We do the most horrible things to those we love the most.
The Israel we dream of, and love is a song of hope, a land where every grain of sand carries the weight of ancient dreams and future promises. The Israel our hearts long for is an oasis of peace and justice, where democracy blooms like desert flowers after the rain. It is where love for freedom and human dignity is as natural as the air we breathe. In this ideal Israel, every citizen is a poet, and every act of kindness is a verse in an eternal song of harmony.
Yet the honest Israel we face daily is marked by shadows that obscure the light of those dreams. It is a land where fascist monsters and religious zealots, who should be the guardians of faith and morality, betray the love of the majority. They turn the beauty of our ideal into a battlefield where intolerance and hatred plant their venomous roots.
As Dr. Ravit Raufman says, “We do the most horrible things to those we love the most.” This tragic paradox is acutely revealed in our reality. Those we love the most – the very essence of our nation, our promised land – are the ones who suffer the most under the weight of our imperfect and unjust actions. In the name of security and purity, we commit atrocities that destroy the very fabric of our society, moving us away from the principles that should guide us.
Dr. Ravit Raufman’s words echo painfully within Israel’s soul. Reflecting on her insight, we are forced to confront the harsh truth that we often become our worst enemies in our quest for protection and preservation. It is within the intimacy of our love for our land that our flaws become most apparent, revealing the wounds we inflict in the name of a false sense of security. Desperate to protect what we value most, we sacrifice the essence of our highest values.
Theodor Herzl, the father of modern Zionism, said, “If you will it, it is no dream.” The Israel we desire is a land of light where everyone is valued, and every voice is heard. Yet the Israel we face daily is filled with divisions and conflicts, where the voices of the fascist minority and religious extremists drown out the chorus of peace and coexistence. These monsters, in their ideological blindness, ignore the true love the majority has for a just and democratic nation. They turn our dreams into nightmares, imposing a moral debt we must not and cannot bear.
David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding prime minister, stated, “The State of Israel will be judged by the way it treats its weakest citizens.” Our commitment to this promise is a sacred pact that demands courage and integrity. We must resist the winds of hatred that threaten our society and reaffirm our dedication to the principles of justice and equality that are the foundation of our state.
Aharon David Gordon, one of Zionism’s most influential thinkers, taught us that “labor is the essential bond between man and nature.” This bond must also extend to our spiritual and moral work, cultivating a society where mutual respect and solidarity are the most precious harvests.
But we must not resign ourselves. The struggle for the Israel we dream of is a continuous journey, an unending quest for truth and justice. We must challenge the monsters that corrupt our vision and distance ourselves from the extremisms that poison our collective soul. We must reclaim our deep love for our land and fellow citizens, building bridges of understanding and tearing down the walls of hatred.
Israel is more than a land; it is an idea, an ideal transcending time and circumstances. It promises a future where love, freedom, and justice prevail. As Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, said, “Miracles sometimes occur, but one has to work tremendously hard for them.” And so, in the battle between dream and reality, we must be the poets and the warriors, those who, with words and actions, transform darkness into light, redeeming our land and our hearts.
To love Israel is to love truth, justice, and human dignity; this is our mission, legacy, and redemption. It is a commitment that must be renewed with each generation, a promise that we will not stop fighting for the Israel of our dreams until it becomes the reality we all deserve.