Nothing New Under the Sun
This Yom Haatzmaut, be a Zionist
On May 14, 1948 - 76 years ago on both the English and Hebrew calendars - David Ben Gurion rose to his feet in what is now Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, and declared the State of Israel into existence:
We hereby proclaim the establishment of the Jewish State in Palestine, to be called Israel!
Fun fact: the name “Israel” was chosen almost reluctantly, because a more exciting name could not be agreed on.
As detailed by historian Martin Kramer, the other options were:
Judea - ruled out because most of the historical Judea was not actually slated to become part of the new state;
Zion - ruled out also because it refers to the name of a hill in Jerusalem, also potentially not included in the borders of the new state;
Ever - the root of the word “Ivri”, ruled out because no one liked it; and
Eretz Yisrael - ruled out because it was anathema to accepting the 1947 Partition Plan, as it referred to all the land between the River and the Sea.
Thus, they landed on Israel, “because there wasn’t time to come up with anything better.”
But I digress.
The Declaration of Independence
The text of the Declaration of Independence is remarkable. Written in a rush, it gives a brief overview of Jewish history that led from our most recent exile 2,000 years ago, to this newest iteration of Jewish sovereignty. It is both backward and forward looking. It is aspirational and prescriptive. Reading it over today, it is also remarkably prescient regarding some of our current issues.
For example:
JEWISH INDIGENEITY AND CONNECTION TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL
In response to today’s calls for the Jews to “Go back to Poland”, or that we are simply modern colonialist invaders in the Middle East, or that Zionism is a 19th century invention, the Declaration reads:
The land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here, their spiritual, religious and national identity was formed. Here, they achieved independence and created a culture of national and universal significance. Here they wrote and gave the Bible to the world.
and
Exiled from Palestine, the Jewish people remained faithful to it in all the countries of their dispersion, never ceasing to pray and hope for their return and the restoration of their national freedom.
Impelled by this historic association, Jews strove throughout the centuries to go back to the land of their fathers and regain their statehood.
DESIRE FOR PEACE
In response to ridiculous assertions that Zionism seeks the eradication of Arabs from Israel, and that Israeli Jews are simply bloodthirsty warmongers:
They sought peace yet were ever prepared to defend themselves. They brought the blessing of progress to all inhabitants of the country.
…
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be ready to cooperate with the organs and representatives of the United Nations in the implementation of the Resolution of the Assembly of November 29, 1947, and will take steps to bring about the Economic Union over the whole of Palestine.
…
In the midst of wanton aggression, we yet call upon the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to return to the ways of peace and play their part in the development of the State, with full and equal citizenship and due representation in its bodies and institutions -- provisional or permanent.
We offer peace and unity to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all.
POLITICAL LEGITIMACY
In response to today’s ahistorical assertions that Israel is an illegal or illegitimate state,
This right was acknowledged by the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917, and re-affirmed by the Mandate of the League of Nations, which gave explicit international recognition to the historic connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and their right to reconstitute their National Home.
…
On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a Resolution for the establishment of an independent Jewish State in Palestine, and called upon the inhabitants of the country to take such steps as may be necessary on their part to put the plan into effect.
This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to establish their Independent State may not be revoked. It is, moreover, the self-evident right of the Jewish people to be a nation, as all other nations, in its own Sovereign State.
INSTITUTIONAL EQUALITY
And, in response to today’s allegations of “apartheid” or “institutionalized racism” against Arabs or other Israeli minorities,
THE STATE OF ISRAEL…will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew Prophets; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
Israel’s Declaration of Independence is thus not just an historical document frozen 76 years in the past. It is a resource that demonstrates Israel’s ongoing desire to live in peace with its non-Jewish inhabitants and neighbours. It continues to rebut fanciful assertions against Israel that we hear far too often again today, from the halls of the UN to the campus encampments.
As written in Israel’s Declaration of Independence: The History and Political Theory of the Nation’s Founding Moment, by Neil Rogachevsky and Dov Zigler,
[The Declaration of Independence] changed everything for the Jewish people. The act of a declaration of political independence represented a shift from statelessness to a state. From private life to public life. From being ruled to ruling. From a society and culture without a state to a state developing its society and culture. From a life fleeing politics to a life of politics.
Nothing new under the sun
The Book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) 1:9 says:
מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ ה֣וּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔ה וּמַה־שֶּׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔ה ה֖וּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין כׇּל־חָדָ֖שׁ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
Only that shall happen
Which has happened,
Only that occur
Which has occurred;
There is nothing new
Beneath the sun!
The onslaught of anti-Israelism, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism we are experiencing today, is nothing new. Sure, it feels new to many of us who have not experienced it before, and the form it has taken is new because of modern technology and social media. But, to borrow a phrase, the haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate.
Today, our duty is not just to shake it off. That’s not good enough. We must continue to wear our Zionism with pride. There is nothing we are facing today that we have not already dealt with, and we have a responsibility to stand proudly on the shoulders of the giants who came before us, readying it for the next challenge to come.
We should all be Zionists
In her book of essays entitled We Should All Be Zionists, Einat Wilf writes,
The story of Zionism is about people being the vehicles of their own redemption. It’s a remarkably inspiring idea. It’s about the fact that Jews could be oppressed, persecuted, marginalized, even much worse, and then could change that destiny.
Well, 76 years ago today, we were redeemed. Three years earlier, the Holocaust ended with 1/3 of world Jewry murdered. But that did not stop us. We fought for our redemption, sacrificing the lives of 1% of the population of Israel in the War of Independence, but did not give up. We continued to fight, sweat, and bleed to maintain that redemption throughout the last 76 years, at an almost unbearable cost. But it was not unbearable, because 76 years later, we are here. Even with the horrific events of our 76th year, we have seemingly borne it all.
Today, I am a Zionist not just because I believe in our history - I believe in our present and our future. I am a Zionist because I am proud of those Zionists who came before me, and of the leaps and bounds that the State of Israel has taken in almost eight decades. I am proud not just of the way that Israel fights - morally and justly - but also the way that she lives. She tends her crops, rescues those in peril overseas, creates life-saving technology to better humankind, and does so despite the neverending hate and criticism.
I am a Zionist because I know that Jews must rely on each other; there is no one else on whom to rely. I am Zionist because I see the pride on the streets today, of Stars of David worn proudly around necks, of flags flown on cars, of yellow pins on lapels, of people proudly proclaiming their Jewish identities online, and their pride motivates me.
I am a Zionist because I know there is merit to our cause. People everywhere can see it. Eurovision juries may vote against us, but their countries’ popular vote supports us because not everyone is blinded by hate. I am a Zionist because I see how vapid life can be without it. Zionism gives me an appreciation for what effort goes into a national project, the importance of a community, and how the hard work of some can lead to the success of many.
I am a Zionist because of my parents and grandparents. Because of my teachers and friends. Because of our community institutions and leaders. They have not lost hope, and continue to find new ways to meaningfully connect to our Zionist heritage.
Most importantly, I am a Zionist because of my children. I have a responsibility to create a world in which they will not only flourish, but remain safe. It will be impossible for them to do so without Israel, wherever they live. I wish nothing else than for Israel to be their source of inspiration, their vacation destination, the place their mind wanders when they are curious, or, if it is God forbid needed, their insurance policy and exit-strategy.
On this Yom Haatzmaut, my wish is that we would all be Zionists. We have lessons from our past and our aspirations set out in our founding documents. We have 76 years of history of which to be proud. We have a complicated future ahead of us, but there is nothing new under the sun. We have been here before.
For Israel’s 77th year, I have several wishes: The return of our hostages. The downfall of Hamas. The elimination of Hezbollah. The expansion of the Abraham Accords. The rebuilding of the Gaza Envelope. The return home to Israel’s northern inhabitants. New elections. The strengthening of global alliances with Israel. The continued unity of the Jewish and Israeli people. The realization by our foes that we are not going anywhere.
I also wish for the acceptance by others that you need not be Jewish to be a Zionist. Let’s hear less from the anti-Zionist Jews and more from the Zionist non-Jews. You simply need to believe that the Jewish State has a right to exist, in peace and security, alongside the other 190+ countries that exist in the world to call yourself a Zionist. This simple acceptance can make the world a better place.
There’s nothing wrong with continuing to hope. In fact, it is our hope that has gotten us to this very moment today:
‘Od lo avdah tikvatenu,
Hatikvah bat shnot ’alpayim,
Lihyot ‘am chofshi be’artzenu,
’Eretz Tziyon v'Yerushalayim.
Our hope is not yet lost,
It is two thousand years old,
To be a free people in our land
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
CHAG ATZMAUT SAMEACH!
Beautifully stated. 🙏✡️☮️