Tears of… Joy?

The sound of sirens in the air.

Last week, to remember the Holocaust and the murder of millions of people simply for being Jewish – and for having nowhere else to go. Today, to remind ourselves of the sacrifice of so many in order to  have a Jewish state of our own, a haven but also a flourishing homeland.

The tears – they came quickly this time, faster than I remember, as soon as the siren began. Because just as quickly, four Israeli Defense Forces planes flew overhead in formation, while the entire country stood still. The bright blue sky and birds overhead were the backdrop for this simple act – of remembrance, or some would say of defiance.

Four planes in formation, flying across the entire small country that we call our own – announcing to ourselves, at the exact moment of remembrance, that we are here. And we aren’t going anywhere.

A visiting Congressmen reminded me of that recently. Upon viewing the Ashkelon power plant, the IDF commander in charge of Iron Dome commented ironically that while Israel provides 80% of Gaza’s electricity through this plant, it remains the target of Arab shelling from Gaza. And still, we do not pull the plug.

Esteemed political friends in DC have advised us to tell our adversaries: We won. Get over it. And do what you must, to protect Israel. And we shall. We will do so with the utmost of morality, at times perhaps exaggerated, and we will be here each year on Israel’s Remembrance Day to send our IDF planes flying over in an act of defiant peace. That is our legacy and that is what we give our children on this day.

Watch our tears – for they are tears of sorrow, certainly, but they are also tears of defiance and the resolve to do what we must to defend our country and to be a Jewish homeland forever.

Tomorrow is our Independence Day. We mark Israel’s birthday with gratitude to God and to those who have given their lives for us to be here. Join us in thanks and celebration.

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