Israel’s 68th year will be remembered first and foremost for the wave of stabbing attacks that terrorized the Jewish state from October 2015 through March of this year.
When the so-called “knife intifadah” began, Israelis were at first unsure how to respond, given that there appeared to be no way of anticipating when or where the next assault might take place. Faced with an unpredictable terror, Israel’s security and military establishment initially struggled before developing a working solution to the violence, but it now appears the attacks have been effectively quelled. Once again, Israel’s enemies have been thwarted.
READ: IS THIS THE END OF THE KNIFE INTIFADAH?
But just when the knife attacks ended, a familiar foe returned to the fore, as the Israel Defence Forces uncovered two Hamas-erected tunnels stretching from Gaza into Israel. And while Israeli forces searched for more tunnels last week, Hamas rained mortars across the Gaza border into Israel.
The renewed violence was a stark reminder of the 2014 war that saw Hamas employ a sophisticated network of tunnels to wage attacks inside Israel and launch an unprecedented rocket barrage that forced Israelis into bomb shelters and led to a tragic loss of life on both sides. Most analysts seem to agree Hamas is in no position to start a new round of fighting right now, but there is always the risk that border skirmishes could escalate into something much more dangerous.
The knife attacks and the still-fresh memories of the 2014 war were certainly top-of-mind for Diaspora Jews during the past 12 months, too, but the year also saw a noteworthy evolution in intra-Jewish debate about Israel. Some voices in the Jewish community began to wonder out loud whether Israel could in fact be a home for the Jewish People and a democracy at the same time, and even sought to pressure the Israeli government publicly.
This led to questions about the critics’ motivations and dedication to the Jewish state. Online conversations devolved into personal attacks, name-calling and vilification.
It’s hard to see how any of that benefits the Jewish community, let alone Israel. And it certainly contradicts our people’s ethos of refined debate. With that in mind, we mark Yom Ha’atzmaut in this week’s CJN with two essays on the topic of civil discourse.
READ: WE MUST SPEAK OUT FOR ISRAEL
Michael Diamond challenges Jewish community leaders “to demonstrate the humility that comes from recognizing that the ‘truth’ is seldom static, that answers constantly evolve and that we can be the best we can be only if we are open to listen to others.” And Rabbi Chaim Strauchler extends the Passover parable of the Four Sons to Yom Ha’atzmaut, arguing that “every generation must… confront the challenges of Jewish nationhood in its day.”
As we mark the beginning of a new year in Israel, we hope for its continued success, for peace and understanding, and for the cessation of terror and violence. In the Diaspora, we could also challenge ourselves to be more courteous and open in our conversations during the Jewish state’s 69th year. If we can do so, we might be able to look back with more optimism and less trepidation when Yom Ha’atzmaut comes around again.