Yesterday, members of Congress did not only applaud Binyamin Netanyahu, they gave tribute to the State of Israel, the Jewish people, and our incredible collective story.
It’s a shame that we need to look as far away as the American Congress to be reminded of basic truths that supersede any of our quarrels at home: There is an ongoing battle being waged in our world today, between good and evil, light vs darkness, civilization vs barbarism. And we, the Jewish people, are part of the solution and not the problem. We have returned to our ancient promised land and are following in the footsteps of our ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This truth was acknowledged by Congress with overwhelming applause.
So many of us had tears in our eyes as our heroes were introduced, among them: Noa Argamani, who only a few weeks ago, was still being held hostage in Gaza; Yonatan Ben Hamo who lost his leg in battle; the grandfather of Kfir and Ariel Bibas. How fitting that each of these heroes should be given a standing ovation by members of Congress that was broadcast around the world.
But beyond the tears, we were also filled with hope after listening to this historic speech: that the world isn’t as confused as it appears to be in the Hague or at the UN—that it still upholds a sense of moral clarity and will support our fight against evil.
This speech could easily be viewed through a political lens, and tomorrow we will no doubt return to our political squabbles. But let’s wait a moment and not allow yesterday’s main message to dissipate so quickly: “Am Yisrael Chai!”