"We make concessions with no hope of reciprocity, other than the possibly of keeping a lid on things. Even worse, we have rationalized a dual set of laws and values for our own citizens, turning a blind eye to lawlessness whether it involves construction, extortion, or good old-fashioned rioting."
Quiet periods in the Middle East accrue interest as future unrest. True quiet will only come with our victory and that victory will only come with the assertion of our resolve.
In the secular world, New Year’s Day bears striking similarities to Rosh Hashanah in that both are times of new resolutions, of a determination to make beneficial changes in our lives.
In that spirit, let me offer a much-needed resolution for us as a society: we need to rediscover, reconnect, and newly embrace the resolve that has enabled us to survive, grow and thrive.
I worry that we have lost the thread. The thread is that of our conviction in the justness, rightness and humanness of the Zionist dream and enterprise, and the willingness to act in accordance with that conviction.
Nowadays, we have adopted an accommodative mindset at every turn that smacks of appeasement and fear. In classic diaspora fashion, we worry what the Americans will think and what the Europeans will do.
We have forgotten our history and have replaced that awareness with a craven attitude towards the Palestinians and their benefactors that is rationalized as avoiding violence. We make concessions with no hope of reciprocity, other than the possibly of keeping a lid on things. Even worse, we have rationalized a dual set of laws and values for our own citizens, turning a blind eye to lawlessness whether it involves construction, extortion, or good old-fashioned rioting.
Haven’t we been living in this neighborhood long enough to understand the schoolyard rules?
I see us as the giant who is allowing the elves to tie him down and eviscerate him, rather than assert himself. I believe that such an assertion would be a blessing, not for ourselves, but for those who are seeking to eviscerate us.
One need only take a cursory glance at the larger region we live in to see how humane we are. On our worst days we are far better to our adversaries and others who condemn us than any of our neighbors.
In 2022, we need to shake off the incipient aspects of the Stockholm Syndrome: the assimilation and adoption of the perspective of our enemies. We need to reclaim our full-throated acceptance of the justness of our endeavors.
The only possible way of securing such a desirable state of affairs is for us to reassert ourselves, to elevate our values to the level that we will not casually cast them aside in the name of an illusory quiet.
Quiet periods in the Middle East accrue interest as future unrest. True quiet will only come with our victory and that victory will only come with the assertion of our resolve.
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