Debate rages on in the Holy Land and at home as we look for answers to the ongoing violence. We have all heard endless repetitions of one-sided views of recent history, all of which have failed to unite us or help us to see the bigger picture. I never thought I'd be the one to say it, but I think my people would do better to take a look at a much older piece of our history.
I may not be very religious, but the Hebrew Bible is undeniably part of my life, beliefs and job. I tutor 12-year olds for their bar and bat mitzvahs, putting me in an interesting position, helping to initiate them as members of our faith. What's more surprising than that is how easy it is to show them how the texts relate to everyday life. This weekend, one of my students and I looked into his Torah and Haftorah portions, taken from the books of Numbers and Zechariah. Weekly portions are paired by thematic similarities; this pair dealt with the Israelites after being released from exile to return to the Promised Land.
In each case, however, our people are reminded that this promise is not something to be taken for granted. Rather, we are tested to prove whether or not we deserve it. Every time the ancient Israelites become distracted from the commandments by petty and selfish concerns, they no longer deserve the Holy Land, and are deprived of it. Perhaps these are just very old stories, but they say a lot about a culture that believes so strongly in justice that we interpret even our defeat and enslavement by our enemies as punishments from God.
After more than two millennia, we have returned to the Promised Land, and we are again being tested. As before, if we hope to hold onto the land that is so dear to us, then we must prove our resolve and commitment to displaying the moral character that supposedly earned us this land to begin with. We must never forget that as important as Israel is to our identity, the better part of who we are is in our commandments, that without fulfilling our part of our covenant, the reward, a mere strip of land the size of New Jersey, is meaningless.
Of course, our judge is not exactly an omnipotent being worthy of faith; rather, it is now the fickle and flawed force of world opinion by which we seem obligated to validate our actions. How can Israel expect fair judgement from world leaders who can't tell which accusations against it are true and which are fiction? The world media is, as always, quick to believe anything.
At Passover Seder, we spill drops of wine to diminish our joy with the reminder that our victory means the death of our enemies. When we observed this tradition at the Roth Center a month ago, Rabbi Edward Boraz reminded us that even now we must be sorry for lives lost on both sides of the current conflict. Halfway around the world that day, Jews observing the same tradition were killed. We must be outraged, we must be saddened, but we must not stop spilling the wine.
We must continue to live as Jews,with both self-preservation and morality. Our self-defense must not be so unapologetic as to fail to redress the wrongs committed by Israel, but our morality must not be so complacent as to allow our own demise. It's an insidiously difficult balance, but Israel must not give up the effort. I can only hope that Israel earns recognition for trying to maintain such a balance. Sadly, most Palestinian leaders are unwilling to acknowledge any such effort or intent on the part of Israel. What to do, what to do?
The following are my hopes for what may happen. I'm the first to admit that it's just idealistic fantasy, but I cannot stand the frustration of having no vision, no ideal, no hope to work toward. What would happen if Israel immediately ended anything that could be considered aggression on its part? If it withstood terrorism without retaliation? Would attacks on Israel cease?
If they did, I'd be shocked. But maybe, just maybe, after many more have died, eliminating Palestinian excuses for violence could win Israel the international support it would deserve, and the war on terror could be taken to where it is needed most. For all its claims of being an "occupied territory," Palestine would be a sovereign nation today if only its people had chosen to abandon violence. For Israel, nonviolence is a more difficult choice, because giving up its own military efforts will allow more suicide bombings.
The alternative is equally bleak. Each anti-terrorist military operation only inspires more terrorists. The arms and explosives will not stop flowing in from Iraq and from Hezbollah, nor will the monetary rewards for the families of suicide bombers. As more and more Palestinians take arms, taking out all terrorists will soon become tantamount to genocide. This seems eerily close to the claim popular in Palestine that there is no moral difference between suicide bombings and military operations against terrorists. We must avoid validating this claim at all costs.
Maybe the odds are stacked too high or too unfairly against us. Maybe the risk of violence is too great, and maybe pulling out now would be "validating terrorism." I accept all of these criticisms. But I believe that in order for the Jewish state to survive, our people must pass this test of character with flying colors. We must prove that our greatest love (even one of our words for God) is peace. We must address and amend any misbehaviors of our own and make an example of ourselves, and maybe the world will notice. Or if that doesn't work, maybe just build a big wall.
