Gary Cooperberg, May 1, 2006

Once again we have come to the time of year which reminds us of the incredible miracle that is the State of Israel. First comes Memorial Day to honor the memory of Jewish soldiers who gave their lives so that we can have a country. Then, in a most amazing transformation, on the following night we raise the Jewish flag from half-mast to full mast and, in a brief moment we change our sadness and mourning to happiness and rejoicing. I don’t believe that any other country has such a unique ceremony as this.

In Israel, it must be remembered, we are more than just a national entity. This country is the beginning of fulfillment of Jewish prophesy and part and parcel of the Biblical destiny of our people. Our Independence Day is more than a national celebration. It is a religious celebration where we recite Hallel to thank G-d for the incredible miracles He wrought in order to bring about the beginning of the restoration of our ancient homeland.

Clearly there is much more yet to come. We have a Divine role to fulfill and we seem far from being able to do so. How can we even think to become a light unto the nations when our leaders continue to bask in the shadow of our enemies? How is it that complete strangers, people who call themselves Christian Zionists, read our Bible and can see clearly that this nation is the work of the Hand of our G-d, while our entire Knesset cannot see this?

Although things appear more than bleak in the wake of Sharon’s precedent-setting expulsion of Jews from our own Land, and the prospect of his protege seeking to continue this madness, we must not fall prey to our own fear. No power on Earth is capable of stopping the process of Jewish Redemption. Not even the Israeli government has the power to destroy this nation. . . as hard as it may try to do so. G-d has decreed our future and nothing can change it. Our entire modern history is replete with "irreversible" mistakes decreed by our so called leaders. Yet in spite of mistakes which, in any normal country, would have doomed us to destruction, we have consistently seen an overall process of growth and improvement! We have won wars which even our military leaders thought we would lose. Even as the threat of further expulsions hangs over our heads we continue to build and develop our communities in Judea and Samaria and more Jews are living in these areas than ever before.

This country has always grown and prospered in spite of our leaders, not because of them. So when we celebrate our miraculous return to our homeland, it most certainly has absolutely no connection to the political leadership in this country. That leadership is disconnected from the Redemptive process and totally irrelevant to the true meaning of this day. While clearly there are political elements in the celebration, no Prime Minister can hijack our day of Thanksgiving to our Creator. We get the leaders we deserve, and as such we must all do some soul searching. We must dedicate our lives to serving our G-d and demonstrating our complete faith that He will continue to pour His Grace upon us as we strive to do His Will with a pure heart. All the adversities we face are of our own creation and come to test our faith in Him. With all the miracles we have been privileged to witness in this era, we should not need to rely on faith. We have very real proof! Just as the night is darkest right before dawn, the chilling threats being placed upon us by our own government are but further proof that redemption is closer than ever. May we all be privileged to witness a speedy one.

Gary Cooperberg, a resident of the Jewish community in Hebron, Israel, is the founder and director of Project Shofar.

Copyright © 2006 Gary Cooperberg