue that my plan is more optimistic and more realistic because it addresses the needs of all concerned, without depriving them of their need to survive on this good earth.
(5) Just like there are Muslim states or Christian states, there is also a Jewish state, the state of Israel. To pretend that Israel is not a Jewish state is to discount history, and to ignore the reasons why the state was founded in the first place. The modern state of Israel came about because of the aspirations and travails of the Jewish people for some 2000 years. The reason that Israel is located where it is, is because of the historical legacy of the Jews in that particular land over the past 3200 years.
However, just because Israel is a Jewish state does not mean that the Palestinian Arabs are somehow diminished, or are somehow not entitled to the same rights and privilege which are accorded to Jews. Not meeting this standard is a failure on the part of Israel, and should be redressed as soon as possible.