Despite it all, I still believe in the State of Israel

How do we celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary when we disagree with Israeli politics?

Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash

There have been a handful of times when I have been cautioned against writing about a topic. This is one of those times. 

I had escaped my office to have coffee with a close friend. 

"I would really like to write something about Israel" I said. 

"I'm not sure that's the best idea," he replied, "I feel like this might be the moment to just keep our heads down and stay quiet."

"I know, but I'm hearing so many people say how this wasn't the Israel they were promised and they don't support its existence anymore," I explained.

"I was promised an Israel that wasn't constantly under attack, but that's not what we got" he retorted. 

On April 25, we will celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence day. This year marks the 75th time we have the opportunity to celebrate the existence of the modern state of Israel. And I have to admit, I really wish we could have picked a different year to be the 75th year. 

Since the day of its creation, Israel has been under threat upon threat and attack upon attack. And despite constantly needing to defend itself, it has survived and thrived. It is a hub of technological innovation. It has produced artists, athletes, and scientists. There is a lot to celebrate in the work that has gone into transforming desert and swamp into highly developed cities and a unique culture over the past 75 years. 

But it’s hard to focus on that right now. 

In the last four years, Israel has had five elections while the former and current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stood trial on charges of breach of trust, accepting bribes, and fraud. Since January, tens of thousands of Israelis, have taken to the streets to protest Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms, which would strip the Israeli Supreme Court of its abilities to engage in judicial review and other legislative oversight functions. This proposed judicial reform came at a time when there was widespread concern about individuals such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, a member of the far-right who has long preached some problematic views, who were appointed to high levels of government. 

In the Diaspora, allegiance to Israel has become a dreaded discussion even in Zionist circles. Synagogue leaders are grappling with how to talk about Israel and whether it is our responsibility to do so. Leading voices like David Baddiel have said that it is not our place, as Jews who do not live in Israel, to defend or explain what is happening politically in Israel right now, and for as much as I may agree on a certain level, this does not stop the questions from pouring in. 

I have spent years preaching that we can support the existence of the State of Israel without supporting the actions of the Israeli government - they are fundamentally different. I absolutely believe this. Countries go through different political periods, some good and some shameful, just think about [insert almost any country here]. We don’t use a country’s political tides to question the legitimacy of its existence - except when it comes to Israel. 

In essence, that’s the crux of it. 

What is happening in Israel at this moment is difficult. I don’t agree with the political decisions being made or the way that the most recent election swayed. I frequently have, and will continue to, disagree with the positions of Israeli politicians. I wholeheartedly support the protestors trying to save their democracy. I was so happy when their actions led to a pause on the proposed judicial reforms, and I hope that it is indefinite. 

And yet, despite all of this, I still believe in Israel. 

Giving up on Israel now would be the textbook example of not seeing the forest for the trees. For the last 75 years, Israel has been more than just an idea we longed and prayed for. Being more than an idea in the collective imagination of the Jewish people has come with its ups and downs. It has increased the degree to which Jews are able to move safely throughout the world immeasurably, but has also forced us to come to terms with political and military realities that we do not want to stomach. Israel is not and cannot be, in its reality, everything hoped for. Countries are too complicated for that. 

My belief in the necessity of Israel’s existence is not pegged to my support for the Israeli administration. We do not have to ignore what is going on right now in Israel in order to celebrate 75 years of the only Jewish nation. But we cannot allow ourselves to be so blinded by what is happening right now that we lose sight of why there is an Israel in the first place.