They put on a brave face, these souls touched by terror. Whether they have lost a loved one, a neighbor, a colleague, a job, a business or a home, they go about their lives desperate for normalcy and certain of the justness of their country’s fight against terror. Are they Israelis? No, they are New Yorkers.
Spend a little time, as I did over the Passover holiday, around those who live in the New York metropolitan area, and you can’t help but be reminded of Israelis.
Although New Yorkers certainly have not experienced daily terrorist suicide bombings, the aftermath of 9/11 is ubiquitous and deeply imbedded in their psyches. It is a rare home, car, business or lapel that doesn’t sport at least one American flag; local papers continue to run literary portraits of those who died; efforts to repair the physical and psychological damage in the region are far from over; and life will truly never be the same.
Yet for many of us, Israel’s struggle for normalcy in the face of terror seems somewhat “disjointed” right now. As Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House subcommittee on the Middle East, told a packed Long Island synagogue on the last day of Passover, “we feel at a loss right now because the dream of peace is not working, and things seem out of order.”
As Jews, whose Passover seder literally means “order,” we like things to progress the way we thought they would, said Ackerman. “Yet the Palestinian Authority is not working — its leadership doesn’t lead its people toward a better future.
“Where is their Gandhi? Their Martin Luther King, Jr.? Where are the millions of dollars that have poured into the P.A.? Where are their schools, their justice system or their transportation infrastructure? Where is the promise of Oslo?”
“We feel like the fourth son,” said Ackerman, “who doesn’t even know what questions to ask at this point.”
As uncomfortable as we may be with the “disorder” in what we thought would be, Ackerman believes that it is necessary so that order (i.e., security) once again will be restored to Israel.
“Israel must be allowed to do what any other country, including the United States, would do in the face of suicide bombings on her streets. And we must be vocal in helping her do that by contacting the White House and urging President Bush not to give in to unfair demands for restraint.”
Ackerman, of course, spoke the same day that President Bush, under pressure from European and Middle Eastern leaders, began his call for an end to what Israel calls Operation Defensive Shield, its campaign to sweep terrorism from the West Bank. Yet Ackerman’s call for advocacy for Israel is even more urgent now that Secretary of State Colin Powell is in the Mideast, meeting with Arab leaders who have yet to denounce suicide bombers as terrorists.
Like New Yorkers, most Israelis have few doubts about the justness of their country’s fight against terror. Weekend polls in a number of Israeli newspapers indicated that anywhere from 62-72 percent of the country currently supports Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In addition, so many reservists reportedly showed up for duty that many had to be turned away (this in a country where reserve duty has been considered the province of “suckers”).
We here in Milwaukee also face the challenge of standing up to terror in the days ahead by being as supportive of Israel as are Israelis, and as certain as they are that Israel has the right to protect its citizens. One important way to do this is to contact our elected officials at all levels, repeatedly, to insist that Israel’s right to security not be compromised.
Most important, for the immediate future, we must turn out, en masse — grandparents, parents and children — for next week’s community Solidarity Walk for Israel, which leaves the Karl Jewish Community Campus at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17. The walk is our chance to join Jews worldwide to show Israel and the general community that we stand together, and that terror’s evil has no countenance — whether it strikes in New York, or in Jerusalem.
For more information on the Walk for Israel, contact the JCC at 414-967-8217 or Israel shaliach Nir Barkin at 414-390-5705.
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