Over the past few weeks, we have been hurt and frightened by the support of governments around the world for the creation of a Palestinian Arab state. Most significantly for Jews in Australia, like me, is the declaration by the Albanese government that it too intends to “jump on the bandwagon”. We feel outraged, abandoned and frightened by the groundswell of support for our enemies and the threat this poses for Israel.
But we need to introspect and stock-take and to ask who is really responsible for this threat?
At the end of Parshat Vaetchanan, we read;
כי יביאך ה' אל-היך אל הארץ אשר אתה בא שמה לרשתה ונשל גוים רבים מפניך החתי והגרגשי והאמרי והכנעני והפרזי והחוי והיבוסי שבעה גוים רבים ועצומים ממך
"When Hashem your G-d will bring you to the Land that you are coming there to possess, He will drive away from before you… 7 nations who are greater and mightier than you”.
We find a similar Pasuk in Parshat Eikev;
שמע ישראל אתה עבר היום את־הירדן לבא לרשת גוים גדלים ועצמים ממך ערים גדלת ובצרת בשמים. עם־גדול ורם בני ענקים אשר אתה ידעת ואתה שמעת מי יתיצב לפני בני ענק
“Hear O Israel, today you cross the Jordan to come and drive out nations that are greater and mightier than you, cities that are great and fortified up to the Heavens. A great and lofty people, descendants of giants…”
Both describe how upon entering the Land of Israel, Bnei Yisrael would drive out the Canaanite nations. Both verses emphasise that these nations are greater and mightier than the Jewish people. Moshe is assuring the Jewish people that despite the greater strength of the seven nations and despite their fortified cities, Hashem would bring them victory and that they had nothing to fear.
In his work Likkutei Torah, the Alter Rebbe makes an incredible insight based on an alternative reading of these verses, teaching that our key to victory is not only in Hashem’s Hand, but is also dependent on our own perspective.
In addition to meaning "seven nations who are greater and mightier than you (ממך)", they could also be read as saying "seven nations who are greater and mightier - FROM you".
This means that the nations of Canaan were not truly a mighty and formidable force. The fact that they appeared greater and mightier than the Jewish people, making them seem impossible to conquer, was coming from the Jewish people themselves. It was the Jewish people that elevated the power of the Canaanites in their own eyes. It was they who projected this aura around their enemies of a force that was to be feared.
The problem was not the power of the Canaanites, but Bnei Yisrael’s own insecurities, lack of faith and not knowing and believing in their own strength. This false perspective and perceived reality defined the reality with which they would now need to contend.
The Alter Rebbe connects this message to the verse in Yirmiyahu (13:21), "What shall you say when (your enemy) comes upon you, when you accustomed them to be princes over you at your head?"
This phrase is used to describe a situation whereby one can strengthen and empower someone else, in this case our enemies, and in doing so, unintentionally transform them into a new reality that now dominates and threatens us. Had we not given them significance and made them into “princes” over us, we would have had not cause to worry.
So here is really to blame for recognising a Palestinian Arab state. It's not Australia, Canada, the UK or France. It is not Albanese, Starmer or Macron.
It's ממך. It comes from us.
It was not the pressure or declarations of the nations of the world that created the monster of a Palestinian Arab state. It was Israel's decades of disastrous policy that gave validity to the notion of a Palestinian Arab people and Palestinian Arab state.
It was Israel who built up Arafat and later Abbas to be seen as “moderate” statesmen rather than the terrorists that they are. We gave them the validity and platform on the global stage, allowing them to convince the world into the lie of a Palestinian Arab "people" and country and to demonise Israel.
Successive Israeli governments built-up and validated the notion of a “two-state solution” with the Madrid, Oslo and Wye accords. We created the myth of a Palestinian Arab claim to a state in Gaza with our disastrous withdrawal and retreat.
But what about the American, European and U.N. pressure? What about the fears of what the world will say and the risk of becoming globally isolated as a pariah? This too is ממך, an artificial fear that has been created and magnified by our own weakness and inferiority. We made them “princes over us at our head” so now what can we say when that comes back to bite us?
We can’t change the past and even though we have made it harder for ourselves, we can change the future. We have to stand strong, proud and unbending in the face of global threats and pressure. We have to formally declare our withdrawal from the aforementioned accords, call out the lie in the concept of a Palestinian Arab "people" and once-and-for-all bury the failed myth of a “two-state solution” that should never have been adopted.
With trust in Hashem and belief in ourselves we have nothing to fear. We will prevail as we conquer our enemies and possess and settle our Land in its entirety. We will dwell there in peace and security and the loud noises from around the world will disappear.