Growing Up With Israel Through Its Songs |
“For without victory, there is no survival.” -Winston Churchill, House of Commons (May 13, 1940)
I was born less than two years after Israel. We weren’t classmates, but we grew up together.
Israeli songs were the soundtrack of my life. I sang them in school and in camp. In Shul, we applied their melodies to our prayers. At home, I hummed them to myself.
Israel and I were both born in rough neighborhoods and consequently had to fight to survive.
Every baby’s first battle of survival is their birth. When the state of Israel was first conceived in 1897, 43% of babies died before they turned five.
Both the United States and Israel had to fight for their lives at birth.
Had the United States lost that battle, the Declaration of Independence would today be as forgotten as The Olive Branch, a contemporaneous petition seeking to avoid war, with the same signatories including John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin (rejected by King George III.)
Had Israel lost, the Jews of diaspora would today be paraphrasing the Camelot lyric:
“Ask every person if he’s heard the story. And tell it strong and clear without fail. That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory, called Israel.”
Because they triumphed, the Jews of Israel instead sang The Song of Friendship recalling those who sacrificed their lives for a Jewish state.
Eight years later, 1956, Israel and I both children, Israel is forced into war again. To starve Israel out, Egypt blockades the Suez Canal and Straits of Tiran. Israel is able to capture both the Sinai to open its lifeline, and Gaza to curtail terrorist attacks from there, but the United States and Soviet Union force it to return both. (Spoiler alert: That didn’t work out well.)
Bob Dylan (nee Zimmerman) subsequently sang The Neighborhood Bully:
“(Israel) just lives to survive. (It’s) criticized and condemned for being alive. (It’s) not supposed to fight back. (It’s) supposed to have to thick skin. (It’s) supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in.”
11 years later, 1967, Israel and I both teens, Israel, threatened with annihilation by all three of its contiguous Arab neighbors wins a decisive victory. Post-war-song Tomorrow prays for peace:
“Tomorrow, the army will take its uniform off… Tomorrow, we will use our worships to transport oranges instead.”
Six years later, 1973, Israel and I barely adults, Egypt and Syria succeed in surprising Israel on Yom Kippur, starting another war. Israel counter-attacks and wins. Once again, post-war-song The Last War promises:
“I pledge to you, my young daughter, this will be our last war.” (PS it wasn’t.)
All four wars over that quarter-century had two things in common:
First, international demands for a cease-fire only intensified when Israel gained the upper hand.
Second, more importantly, if Israel lost, it would cease to exist. No second chances. The Arab countries made unequivocally clear their intention to destroy the country in its entirety.
In June 1967, we desperately gleaned the subways with our Pushkas collecting money for Israel, fully cognizant it might not exist in July. In 1973, Prime Minister Golda Meir acknowledged: “If we don’t win, all (Israel) is lost.”
Finally, thank God, the world listened to Israel’s songs:
1979, Israel makes peace with Egypt; 1994, Jordan; 1995, PLO; 2020, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. When I visited Israel in the 60s and 70s, an Israel stamp on my passport meant I couldn’t enter any Arab country (or even Russia.) Post-peace, Dubai became Israel’s popular destination vacation, kosher food and synagogues readily available.
Post-treaty popular song I Was Born for Peace reinforced: “I was born to peace. Let it come!”
Those words were, not coincidentally identical to post-1967 song Oseh Shalom, “Make peace!”
Unfortunately for Israel, surrounded by those who will always aspire to “From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free!”, i.e., its destruction, peace with surrounding nations does not mean an end to war. It continued to be attacked by Hezbollah, intifadas, Gaza (infamously on October 7, 2023) all supported by Iran, with whom Israel went to war in 2026.
The Iranian war coincided with Purim, celebrating Jews’ triumph in Persia, Iran’s former name, commemorated in the song Chag Purim. (It was orchestrated by beautiful Jewish consort Esther convincing the omnipotent ruler of the Jewish cause. 26 centuries later, the role of Esther was possibly played by beautiful convert Ivanka Trump convincing her omnipotent ruler father of the Jewish cause.)
Since Jews will always be the world’s scapegoat for any misfortune, Judeo-hatred will never fully disappear. Israel will always have to protect itself from those seeking its destruction, precisely why its army is named the IDF, Israeli Defense Force.
The critical variable that has changed however, is that Israel’s existence is no longer imperiled.
Where once, buying Israeli bonds was a leap of faith, since the country might not be around to redeem them, now it’s a prudent investment that has never failed to repay purchasers.
I was born with Israel, but Israel will not die with me.
None of my grandparents lived to see the establishment of the country of which they all dreamt. They never lived to sing its songs.
In the space of my lifetime, Israel has evolved from a reverie to a revelation.
My grandchildren, and their grandchildren, and their grandchildren’s grandchildren, will all sing the most important, eternal song of all.
Ahm Yisroel Chai, the nation of Israel continues to live!