Israel’s future?

Israel’s future?

Richard D. Land

Earlier this month the state of Israel celebrated her 75th birthday.  In 1948 the Jewish population in British-governed Palestine – swollen greatly in number by the immigration of Jewish survivors of the European Holocaust – declared their independence and the establishment of the state of Israel.

They were badly outnumbered and faced immediate attacks by the modern armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and other neighboring Arab countries.

Despite the overwhelming odds against them, the Israelis won their war of independence. They were able to maintain their freedom in spite of the intense and unrelenting hostility of the Arab populations that surrounded them.

In 1967, facing an imminent attack by Egypt from the South, Jordan from the East, and Syria from the North, Israel executed a lightning military strike and won an overwhelming victory in the aptly titled “Six-Day War.” They followed that up with yet another stunning victory over Egypt and Syria in 1973. 

In spite of these displays of admirable military prowess, Israel still lives in a very dangerous neighborhood. The Israelis face the daily threat of terrorist attacks, coupled with the growing strength of an Iranian regime sworn to the destruction of Israel and hell-bent on acquiring their own nuclear weaponry.

The mullahs who run the Islamic State of Iran have openly speculated that they could do with one nuclear bomb exploded in Tel Aviv, what Hitler failed to do—eliminate the majority of the world’s Jews. It is difficult to imagine a more realistic or lethal “existential” threat to a nation’s continued existence.

At the same time, there has been open speculation both in Israel and in the United States about the future of America’s relationship with Israel. With the potential decline of the Middle East as a foreign policy priority of the United States, both Israelis and Americans are asking, “What then?” There will be pressure from isolationists on the American right and progressives on the American left, which will both have significant numbers of their ranks questioning whether American resources should continue to be used to buttress the defense capabilities of the state of Israel.

These potential developments caused Walter Russell Mead to write a column in The Wall Street Journal entitled, “Israel at 75 is Threatened but Strong”. Mead’s main point is that while many may question Israel’s future in such circumstances, in reality, “Israel today is orders of magnitude stronger, wealthier, and more influential than it was in 1948. History offers no guarantees and problems remain, but the citizens of this extraordinary state have every reason to look forward with hope!”

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