I Am Israel and Israel Is Me

I Am Israel and Israel Is Me

Do you know why I always write or speak in support of Israel and Jews?

It’s not simply because Israel is a perfect country – it isn’t.
It’s not because I agree with every decision they make – I don’t.
It’s not because every Jew is wonderful – we’re not.
It’s not because everything about us is perfect – it most definitely is not.

Yet every day I see my enemies doing their best to destroy my people and my homeland.

I see antisemitism excused and brushed aside and ignored – even honoured.

I see actual leaders of countries and entities spew their hatred towards me.

I see the Malaysian Prime Minister talk with disgust about my people.

I see the palestinian terrorist leader encourage and pay the people he rules to murder my people – with financial support from much of the world.

I see international organisations condemn me for existing, telling me I am some foreign occupier in the place I’ve been in for almost the last 4000 years.

I see fascist organisations of hatred threaten singers and artists and sportspeople with death if they perform in this country.

I see antisemitic elected officials like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar hold press conferences, preaching open hatred and lies against Israel. They lie saying they are not allowed in because they are Muslim, but say nothing of the fact that 6.5 million Israeli Jews are barred from entering 16 Muslim countries. Yet bizarrely, I see Israel being condemned for this decision, rather than those officials being condemned for their hatred.

And even more bizarrely, there are some Jews, mainly from radical anti-Israel organisations, rather than stand against hatred, actually stand up FOR hatred by supporting these antisemites.

I see leaders of Europe, who pretend they care about peace, scramble to appease and make deals with the world’s largest terrorist supporter, Iran, undeterred by their constant threats to commit genocide on my beloved homeland.

I see many of the same shameless leaders of Europe tell me that the only way to make peace is to cut out the heart of my country and give it to people whose daily wish is to eliminate mine – to create a fictitious country which is not defined by history, nationality and culture, but only by the desire to destroy mine.

I see universities – places of education and wisdom and the thirst for knowledge – overrun with some of the most vile despicable hate filled groups you can imagine – whose poisonous chants should send shivers down the spine of any fair-minded individual on earth. And this is not in the dark unenlightened Arabic worlds, but in western democracies – places that are supposed to value freedom and democracy and fairness and love.

I see all this hatred and all this venom and all this evil every single day.

And yet – among this darkness – and it is a darkness – there is also support. Support from those who have no obligation to support Israel or Jews, yet do – selflessly. I have met many and they are truly shining lights whose fire burns brightly in the dark oceans that threaten to wash away all decency.

But as noisy and as loud and as vile as these voices of hatred against me are, they will have no effect on what I feel and what I think. They are powerless, because I am connected to this country and this people through my birthright, through my nationhood, through my history, through my religion, through my beliefs in G-d, through my culture, through every little fibre of my being. My identity is forged with Israel and it’s forged with the Jews. It’s an inseparable part of who I am – a part that can never be broken and never be severed.

I will always stand with Israel whether people love it or hate it. I will always stand with Israel whether I’m in a group or all alone. I will always stand with Israel, because I value truth and I value decency and I value freedom and I value myself.

I am Israel and Israel is me – and that’s something that will never change.

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