From the Editor

Israel at 50

Paul Johnson, historian and author of the monumental History of the Jews, gets it just right when he calls Israel a miracle.

Although one among many nations which gained independence in the aftermath of World War II, Israel alone is an exemplary democracy, an advanced nation whose cultural, social, scientific, and economic institutions rank among the world's finest. It is a nation reborn out of the ashes of genocide, a haven whose ingathering of hundreds of thousands of refugees is one of the most epic accomplishments of the century.

Thousands upon thousands of Jews who suffered torture, starvation, dislocation, and the mind numbing apathy of the Western world came home to Israel. They were welcomed, clothed, housed, counseled, and rehabilitated after their visit to the hells of the Holocaust, after centuries in Arab nations where they were taunted and persecuted, after living in fear and sorrow in every corner of the Diaspora; they were brought home. They donned the uniforms of a Jewish army and fought like lions against terrible odds. And, they won.

They won in spite of grudging good wishes from Western nations such as the United States, and downright duplicity from Great Britain. They won, and for a brief and shining moment in Jewish history, all Jews were one--basking in the pride of statehood and a return to their historic, religious and legitimate home. Those of us who were around on those fateful days, when the United Nations counted votes and conferred independence and recognition to the Jewish state, still get goosebumps at the contemplation of those heady days.

The thrill of our first visit still occurs every time the airplane approaches for landing. And, there is still the wonderful feeling of an unbroken link with our patriarchs when we visit Hebron and the Cave of Machpelah, or view the Western Wall, or Rachel's tomb, the paths of Jericho, and the Judean hills. There is the awe that so much was accomplished in such a short time, the respect for young men and women who continue to serve in the army with pride and determination, the fun of cafe life in the cities, the daunting silence of nights in the desert, and the knowledge that Israel is home for all Jews.

Even as we celebrate, however, we are reminded that while Israel justly celebrates fifty years of dazzling accomplishments, the will to defend the state seems to be ebbing. There is a sense that Israelis have lost their resolve and their grit. One prays that this is simply a mid-life blip, an aberration.

One reality that all Jews must face is the fact that all the concert halls, museums, hospitals, universities, and parks that Israelis are so proud of, are seen merely as targets by Arabs whose hatred has only been intensified by Israel's appeasement at Oslo.

Titans With Small Ideas

The Wall Street Journal on May 4, 1998, under the heading of "Religion"featured an article by Lisa Miller entitled "Titans of Industry Join Forces for Jewish Philanthropy." Among the titans are Steven Spielberg, Michael Steinhardt, a bagel tycoon named Marvin Lender, Lester Crown, described as a billionaire and part owner of the Chicago Bulls, and Edgar Bronfman Sr., the chairman of Seagram, who describes one of their goals as "We want to make it cool to be Jewish."

Apparently they keep a low profile, and permit only members who are recommended by existing members--a fraternity of sorts. The initiation rites are an annual meeting of two days where they wrestle with Jewish problems. Miss Miller states that as the Holocaust "recedes in time, if not in memory, and Israel becomes a more ambiguous symbol, Americans are losing some major reasons to identify themselves as Jews" and this is what drives the titans to their self-appointed task.

How Israel has become an "ambiguous" symbol escapes us, particularly since among the putative solutions to the loss of Jewish identity, Steinhardt and Bronfman include a very worthy scholarship program which will help send "any young Jew born on the planet" to Israel. Other worthy goals are Jewish education projects, summer camps and campus outreach programs.

Their motivation is pure, and their concerns genuine. After all, busy tycoons don't have to find time for these problems, and furthermore, all of them enjoy excellent reputations among secular philanthropies. What seems amiss to us is the fact that so many of them have openly embraced policies, which are suicidal for Israel. And, they seem to miss the point that a strong Israel is the only guarantor of Jewish continuity. There is no

(Continued on p.10)

Outpost               - 2 -               June 1998