It seems a day hardly passes anymore where we don’t see some news report about an attempt to delegitimize the State of Israel – sometimes through governments and sometimes through people. Occasionally we encounter them in the streets, sometimes we see them on our television screens, and on our smartphones or computers – they seem to be everywhere. They’re always shouting and angry. Besides the violence they often resort to, language is their main weapon – language designed purposely to be inflammatory against Jews and Israel. But these actions are not just limited to the mobs, who often end up having running street battles with the police, it’s also a great mass of people who somehow think getting on the “peace train” means destroying the State of Israel. They use terms like “illegal occupation” and “resistance” and “oppression”, but for every one of their slanderous statements, we too have our own responses.
So to them I’d like to say the following:
When you shout about occupied land, I’ll tell you about our liberated homeland.
When you scream of colonial occupiers, I’ll be right there showing you our returning residents.
When your face goes purple as the words Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions below out of them – I’ll be sitting in my armchair eating an Israeli pickle saying Build, Develop and Succeed!
When tears roll down your face as you yell the word oppression, I’ll simply be looking around at people practising their own beliefs without intimidation – and replying freedom.
When your fists pump the air with the shouts of Alu Akhbar, I’ll be dancing the hora singing Am Israel Chai.
And when you say militant resistance, I’ll be looking at the hurt and tears and blood and quietly saying with steely resolve: terrorism.
When you look at stabbing attacks and say it’s a response to “occupation”, I’ll be looking at the same attack and saying it’s a response to incitement.
When you dare to say we have no history, I’ll point to the abundance of archaeological evidence and say 3000 years of it.
You can shout Je suis Charlie, but I’ll shout I am a Jew.
And while you want to see Israel weakened, I’ll want it strengthened even more.
You like to shout about your victimhood, while I too like to shout – about our nationhood.
So you can call on the Hague, but I’ll be calling on the Hurva.
And you can proclaim freedom, justice and human rights, but I’ll tell you that it’s already here.
You can continue on your path of reaping the fields of destructions – while I prefer to plant the seeds of hope.
But I too believe in the end of the occupation – but it is the occupation of the mind that I’m referring to. It is the obsession with demonizing the only democracy in the Middle East. It is the occupation of the resources of people and governments with criticising the target of terror rather than the terrorists themselves. It is the obsession with demonstrating against the only country in the region that actually practises the very thing these protestors say they hold dear, like human rights, dignity and freedom.
Even a UN translator rightly pointed out this hypocrisy at one of the many sessions condemning Israel when she was heard saying, “no one says anything about the other stuff”.
Well, to those obsessed with destroying Israel and the Jewish people, know this:
For every arrow of arrogance you fire, you’ll be met with the Shield of David.
For every lie you launch, the Iron Dome system of the Jewish people will knock it down.
For every rampage you unleash, will be met not with fury, but determination and resolve.
And for every bit of pain you cause, our joy will eventually surpass it.
There are some things in life that are destructible and can be destroyed, but there are also some things in life that can’t.
The Nation of Israel is one of them.
