75 reasons for optimism

As Israel celebrates 75 years since its independence amid trying times of unrest, the crisis facing the country carries an incredible opportunity for our nation. Here are 75 reasons why I am optimistic about the future of Israel:

1. I am optimistic because we established a homeland by miracle, in the desert and on an “island” surrounded by hostile neighbors, and since then have built and strengthened our country for 75 years.
2. I am optimistic because, as someone who works in the hi-tech/biotech sector, I can honestly say that the “Startup Nation” is a real phenomenon.
3. I am optimistic because Israeli science and innovation continues to drive breakthroughs in all sectors in academia and industry at a global scale.
4. I am full of pride to see our biotech sector continuing to grow stronger and emerge as a new national economic growth engine.
5. I am optimistic when I see hi-tech and biotech leaders and colleagues such as Moshe Radman and many, many others who are dedicating their precious time to fight for Israel.
6. I am proud that the leaders of the hi-tech and biotech industries are not standing idle in this effort and are making their voices heard and count.
7. I am optimistic that in recent months millions of Israelis have stood up and made clear that we love Israel, and we will defend our country vigorously as a democratic and Jewish state.
8. I am optimistic seeing the nation take to the streets. Yelling. Marching. Coming together around the idea of a new national narrative for Israel.
9. I am full of hope because just as we Israelis join the defense forces and do reserve duty, we are showing the willingness to defend our country from internal threats as well.
10. I am full of hope because we are seeing now that the People of Israel will not make the mistakes of our ancestors who sought to replace the Judges with Kings. Israel is saying the opposite – our country will never be a Kingdom.
11. I am filled with hope that finally, we have developed a new founding idea for Israel. An agenda for our country and vision for our next 75 years and beyond.
12. I am full of hope because that vision for our country will always be based on our Israeli Declaration of Independence from 75 years ago.
13. I am optimistic because we rediscovered our wonderfully accurate Declaration of Independence.
14. I am optimistic because we re-claimed our Israeli flag.
15. I am optimistic because we re-connected with our national symbols.
16. I am optimistic because our nation stood up and pronounced that we will no longer only be defined by right or left.
17. I am full of confidence and hope because we will no longer allow hate-mongers to divide and depress us.
18. I am full of pride because we will continue to take to the streets and fight for our independence and our right as Israelis to live freely in our country.
19. I am optimistic because I love our country and our people will always be free to live here in Israel, in Zion, with Jerusalem as our eternal capital.
20. I am optimistic because a new generation of leaders is emerging from our people.
21. I am optimistic because this is not a group of political aristocrats. These are not political hacks who have forgotten who and what they serve. These are normal Israelis that have contributed to our society and commit to continuing to do so. We are the people we have waited for!
22. I am optimistic because they and we all have shown willingness to take responsibility for our nation.
23. I am optimistic when I watch Dr. Shikma Bressler hold her head high and wave the Israeli flag.
24. I am optimistic because despite the coalition having 64 seats in the Knesset, it is clear by any poll that they have lost the mandate from the people for their judicial overhaul.
25. I am optimistic because Israelis have pronounced loud and clear that we voted for a government, not a kingdom. We voted for parties, not kings.
26. I am optimistic because more than 200,000 voters for the current coalition have joined this call.
27. I am optimistic because that includes over 100,000 Likud voters.
28. I am optimistic because I have news for you – we will not lose this fight for democracy. I am 100% sure of that.
29. I am optimistic because there is no chance that we will let this coalition ruin the Israeli hi-tech industry which is responsible for over 65% of the national tax income.
30. I am optimistic because there is no chance that we will let this coalition ruin the strategic partnership with the United States.
31. I am optimistic because there is no chance that we will let this coalition isolate Israel diplomatically from the world.
32. I am optimistic because there is no chance that we will let this coalition drive our credit rating down.
33. I am optimistic because there is no chance that we will let this coalition ruin the concept of the people’s Israel Defense Forces.
34. I am full of hope because the amazing the answer to “who are we?” is that it is us, Israelis. Patriots. Israelis that contribute, pay taxes and serve in the army. And you have fallen on the wrong generation with your overhaul plans.
35. I am optimistic because when we came out in the tens to protest and around us they wondered why, we came back later in the hundreds.
36. I am optimistic because when we protested in the hundreds for democracy, and the coalitions media blowhards mocked us, we came back in the thousands.
37. I am optimistic because when we protested in the thousands and the thugs threatened us, we came back in the tens of thousands.
38. I am optimistic because when we protested against the threat of tyranny in the tens of thousands, and the coalition tried to shrug us off with empty promises, we came back in the hundreds of thousands.
39. I am optimistic because now that we are protesting in the hundreds of thousands against the coalitions attempt for a swift judicial overhaul, we are consistent and strong in our beliefs and will not stand down.
40. I am optimistic because if – heaven forbid – the coalition continues with its plans for judicial overhaul in the new parliamentary session, the hundreds of thousands will turn into millions of Israelis in the streets.
41. I am optimistic because we all are aligned on one statement: The State of Israel comes first. A Jewish and Democratic Israel is above all, and we will not allow our state to be destroyed.
42. I am full of hope because the memorial days in recent weeks have reminded us all how important a Jewish and Democratic State of Israel is.
43. I am full of hope because these weeks serve as a reminder to us of how much we are all willing to sacrifice for the country to fight threats – external and internal.
44. I am full of hope because our protests are not just against tyranny. They are not just against Bibi. They are not just against the plans of Minister Levin, MK Rotman and the horrific Kohelet Forum. They are not just “anti” anything. Our protests are “for”, are positive and in support of. Our protests are in favor of a Jewish and Democratic State of Israel.
45. I am full of hope because the emerging democratic Israeli political base now knows what our vision is for Israel for the next 75 years and beyond. A Jewish, democratic, liberal state of Israel, thriving and encompassing all that can serve as a light unto nations in the spirit of our Declaration of Independence.
46. I am full of hope because that is the vision that has fueled the Zionist movement for 150 years to bring Jews from all over the world back to establish our homeland.
47. I am full of hope because in that vision we established the State of Israel, made the desert bloom, built a thriving economy and hi-tech industry and so much more.
48. I am full of hope because it is for that vision that millions of Jews made Aliyah to Israel from all over the globe, like my family did from the US 30 years ago.
49. I am full of hope because in this vision we have succeeded with inclusion of significant minority groups in Israel.
50. I am full of hope because this is the vision that binds our people and nation have rallied around to win numerous “Ein Brera” wars of necessity for Israel’s survival.
51. I am full of hope because this is the vision that binds our people and nation together to defend our country from threats – external and internal.
52. I am full of hope because this is the vision that binds our people in Israel and the Diaspora to combat the vicious antisemitism that has always reared its ugly head with us throughout the ages.
53. I am full of hope because this is the vision that binds our nation with our Jewish brothers and sisters abroad. It is utterly uplifting to see how our Diaspora brethren have shown us that they are with us in this struggle to defend Israeli democracy!
54. I am full of hope because this is the vision for which we have all been willing to make great sacrifices for, and we will continue to be willing to do for Israel to remain a Jewish and Democratic state.
55. I am optimistic because we are here, standing on guard, on watch.
56. I am optimistic because as we remember and salute our Declaration of Independence, we will also fight to pass a constitutional Basic Law of The Declaration of Independence.
57. I am optimistic because this is a constitutional moment we are living in. A historical moment we will all remember decades from now and look back on, remembering the burden we now carry on our shoulders. This is a burden we carry with pride. A burden we carry every Saturday night, at every protest, at every opportunity.
58. I am optimistic because it is this moment which we will remember decades from now and tell our children and grandchildren with pride that we did everything we could to protect Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
59. I am optimistic because my conscience will be clear. The conscience of hundreds of thousands of Israelis will be clear that they stood on watch to protect Israel for generations to come.
60. I am optimistic because even though there are many that we will remember how they cowered from the moment they forgot their oath. To them we say it’s not too late to do the right thing!
61. I am optimistic because even though there are many that do agree with us but stay silent as the “fourth son who forgot how to ask” in order to not risk angering the powers that be, we say – now is the time to speak up!
62. I am optimistic especially because our people are great. Banded together in this cause. Contributing. Loving. Democratic. And know exactly what we’re all fighting for.
63. I am optimistic because we are fighting for democracy, and we all know that with democracy there is more security, more prosperity and more freedom.
64. I am optimistic because as the “People of the Book” we are fighting for equality, since all men and women were created in the G-d’s image.
65. I am optimistic because our fight for democracy is already serving as a light unto nations. Many nations around the world look at us with envy how we refuse to give in to tyrany.
66. I am optimistic because in the next election we will no longer allow the hate mongers to divide us with empty hate-filled statements.
67. I am optimistic because in the next election we will no longer allow the demagogues to cynically divide us with empty terms of right and left.
68. I am optimistic because in the next election the main question will be whether one supports Israel as a Jewish and Democratic state or as a theocratic autocratic state.
69. I am optimistic because I am a Jew who’s Jewish identity matters to me, and that brought our family to Israel 30 years ago, to the only country where Jews can emigrate freely, and that we are not going to allow the extremists to monopolize the definition of what it means to be a Jew.
70. I am optimistic because after serving six years as an officer in the military and many more in the reserves, many know like me that it is a privilege to serve. In the army. In national civilian service – a privilege we should all benefit from.
71. I am optimistic because we have reminded ourselves what we’ve taken for granted for too long. That it is not enough to serve, to pay taxes, to innovate, to build families. We know now that we have to make our voices heard in between elections and to maximize our votes in the ballot boxes to ensure they are counted.
72. I am optimistic because we’ve been awakened. We will no longer allow the coalition to pass its current overhaul plans. The plans which as Minister Levin said himself are just “stage 1” and likely to be followed by further stages to take over the election committee, process and voting system to ensure that our voices are never heard equally.
73. I am optimistic because our votes and voices will be heard!
74. I am optimistic because we are all here. Hundreds of thousands and more. Dedicating from our time. Every week. Sometimes all week, just to say as our anthem Hatikva goes: Our hope has not been lost, the hope of two thousand years, to be a free nation in our land, in Israel, in Zion, in Jerusalem
75. I am optimistic because “Am Israel Chai!”