ISRAEL
IN CONTEXT
We will SURVIVE
WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THE WORLD’S PERSPECTIVE
on Israel and the Jewish people which has
not been said before, by hundreds of
political analysts, historians, community
and religious leaders, your average man-inthe-street, media talk-show hosts and
presenters, military personnel, educators,
even comedians?
What more can be said about the
multiple clouds gathering on the horizon
and moving ever more rapidly to spread
their darkness over Israel and the Diaspora
communities?
How many more words can there be to
exhort us to stand up and fight, to confront
those who would destroy us, to proclaim
our rights to our land, our religion, our
history, our very existence? How many
more words to advise us to be conciliatory
50 JEWISH LIFE
ISSUE 82
WHAT MORE CAN BE SAID ABOUT THE
MULTIPLE CLOUDS GATHERING ON THE
HORIZON AND MOVING EVER MORE RAPIDLY
TO SPREAD THEIR DARKNESS OVER ISRAEL AND
THE DIASPORA COMMUNITIES?
or aggressive, factual or emotional, polite
or confrontational, in our responses to
terrorism, to political onslaughts, to naked
hatred, to subliminal threats, to vile insults,
to ignorance and prejudice and obfuscation
of the truth?
We have achieved countless victories –
but always at a cost. We have fought to be
heard and to be believed and to be respected
– but always at a cost. And the costs have
been extraordinarily high.
We have never given up the fight. We have
never stopped demanding that the world
recognises us for who and what we are. We
are tireless in our defence of the truth and
we will continue to do so till the end of days.
PHOTOGRAPH: ILAN OSSENDRYVER
Nous sommes Juifs; nous sommes Israel I BY BEV GOLDMAN