‘On the land, in the air, on the sea, and …’

The text of prayers are a deep part of our tradition. At what point should they be changed or “upgraded” to reflect changes in circumstance?

Congregations around the world recite the prayer for the IDF, following a standard form composed by former Chief Rabbi of the IDF, Rabbi Shlomo Goren, in 1956:

“He Who blessed our forefathers … may He bless the fighters of the IDF, who stand guard over our land … from the border of … unto the approach of the Aravah, … בַּיַּבָּשָׁה בָּאֲוִיר וּבַיָּם – on the land, in the air, and on the sea. …”

This last phrase notes the three common branches of armies: infantry, air force and navy, which engage with our enemies on land, in the air, and at sea.

But in recent times, new fronts in the war against us have opened up, and this has led me to start adding another place where we engage in war: בסייבר – in cyberspace.

Israel has been fighting the war on this front for many years. The Greek dramatist Aeschylus first said that “in war, the first casualty is truth”. Media reporting on a conflict through the fog of war is difficult at any time. Nowadays, media has been reshaped – through the democratization of social media, and the increased partisanship of so-called mainstream media – to the extent that it has become an important new front in any war.

On this front, Israel battles not just for her physical safety, but indirectly for the safety of Jews around the world. The front itself is digital media which extends into the court of public opinion, forums such as the UN, the International Court of Justice, and the NGO world. In Australia, the left-leaning media accept the word of the Gaza Ministry of Health as gospel, and questions everything coming from the IDF and the government.

So just like we pray for the success of the IDF’s air force, so should we pray for its cyber divisions, and other government agencies who battle in the cyber front. Their role in what has become a global war against Israel and Jews, will only grow.

Considering this further, the cyber front of this war is actually much broader. Anyone active on social media is – like it or not – another soldier in this war.

But unlike in an army, where there is a strategy, and command & control to implement it, we online “lone soldiers” are largely operating on our own. Not only do we not have strategic guidance from leadership, we differ in our own views of the conflict! In that, we are often our own worst enemies. This is hardly a way to fight an effective campaign, especially if our enemies are very clear and consistent in their messaging, and find allies and useful idiots in the neo-Marxist and anticolonialist Left.

It’s time for this broader online “army of the people” to work more closely together on consistent messaging, and quell our internal bickering. We need to seek out our own allies amongst the silent majority, and empower them to speak up on our behalf.

We are all fighting the war in this new front, and we need all the help we can get!

May God cause the online haters who rise up against us to be struck down. May He preserve and rescue our online fighters from trouble and distress, may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor, and may truth prevail in a world of falseness.

And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: “For it is Hashem, your God, who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you”, and let us say Amen.