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Wednesday, May 15, 2024

The Tests for Israel and for the U.S.

by Israeli Cabinet Minister Orit Strook, translated by Hillel Fendel.



Are we truly independent? Can we free ourselves of the threat of "embargo?" Will the U.S. take the ethical path, as it did not always do during the Holocaust?

We find ourselves at an auspicious time - between the date marking the time of our utter helplessness (Holocaust Day), and that commemorating the so-many sacrifices that we have had to make to secure our national existence in our Promised Land (Memorial Day). And yet davka (specifically) now, we have once again reached a disconcerting, frustrating and stressful crossroads, at which the country that is supposed to be our greatest friend in the world declares quite purposefully that it will not support us against those who rise up to destroy us.

The very trying words of the U.S. president have presented three tests: two of them are for us, and the third is for our friends overseas.

The first is whether we truly are an independent country. It appears that we have, so far, passed this test – at least in words. For immediately upon hearing the presidential ultimatum demanding that we surrender and lead the IDF to defeat instead of victory, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and others of our leaders, essentially said: "It won't happen. We will not give up on our security and safety. We will act in Rafah to achieve our critical objectives in this war that has been forced upon us, even at the price of a head-on clash with the United States."

Declarations are important, but they are certainly not enough. We will have to follow closely to see whether these words are backed up by actions. For our part, we [the Knesset Members of the Religious Zionist party] have made it clear that if the government turns its back on the objectives for which we sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to the battlefield, we will not be able – both ethically and security-wise – to continue to be members of this government.

The second test we now face is whether we realize that we must not allow ourselves to be dependent upon anyone other than ourselves, and G-d, for our security needs. We must also act accordingly. There must be a nationwide enlistment to ensure that we need not have to rely upon even our friends to ensure our national safety. We have failed terribly in this area over the past years, and everyone now understands that the situation cannot be allowed to continue.

We must reach the point where the word "embargo" can no longer threaten us, and where no American president can bear-hug us with arms shipments and dictate to us what military operations to carry out and which not. Of course, this cannot happen without precise economic and strategic planning that correctly foresees the future, with an allocation of resources that truly matches our needs.

The third test is the course of action that the United States will take. Many Americans were greatly distressed at the words of their president, and many public figures made it clear that they see Biden's words as an ethical stain upon the entire country. They are determined to stand on the correct side of history. Throughout history, in fact, the nations of the world have faced similar decisions, and they have not always passed these tests. As we commemorate Holocaust Day, we also remember the calamitous decisions made by the Western world during the years of the Nazi regime, beginning with the abandonment of Czechoslovakia, and up to the failure to bomb Auschwitz or even the train tracks leading to it.

We read in this week's Torah portion: "Do not stand by your neighbor's blood; I am the Lord." Rashi explains that this means that if, for instance, you see someone drowning and do not do what you can to save him, "I am the Lord – trusted to give reward [when appropriate], and trusted to punish [when necessary]."

This is a chilling message, because it assigns serious guilt, and serious punishment, to those who simply "stand by" without offering whatever help they can to save those in danger. It is this rationale that echoed in the words of Senator Graham when he vehemently demanded that the U.S. not stand by while Israel fights for its life, and it resonates in the hearts of very many Americans.

These Americans understand that they stand before a historic and multi-faceted test: They are required not to "stand by" not only regarding arms shipments to Israel, but also regarding the rising anti-Semitism in universities, and also regarding the American reaction to those who rise up against us in international institutions such as the Hague Tribunal and the United Nations. [The US did, in fact, oppose a U.N. resolution last week declaring support for Palestinian statehood, which would have rewarded the PA and Hamas for their horrific acts of terrorism in the Simchat Torah massacre.]

This week marks the 65th anniversary of the death of my grandmother, Malka Nesher (Mária Kecskeméti), who was a very well-known Hungarian poetess. Her songs have not received great attention in Israel, and I try to publicize every year another of her poems. This year it was quite obvious that I would choose one entitled "Exodus 1947," which describes the British Empire's cruelty towards the famous refugee immigrants' ship Exodus. It also calls out the "standing by" of most of the free world to the mistreatment of the Holocaust survivors who wanted to reach the Land of Israel. My grandmother ended her ode as follows:

"There is none like England in matters of nobility:

The last remnant of the escapees she effectively diluted...

The world is silent, there is no protest, there is no one to raise a voice there.

Conscience, like the ostrich, buries its head in the sand!

... Your face, o Britain, bury it in the dirt,

For there is no greater disgrace than your "glorious" victory..."

While the third test is that of the nations of the world, it is incumbent upon us to pass the first two tests above: We must be truly independent, and we must find the ways to strengthen ourselves on our own. As we celebrate Independence Day this week, we are confident that, with G-d's help, we will pass these two critical tests.