We have been writing about the wars in Israel - the bombings, the rockets, the tunnels and the human shields in Gaza, not to mention the anxiety and political intrigue in Israel. But one important topic seems to be getting lost in the shuffle - the remarkable nature of the people of Israel. Take a close look at Israel’s people, and the little Jewish country there in the Middle East is as the Bible says it is - “a Light Unto the Nations.”
After 2,000 years of exile, during which time only a remnant had the privilege to live in the homeland of Israel, although under difficult conditions, the Jewish people have now come home from the four corners of the earth. Two thousand years of dwelling in other people’s lands led to an enormous ethnic, religious and cultural diversity in today’s Israel, often leading to serious internal conflicts on issues such as the military draft, acceptable social norms, and developing a constitution that could be made acceptable to all.
Despite all this, when the people of Israel are under attack, everyone bands together like a family in crisis. All other issues are put to the side, and the welfare and success of their young soldiers in their valiant struggle for the nation’s survival becomes paramount. Teenagers spend much of their time performing voluntary projects, total strangers visit and comfort families who have lost sons or daughters to the fighting and terrorism, and neighbors inquire about the boys and girls who have been wounded in the battles. This sense of caring is widespread among pedestrians in the streets, on the buses and the trains, as well as in the homes.
As much of the world seems unaware, Israel is just a tiny nation of only eight million people in a land area barely the size of New Jersey. So the sense of family is still strong and the desire to help others in times of crisis is unmistakable. From where does that sense of idealism derive? Perhaps it is a protective reaction, or perhaps a rebellious streak responding to a world that has been trying in vain to destroy the Jews for thousands of years. Perhaps it is the optimism of the Biblical Torah, which says that we should always be trying to improve ourselves and to improve the world under God’s leadership.
In any event, the behavior of the average Israeli in times of war provides a positive example for the entire world. The picture of an evil Israel concocted by the Arab and Muslim propaganda machines, which is perpetrated by gullible and biased media around the world, perversely caricatures the real Israel, whose kindness and goodness always shows through in difficult times.
These average Israelis are represented by the dedicated soldiers at the front lines of battle. fighting the good fight for freedom against the Arab and Islamic tsunami, a tyranny that threatens not just Israel, but all of Western civilization. Israel just happens to be the front line. As we all know, Muslim terrorism has now reached the United States, along with England, France, and most other European countries.
Israel’s noble and perpetual stand against these militant and corrupt Muslim forces is indeed today “a Light Unto the Nations.” May the rest of the world soon wake up, stop the policies of appeasement of the Muslims, and join Israel in the warfare, so that the God of Israel may grant us a complete victory!
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Dr. Al Snyder is a former professor of Communications at Liberty University in Virginia and North Greenville University. He has done extensive missionary work in Israel and Africa.