Next week Israel will celebrate its 74th birthday. The modern Israeli nation was reborn on May 14, 1948 following the bitter holocaust by the Nazis and has endured in spite of innumerable attempts to destroy her.
Since her modern founding, Israel has grown and blessed the world with many technological innovations such as voice mail, Instant Messenger, and cell phones. In addition, the first antivirus software was developed there as was the first ingestible camera now routinely used to diagnose cancer and other disorders.
Environmentally, Israel was the only country to enter this century with a net gain in the number of trees and Israeli farmers developed drip irrigation that saves billions of gallons of water annually worldwide. An Israeli company has also developed the world’s first jellyfish repellant which I must investigate before my next beach trip.
Sadly, no other nation has been so consistently vilified. In addition to Iran which regularly vows to blow her off the map, other countries and groups continue to attack her in various ways including the terrorist organization, Hamas, which perpetrates violent assaults.
Even in this country, many criticize Israel and denounce her very existence claiming that she unfairly oppresses others. Many US leaders expose their obvious ignorance of world history by doing so. According to Simon Montefiore in his book endorsed by Bill Clinton, Jerusalem, The Biography, the Palestinians rejected an offer that would have been remarkable for any people.
In 1939, the British, who then controlled most of the Middle East, proposed a deal that would have limited immigration into the area to 15,000 Jews annually for five years after which the Arabs could veto future arrivals. It also provided Palestinian independence within ten years and prohibited formation of any future Jewish state. Unbelievably, the Palestinians rejected this proposal in what Montefiore calls ‘spectacular political incompetence.’ I have to agree but am thankful they did.
Later, in July of 2000, then President Clinton offered Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat 98% of the land he wanted in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza; all of East Jerusalem except for the Jewish and Armenian quarters; Palestinian control of the Temple Mount, and $30 billion in cash. Unbelievably, Arafat rejected that offer and walked out because he wanted it all.
It’s hard to believe that such irrational offers were even made and it’s even harder to believe they were refused. They do, however, illustrate clearly who is the unreasonable party in this international situation. The effort to pressure Israel to give up more of its land for peace has proven counterproductive and has failed at every turn.
It’s also distressing to see how Jewish people are being treated not only in their homeland but around the world. Even in these United States, the Associated Press reported last week in this newspaper a record 2,717 anti-Semitic assaults, harassments, and vandalisms in 2021. This is the highest number ever reported since the Anti-Defamation League began keeping records.
In one of the worst incidents, attackers in New York City punched, kicked, and pepper-sprayed a Jewish man and yelled anti-Semitic slurs at him. Thankfully, the armed gunman that entered the synagogue in Texas just four months ago was taken out before he killed anyone inside.
Although many forces have sought to destroy the Jews over the last nearly 4,000 years, the Jewish people continue to persevere and thrive. Of course Israel’s decisive and swift victory in the Six-Day War of 1967 is one of the most obvious miracles of modern times. Every student of history owes it to him or herself to research this event.
Thankfully, the Israelis occupy their historical homeland and have blessed all people on earth in many ways even as God promised the first Jew, Abraham, in Genesis 12. Of course Israel’s greatest blessing is Jesus Christ who died to save everyone who believes in Him. Let’s join our voices in wishing America’s close friend, ally, and benefactor a happy 74th birthday and many more to come!
Blessings, George