As we emerge from Simchat Torah and Shabbat Bereshit a few days from now, many have the custom to say the words v’Yaacov holech ldarcho ויעקב הלך לדרכו, meaning “And Jacob went on his way”. The sentiment being that the extraordinary celebrations and festive emotions of the past few weeks have elevated our worldly outlook, and we should not lapse back to the regularity of our day to day routine as it was before Rosh Hashana. Instead, we should maintain the impetus of our festive season and carry forward with a higher level of awareness and commitment.
We all know that Simchat Torah this year will be a little daunting and sombre, as the one year anniversary on the Hebrew calendar of the barbaric massacre by Hamas. Our community in Perth is gathering to place a Yizkor between Mincha and Maariv. Much like the transition of Yom Hazikaron to Yom Haatzmaut, we will mourn, and then we will dance again. With great fervour and unity.
Changing Momentum
Future objective observers of history will look back on the period of the past few months with great awe and note it as a turning point in Jewish history, as well as the commencement of a geopolitical shift in world history.
It started in June when Israel finally withstood immense political pressure to enter Rafah and strike at the heart of Hamas leadership. This was closely followed by the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on 31 July in the heart of the Iranian Capital. Then came the scarcely believable pager attack against Hizbollah, followed by the entire elimination of Hizbollah’s leadership including Narsallah, and during this week’s Succot festival, the elimination of Hamas leader Sinwar.
In short, following a prolonged period of slow progress, Israel is now winning this war it did not start, by using deterrence as the only language that terrorists understand.
Furthermore, the context of events is nothing short of miraculous. Tens of thousands of missiles have been shot out of the air, including ballistic rockets. There have been very few casualties in Israel and relatively few non-combatant casualties in Gaza (don’t believe the figures supplied by Hamas to the media). In recent weeks Israel has destroyed the vast majority of Hizbollah weapons (including those stored in civilian homes), removed their funding, and neutralised an existential threat. Despite the very justified anxiety amongst Israeli’s who are constantly running into shelters and sending their soldiers into tunnels, Israel has been spared mass casualties due to its stunning defensive and offensive capabilities.
Looking Ahead
This time last year we entered Simchat Torah unaware of the tragedy about to unfold. This year, we are all too aware of how the world has changed. How tyranny has destroyed the immediate prospect of peace, how supressed anti-Semitism has been unleashed, and how inept Australian politics (both foreign affairs and domestic social policy) has become.
With the current situation at a critical juncture, and noting this war is far from over, what will Simchat Torah be like for us this time next year? What will it be like in five or ten years from now?
Locally, we can envisage a further strengthening of the Perth Jewish community in a number of ways. Our relationship to Israel, its people and organisations will continue to become closer. Aliyah will increase. We will continue to see the growing trend of marginally affiliated Jewish people becoming more active in the community and more interested in expressing their own Jewish identity.
It is however the strength of Israel that will be the most notable change. Israel’s population is projected to double from 10 to 20 million people in the next 25 years. The economic and geopolitical emergence of Israel as a global technological superpower will continue to materialise. (As an aside, compare this growth trajectory to Australia, with a population of nearly 27 million people and 350 times geographically larger than Israel which has a projected increase of only 13 million people over the next 40 years.)
With closure on the fate of the hostages, hopefully the release of all those still alive, the rebuilding of Gaza will commence.
The first critical element will be the provision of aid to the people of Gaza. At this point in time the UN and its useful idiots, including Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, continue to accuse Israel of preventing aid from reaching the people of Gaza. Currently Israel has evidenced that Hamas continues to steal aid and fuel and resells it to finance its activity and maintain control. However, this will radically change. News reports show that discussions are already underway to approve US security company GDC to distribute aid in northern Gaza. The company specialises in war and disaster zones having gained experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. According to the report, GDC plans to establish humanitarian bubbles in Gaza. The IDF will be tasked with “clearing” any such bubble of terrorists and erecting a separation wall to prevent further infiltration. Solutions such as this will emerge as alternatives to UNRWA (complicit in terrorism, yet still the recipient of Australian taxpayer revenue).
So too the educational and medical infrastructure of Gaza will be restored. This will be an international exercise, but finally donor funds will go towards building social infrastructure and not get diverted to build terrorist infrastructure or indoctrinate young minds towards “Jihad and martyrdom” and the destruction of Israel. Governance will emerge through the growth of leadership that is able to bring true coexistence to the table. It may take a generation to achieve, but stability can follow the eradication of terrorism. Through IDF oversight and private sector alternatives, aid, reconstruction and reform can restore Gaza and areas of Palestinian Territory to the self-governance of Palestinian residents. If successful, Palestinian Statehood could follow. However, Hamas and other terrorist regimes will never control this land again.
Similarly, it remains untenable for UNIFUL to remain part of the solution in southern Lebanon after their longstanding failure to enforce UN resolution 1701 (forbidding Hizbollah to operate south of the Litani River, and more recently having been exposed for accepting monetary bribes from HIzbollah. It is equally untenable for UNRWA to maintain operations, or to fund intergenerational and perpetual refugee status for Palestinians.
It is my hope that by Simchat Torah next year we will be free of conflict and the world will better understand Israel, both in terms of its military resilience and projected values of optimism and hope.
Like Yaacov, whose name is also Israel, we will continue on our way. But we know for sure that we cannot and will not return to the way we were. Israel, with enhanced support and involvement from its Diaspora will write the next chapter in the history of the Jewish people with strength and pride. It will be based on traditional Jewish values and uncompromising morality, all stemming from our experience of the past year, of facing and overcoming adversity, and reclaiming our unity.
Chag Sameach