There is always an underlying pattern to events. Everything that happens eventually will be logically connected to other events; after all, that is what history is all about. So when an occurrence seems to be at odds with the pattern, it is time to take another look to see which part of the pattern we have misunderstood.
How did Ariel Sharon, the stalwart defender of Israel, become the aggressive engineer of forced transfer ? of Jews? What does Sharon think he is doing with his unilateral withdrawal? Foolish or not, he is a tactician responding to circumstances, the convergence of two lines of causality that are exerting pressures on Israel: the now famous demographic crisis, and the Islamic Jihad phenomenon.
Let's begin with the demographic problem. The Arabs are poised to use their population explosion to overwhelm us Jews and destroy Israel as a Jewish State. There is no defense against this that does not require some fundamental changes in our political structure. Either we disenfranchise the Arabs or we stop being a democracy. Sharon's solution, to remove chunks of the Arab population by declaring that the land they occupy is no longer Israel, makes some sense in this context. It isn't a long-term solution, however, because the Arab Israeli population can do the same thing within the next 20 years, but it does at least offer a delay.
As for the Jihad phenomenon, the world seems poised to undergo a lengthy and painful war to rescue Western civilization from Islamic fascism. In this context, how much support can Israel expect? The Western nations are going to have their hands full without straining themselves to ensure Israel's survival. That's even if they were inclined to do so, and who would bet on that? We hear precious little but anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments in every international forum. So it is imperative that Sharon plans his strategy without banking on international support to protect Israel.
Given these pressures, we can see Sharon's withdrawal plan as an unpalatable, but, to his eyes, necessary capitulation. He sees no other way out of the mess we are in. He is trapped in the pattern of our times. To give him credit, he is not giving up, but using all his strength to seize what he considers to be the only possible option.
Is he right? Look again at Israel's position. The Arabs are proclaiming victory ? terrorism has forced Israel to withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon. This directly led to the Oslo War, whose success will force Israel to withdraw from Gaza. That will energize the next escalation of terrorism, to force Israel to withdraw from Yehuda and Shomron, and so on, until our indefensible borders invite the final wave of war to finally destroy us. That is the fervent desire of our enemies; indeed, it is the only future they are willing to accept.
Many Israelis fear that Israel no longer has the strength and fortitude to force a different resolution of the world's "Jewish Problem". The consensus opinion is that without more Jews living in Israel, we cannot hold on to our Land; that's what drives the whole "Land for Peace" movement. Whether this represents a failure of will or a failure of resources is immaterial ? each can be remedied with the same solution: a massive infusion of olim (immigrants).
There is strength in numbers. But from where are more Jews to come? The ingathering from most corners of the world has in large part already been completed. The only remaining substantial pool of Jews outside Israel is in North America.
How has this changed the dynamics that once argued against Jewish aliyah (immigration) from America?
My grandparents felt that the American Jewish communities filled a critical role by organizing America's political support for the Jewish State. However true it was then, there is no longer an imperative for a large body of Jews to remain behind in America in order to lobby for Israel's interests. The current terror war against Western Civilization is enough to clarify where America's interests lie without our assistance. On the other hand, what America needs or is able to do in its own interest is dictated by the current tactical situation, and lobbying isn't going to change that. Furthermore, Israel can and should represent its own interests. That the Israeli Foreign Ministry hasn't been more effective argues that where we really need the political clout and expertise of a large body of savvy Americans is right here in Israel.
It also was once argued that Israel couldn't survive financially without the support of Jewish charities in America. The State needed money to grow, and for the most part, Jews in America made money and contributed generously to the development of Israel's infrastructure and industry. Now, however, Israel has a stable economy, some thriving industries, and the potential to support itself ? if the Oslo War were to be won.
The American Zionists of our parents' and grandparents' generations worked to enable Israel to survive its infancy and to welcome and support Jewish refugees from all over the world. They have the right to be proud of all they accomplished. They stood up to the demands of their times. But the pattern of our days is different. Israel's survival is as much at risk now as it was in 1948, but saving Israel now requires nothing less than a massive aliyah from America.
This would do more than just offset the Arab population explosion. Here are some other foreseeable consequences:
Most American olim would be arriving with money to spend and the ability to make more. American Jewish workers, in general, are educated, sophisticated, hard-working and have business connections all over the world. So while some sectors of the economy would get a direct boost from increased demand, others would see indirect improvement just from the influence of Americans on "the way things work here." There would be less tolerance for inefficiency in everything from transportation to legislation, and that would benefit the entire national economy.
The new olim would quickly become a formidable force for reform in politics as well. Americans are dedicated to real democracy. They know that a vibrant political discourse, where both the Right and Left get to air their views and compete for support, can only strengthen the government. They would have no tolerance for politicians who subvert the checks and balances between the various branches of government, and they are likely to demand, and get, changes in the system to make politicians directly accountable to their constituencies.
Beyond this, think what it would mean to the whole soundness of our society if a few million more Jews moved here ? Jews who are not exhausted and hopeless. Israel's great weakness today is its lack of morale. We have been horribly massacred and mutilated by the barbarians who seek to destroy us completely, and we are undermined from within by those who seek to convince us and the world that to fight for our existence is immoral. The self-defeating logic that sets a greater value on giving no offense than it does on survival has pervaded too many of our organs of government, the media and the academic world. We desperately need new Israelis, who have the fortitude to stand up and speak common sense truths.
Truths about ourselves:
It used to be beyond question that suicide, whether personal or national, is an immoral act. Yet, fools and enemies try to convince us that to lie down and accept destruction is the only moral course open to Jews. But war is not an unmitigated evil to be avoided at all cost, while failure to defend ourselves and our loved ones is the worst kind of betrayal. It is based on the sanctimonious sentiment that "my moral purity is more important than your right to life and liberty." It is based on the horrendously distorted rationale that says that "my discomfort at being forced to do nasty things to fight our enemies is more important than your discomfort from being terrorized, wounded and traumatized, orphaned and bereaved."
Truths about our enemies:
The Arabs don't have "inalienable rights" to murder any Jew whose presence in their Islamic universe offends them. Offering them sympathy for their victimization and understanding for their murderous rage does nothing to improve their situation or ours. On the contrary, failure to punish those who murder and incite to murder is immoral and destructive to civilization, and only worsens the lot of everyone, including the poor Arabs. In order to have international stability, nations must be held accountable for their military forces, whether or not they wear uniforms and whether or not they call themselves "militants".
The "Palestinian" Arabs can't claim to be a nation when it comes to rights of sovereignty and not a nation when it comes to responsibility for acts of war. They can't mobilize an entire society for war and destruction, while protesting that the vicious attacks are the work of individual terrorists and everyone else is an innocent civilian. Mommies, Daddies, teachers, reporters, policemen, government workers and so on comprise the Arab nation ? and that nation is attempting to destroy our State and annihilate us Jews. A declaration of war is long overdue, but let's do it and then invest our remaining energies in winning.
Truths about our land:
The Land of Israel is ours. God gave it to us forever, like it says in the Bible ? which also describes where the borders of our Land should be, and which the League of Nations used as a guide when establishing the Mandate for Palestine. Giving aid and comfort to those who seek to undo God's promise is immoral. Arab tantrums are no reason to make swaths of Israel Judenrein, particularly when the vast majority of the Mandated territory has already been taken and used to create Arab states, and the vast majority of Jews in our one land are neither occupying Arab homes nor giving any offense, except in living and breathing and trying to defend against terrorists.
Truths about our future:
The exile is over, and we have survived the worst the nations could do to us, with God's help. We are finally a people at home in its land, and we will accomplish the task God gave us as a nation: to gather together, to value and strengthen each other, to provide leadership to the world, and show the nations how to survive and defeat terrorism and evil. The sooner we get our act together and do it, the better off the whole world will be.
How did Ariel Sharon, the stalwart defender of Israel, become the aggressive engineer of forced transfer ? of Jews? What does Sharon think he is doing with his unilateral withdrawal? Foolish or not, he is a tactician responding to circumstances, the convergence of two lines of causality that are exerting pressures on Israel: the now famous demographic crisis, and the Islamic Jihad phenomenon.
Let's begin with the demographic problem. The Arabs are poised to use their population explosion to overwhelm us Jews and destroy Israel as a Jewish State. There is no defense against this that does not require some fundamental changes in our political structure. Either we disenfranchise the Arabs or we stop being a democracy. Sharon's solution, to remove chunks of the Arab population by declaring that the land they occupy is no longer Israel, makes some sense in this context. It isn't a long-term solution, however, because the Arab Israeli population can do the same thing within the next 20 years, but it does at least offer a delay.
As for the Jihad phenomenon, the world seems poised to undergo a lengthy and painful war to rescue Western civilization from Islamic fascism. In this context, how much support can Israel expect? The Western nations are going to have their hands full without straining themselves to ensure Israel's survival. That's even if they were inclined to do so, and who would bet on that? We hear precious little but anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments in every international forum. So it is imperative that Sharon plans his strategy without banking on international support to protect Israel.
Given these pressures, we can see Sharon's withdrawal plan as an unpalatable, but, to his eyes, necessary capitulation. He sees no other way out of the mess we are in. He is trapped in the pattern of our times. To give him credit, he is not giving up, but using all his strength to seize what he considers to be the only possible option.
Is he right? Look again at Israel's position. The Arabs are proclaiming victory ? terrorism has forced Israel to withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon. This directly led to the Oslo War, whose success will force Israel to withdraw from Gaza. That will energize the next escalation of terrorism, to force Israel to withdraw from Yehuda and Shomron, and so on, until our indefensible borders invite the final wave of war to finally destroy us. That is the fervent desire of our enemies; indeed, it is the only future they are willing to accept.
Many Israelis fear that Israel no longer has the strength and fortitude to force a different resolution of the world's "Jewish Problem". The consensus opinion is that without more Jews living in Israel, we cannot hold on to our Land; that's what drives the whole "Land for Peace" movement. Whether this represents a failure of will or a failure of resources is immaterial ? each can be remedied with the same solution: a massive infusion of olim (immigrants).
There is strength in numbers. But from where are more Jews to come? The ingathering from most corners of the world has in large part already been completed. The only remaining substantial pool of Jews outside Israel is in North America.
How has this changed the dynamics that once argued against Jewish aliyah (immigration) from America?
My grandparents felt that the American Jewish communities filled a critical role by organizing America's political support for the Jewish State. However true it was then, there is no longer an imperative for a large body of Jews to remain behind in America in order to lobby for Israel's interests. The current terror war against Western Civilization is enough to clarify where America's interests lie without our assistance. On the other hand, what America needs or is able to do in its own interest is dictated by the current tactical situation, and lobbying isn't going to change that. Furthermore, Israel can and should represent its own interests. That the Israeli Foreign Ministry hasn't been more effective argues that where we really need the political clout and expertise of a large body of savvy Americans is right here in Israel.
It also was once argued that Israel couldn't survive financially without the support of Jewish charities in America. The State needed money to grow, and for the most part, Jews in America made money and contributed generously to the development of Israel's infrastructure and industry. Now, however, Israel has a stable economy, some thriving industries, and the potential to support itself ? if the Oslo War were to be won.
The American Zionists of our parents' and grandparents' generations worked to enable Israel to survive its infancy and to welcome and support Jewish refugees from all over the world. They have the right to be proud of all they accomplished. They stood up to the demands of their times. But the pattern of our days is different. Israel's survival is as much at risk now as it was in 1948, but saving Israel now requires nothing less than a massive aliyah from America.
This would do more than just offset the Arab population explosion. Here are some other foreseeable consequences:
Most American olim would be arriving with money to spend and the ability to make more. American Jewish workers, in general, are educated, sophisticated, hard-working and have business connections all over the world. So while some sectors of the economy would get a direct boost from increased demand, others would see indirect improvement just from the influence of Americans on "the way things work here." There would be less tolerance for inefficiency in everything from transportation to legislation, and that would benefit the entire national economy.
The new olim would quickly become a formidable force for reform in politics as well. Americans are dedicated to real democracy. They know that a vibrant political discourse, where both the Right and Left get to air their views and compete for support, can only strengthen the government. They would have no tolerance for politicians who subvert the checks and balances between the various branches of government, and they are likely to demand, and get, changes in the system to make politicians directly accountable to their constituencies.
Beyond this, think what it would mean to the whole soundness of our society if a few million more Jews moved here ? Jews who are not exhausted and hopeless. Israel's great weakness today is its lack of morale. We have been horribly massacred and mutilated by the barbarians who seek to destroy us completely, and we are undermined from within by those who seek to convince us and the world that to fight for our existence is immoral. The self-defeating logic that sets a greater value on giving no offense than it does on survival has pervaded too many of our organs of government, the media and the academic world. We desperately need new Israelis, who have the fortitude to stand up and speak common sense truths.
Truths about ourselves:
It used to be beyond question that suicide, whether personal or national, is an immoral act. Yet, fools and enemies try to convince us that to lie down and accept destruction is the only moral course open to Jews. But war is not an unmitigated evil to be avoided at all cost, while failure to defend ourselves and our loved ones is the worst kind of betrayal. It is based on the sanctimonious sentiment that "my moral purity is more important than your right to life and liberty." It is based on the horrendously distorted rationale that says that "my discomfort at being forced to do nasty things to fight our enemies is more important than your discomfort from being terrorized, wounded and traumatized, orphaned and bereaved."
Truths about our enemies:
The Arabs don't have "inalienable rights" to murder any Jew whose presence in their Islamic universe offends them. Offering them sympathy for their victimization and understanding for their murderous rage does nothing to improve their situation or ours. On the contrary, failure to punish those who murder and incite to murder is immoral and destructive to civilization, and only worsens the lot of everyone, including the poor Arabs. In order to have international stability, nations must be held accountable for their military forces, whether or not they wear uniforms and whether or not they call themselves "militants".
The "Palestinian" Arabs can't claim to be a nation when it comes to rights of sovereignty and not a nation when it comes to responsibility for acts of war. They can't mobilize an entire society for war and destruction, while protesting that the vicious attacks are the work of individual terrorists and everyone else is an innocent civilian. Mommies, Daddies, teachers, reporters, policemen, government workers and so on comprise the Arab nation ? and that nation is attempting to destroy our State and annihilate us Jews. A declaration of war is long overdue, but let's do it and then invest our remaining energies in winning.
Truths about our land:
The Land of Israel is ours. God gave it to us forever, like it says in the Bible ? which also describes where the borders of our Land should be, and which the League of Nations used as a guide when establishing the Mandate for Palestine. Giving aid and comfort to those who seek to undo God's promise is immoral. Arab tantrums are no reason to make swaths of Israel Judenrein, particularly when the vast majority of the Mandated territory has already been taken and used to create Arab states, and the vast majority of Jews in our one land are neither occupying Arab homes nor giving any offense, except in living and breathing and trying to defend against terrorists.
Truths about our future:
The exile is over, and we have survived the worst the nations could do to us, with God's help. We are finally a people at home in its land, and we will accomplish the task God gave us as a nation: to gather together, to value and strengthen each other, to provide leadership to the world, and show the nations how to survive and defeat terrorism and evil. The sooner we get our act together and do it, the better off the whole world will be.