In no major world issue does one see more international interest than in the so-called "Crisis in the Middle East." There are many problems in the world right now, including starvation, poverty, wars, slavery, forced prostitution, and I could go on. But on the front pages of our newspapers, and of papers all over the world, the story is consistently Israel.
This definitely has some benefits. At least, unlike during the Holocaust, when Jews in Israel are brutally murdered simply for being Jews, it does make headlines, and people are aware of our suffering. However, it also brings an undue amount of scrutiny into everything Israel does in its war against terrorism.
Because of the world's intense interest in all the events in our land, Israel and the Jews in the Exile put vast effort into bringing world opinion onto our side. Israel has, for the most part, found that the United States is our only reliable friend. However, Britain recently involved itself more in the "peace process," and Israel's Foreign Ministy can never tire of responding to daily accusations from various representatives of the European Union. I often see headlines in the Jerusalem Post such as, "Belgian FM Calls for End to Violence." Thanks for the helpful suggestion. But clearly, if the Post publishes this, then we are as interested in the world as they are in us.
We can ask ourselves why everyone is so interested in us. We can ask why the Europeans (whose grandparents also offered a Solution to a different Jewish Problem) seem to feel the need to get involved, almost always on the side of the terrorists. But we should also ask why the United States seems so supportive (when they do). Both houses of Congress recently passed, almost unanimously, a resolution strongly supporting Israel's right to self-defense. But we never really know where the administration stands. And of course, many of the congressmen and senators were motivated in their support by a Christian Messianic vision whose other details would make most Jews quite uncomfortable.
This world interest occupies the minds of many Jews in the Exile as well, where we spend countless hours trying to convince our local government and newspapers to be more supportive of Israel. I think this is worthwhile, but this cannot be our main focus. No matter whether a foreign government or non-Jewish organization supports Israel or condemns her, their views are always colored by some external motive. It may be an attempt to appease some Arab state, or buy votes, or lower oil prices. It could be part of the vision of Israel presented by a foreign religion. Or their defense of the terrorists could be nothing more than raw antisemitism. But beware any helpful suggestion from any outside observer. It's easy to be fooled into complacency now that the US, Europe, and even some Arab states are calling for reform in the PA, or a regional peace conference. But do we really think everyone suddenly has our best interests in mind, after years of indifference, hatred, or even outright attacks on Israel?
We Jews have had a long and painful history. And we've always looked to others to help us. We are always optimistic, and will take any sign that things are about to change for the better. But if we stop and think about it, is our goal the same as everyone else's? We want to live in our homeland in peace, free from harassment from terrorists and foreign armies. Is that what Saudi Arabia had in mind when it suggested its peace plan, at the same time as it was supporting Arab terror? Did George Bush really think the Saudi plan made sense, or are there things that are much more important to him than whether the Jews have a state?
Just as it has always been, the answer to our problems lies only with ourselves. We are no longer at the mercy of our foreign hosts, who we hope will decide to be kind to the Jews this year. We have our own sovereign state. Let's look to ourselves, and strengthen ourselves and our resolve that the Land of Israel is rightfully ours, and will always be ours. There are a lot more important issues that Israeli government and society could be spending all their time on than convincing the world that we are taking good care of their terrorists, the fighters on the front line of the war against the Jews and their state.
And those of us who remain in Exile must do the same. Are our efforts for the Jewish State best spent lobbying our Congressmen to pass yet another non-binding resolution? Or trying to convince our oil-based society to abandon its ties to the Arab world? No! Our efforts would bear much more fruit when we decide to take our campaigns to our homeland, building up and improving her economy and education system, contributing to Israeli scientific research, participating in the Israeli democratic process, and healing our land and our people spiritually. A strong, vibrant, and confident Israel will without a doubt prosper as a home for any Jew wishing to return. And I would argue that when that is achieved, we will have the respect of the world. They will respect us when they see that we are no longer the Jewish remnant, always eager to please their Gentile hosts, but rather a strong, confident, moral, and self-reliant nation, and a shining light in a dark world.
To quote Psalm 29, "Hashem oz l'amo yiten; Hashem yivarech et amo vashalom." "God will give strength to his nation; God will bless his nation with peace." This is a two-step process, and it must happen as such. May God give us the strength to be a sovereign nation in our homeland, and may this bring the peace we continue to pray for.