From our earliest memories, we have been grateful to God for all He has done for Am Yisrael. Each miracle granted would have been enough. Every year, at Passover, we remember as if we had experienced enslavement in Egypt and then freedom in the promised land.
Every year we say:
“If God had brought us out of Egypt.”
“If God had executed justice upon the Egyptians.”
“If God had slain their first born.”
“If God had given to us their wealth.”
“If God had split the sea for us.”
“If God had led us through on dry land.”
“If God had drowned our oppressors.”
“If God had provided for our needs in the wilderness for 40 years.”
“If God had fed us manna.”
“If God had given us Shabbat.”
“If God had led us to Mount Sinai.”
“If God had given us the Torah.”
“If God had brought us into the Land of Israel.”
“If God had built the Temple for us.”
It all would have been enough. Dayenu
But when does it become our responsibility to say “enough.” Do the Jewish people in Israel, living again under enslavement to the terrorist attacks by the Muslims in the Palestinian territories, and Hamas, funded by Iran and it seems approved by most of the world, especially the EU, not have a responsibility based on our Covenant with God to protect all that God has given to us? Freedom to live as Jews in our native land?
We gave up the Temple Mount following the 1948 War of Independence, out of a foolish belief that showing kindness to our defeated enemy would lead to a better relationship. And yet, here we are, 70 years later, and the Jewish people continue to appease in the hope of saving our people. Can we not learn from history, from a man who faced the darkest hour, Winston Churchill “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last”?
I live in the diaspora. It can never be my place to say “Go to war.” My children and grandchildren will not be fighting. But what shall we do in the diaspora as we watch helplessly as Israel is set on fire, thousands of hectares of agricultural land forest destroyed?
What shall we do as we watch, helplessly, as Israel’s borders are attacked by barbarians, our people under attack from Hamas deploying explosive devices, grenades, incendiary balloons, and other makeshift weapons into Israel?
Israel Security Agency’s September 2018 shows that throughout the month a total of 204 incidents took place: 70 in Judea and Samaria, 10 in Jerusalem and 124 in the Gaza Strip. In Judea and Samaria, and in Jerusalem, the agency recorded 61 attacks with petrol bombs, eight attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), seven arson attacks, one shooting attack and three stabbings. Incidents recorded in Gaza included 66 attacks with petrol bombs, 35 attacks using IEDs and 23 grenade attacks.
All the while we watch as the pundits, professors, and politicians condemn Israel.
And what are we to do in the diaspora as we watch our Jewish brothers and sisters struck down by cowardly Muslim terrorists? How are we to respond to the deaths of Ari Fuld and Ziv Hajbi and of Kim Levengrond Yehezkel? May their souls always be by the right side of God with all those who have gone before.
Where is the world outrage like the outrage over the murder of Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist?
We have been granted miracles by God.
That Israel stands, today, despite the attempts to tear her down, this is a miracle. But when do we have to participate in that miracle?
We are back in our legal and historical homeland. A miracle: that would have been enough. But the Jewish people are attacked again, and again, and again. And when wars fail to destroy us, global politics come into play. That innate, systemic, endemic Jew-hatred shows itself, again. Do we not have a right to say “Enough”?
Do we not have a right to defend our people as others defend theirs? Do we not have an obligation to the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Sara, the God of Rebecca, the God of Rachel, the God of Leah to protect our children;” to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone, knowing that we shall not flag or fail? That we shall go on to the end, we shall defend our land, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Has Israel not yet reached its darkest hour?
Is now not time to say:
Never appease.
Never again.
One murdered Jew is one too many.
Enough is enough.
If not now when?
From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”
