How old is Israel? I guess it depends on whom you are asking. Israel first appears as a name has been around since the time of the Forefathers, approximately 4,000 years ago, when Ya’akov wrestles with the angel and changes his name. Israel as a Kingdom and political entity existed between 920-722 BCE. The People of Israel (Bnei Yisrael), or the Nation of Israel (Am Yisrael) have been terms that have also been used for millennia. But the modern State of Israel only achieved independence a short 56 years ago.
We are in the midst of recovering from the celebrations and commemorations of Yom HaShoah V’hagvura (Holocaust and Heroism Memorial Day), Yom Hazikharon L’Chalalei Tzahal U’Nifgaei Terror (Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror), and soon-to-be-celebrated Yom Yerushalayim (commemorating the 1967 reunification of Jeruaslem). All of these days, mandated by the government of the State of Israel, occur during the traditional period of the 49 days of the Omer between the biblically ordained pilgrimage festivals of Pessach and Shavuot.
For centuries, Jews around the world marched according to ‘Jewish Time,’ observing ancient holidays. Many of these festivals revolved around both the history of Am Yisrael as well as the seasons of the Land of Israel. A major concern was how to determine when the actual festivals began in the Diaspora, as the date of the festivals depends on the sighting of the new moon in the Land of Israel. Long before satellites, computers, E-mail and cellphone, the rabbis decided that many of the festivals should be celebrated over two days, to ensure that they would be celebrated in the Diaspora at the same time as they were being celebrated in the Land of Israel. This practise continues throughout most of the diaspora (some Liberal and Reform communities keep only one day of the major festivals), but outside of Rosh Hashanah, all festivals in Israel occur over only one day.
The modern Israeli festivals were introduced after much debate. How could the new state ‘create Jewish festivals’ centuries after the canonisation of the Bible? Should the modern state of Israel create a separate day of mourning (in addition to the Ninth of Av) for the Shoah? If so, what date should it chose? After heated Knesset debate, it was decided to establish Yom Hashoah V’Hagvura on the 27th of Nissan, in close proximity to the date of the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (which began on the First Evening of Passover in 1943, the 15th of Nissan). Not all sectors of Israeli society – particularly the Ultra-Orthodox – observe this day, which they feel has been created by the Zionist establishment (which they do not recognise) in order to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, with a particular emphasis on their heroism.
What about Yom Ha’atzma’ut? It was clear that the nascent state should institute a birthday for itself. On what day? David Ben Gurion declared Israeli independence on Friday afternoon, April 14, 1948. It was clear that the Hebrew calendar date – the 5th of Iyyar – should be chosen. And how could people celebrate independence without first marking the sacrifice of those who fell defending the country? So, Israel created Memorial Day (Yom Hazikharon) to be observed the day before. In the morning of Yom Hazikharon, people stand at attention for two minutes of silence, visiting dead comrades or relatives at the numerous military cemeteries throughout the country, or participating in a memorial ceremony. That evening, they begin to celebrate independence, dancing and singing in the streets. The next day, hundreds of thousands of Israelis take to the highways and byways of the country, exploring every nook and cranny, path, river, and mountain. This year, record numbers of Israelis visited the tens of Nature Reserves and National Parks. While taking to the ‘great outdoors’ Israelis partake of the unofficial national sport, the Mangal, a portable Barbeque, cooking meat everywhere they go.
The next festival we approach is Yom Yerushalayim, which commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem during the Six Day War. As the separation fence/wall is being constructed, the debate surrounding the future of Jerusalem continues. While many sectors of Israeli society celebrate the reunification of the city as “The Eternal Capital of the Jewish People,” never to be divided, other voices are suggesting that the city still has a largely separate Arab sector, and that it will eventually be divided. Although there is a virtual consensus about the national observance of Yom Hazikharon and Yom Ha’atzma’ut, there is much more debate as to the significance and observance of Yom Yerushalayim.
This debate is connected to the legacy of the Six Day War. The State of Israel is still fighting the Seventh Day of that war – how to relate to Judaea and Samaria/the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and the approximately 3 million Palestinians and 250,000 Jews in these areas. Prime Minister Sharon has recently proposed a unilateral withdrawal of 7,500 Jews in 20 settlements in Gaza (as well as 4 communities in northern Samaria) unilaterally, in the absence of a suitable Palestinian negotiating partner. His initiative was welcomed by American President Bush, as well as by ‘the Quartet,’ (America, the EU, Russia, and the UN), which referred to it as “a rare moment of opportunity in the search for peace in the Middle East”). The proposal, however, was resoundingly rejected by his own Likud Party. The Prime Minister promised that he would take his proposal to the party membership, who rejected the PM’s plan by an almost 2/3 majority in a vote on May 2.
This is a very interesting development. For the first time in Israeli history, a party’s leadership has turned the decision-making power from the elected leaders over to the party. Sharon is now in a very delicate position. He can ignore his constituency (before the vote, he suggested that if his proposal would not pass, it would be seen as a victory for Arafat and Hamas), and continue with what he thinks is the way forward. Or, he can listen to his party members, and remain in Gaza, even though the vast majority of Israelis in public opinion polls have expressed their support for a unilateral withdrawal. Sharon has already had discussions with opposition leaders, including Labour’s Shimon Peres, and Shinui’s Tommy Lapid. The PM has a delicate path to tread, and the coming weeks will be very interesting.
Israel has also been making the headlines in recent weeks with its sporting victories in Europe. Two Israeli basketball clubs – Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv – have recently won two European championships. Although Maccabi has won the European championship a few times previously, it broke a number of records in its victory last week, including the most points scored in a European championship, and the largest point difference in the final. All this only occurred after Maccabi managed to make it into the Final Four playoffs after a miraculous basket scored by Derek Sharpe at the final buzzer! Hapoel is the first Jerusalem sporting club to bring home such an important international trophy. Tens of thousands of Israelis lined the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to celebrate the momentous victories!
So you see, just when you think that everything is the same in Israel, you realise that Israel, a mere 56 years young, continues to make international achievements in the field of sport, and continues to grapple with possible solutions to the current impasse. Although it is such a small and young country, it is very dynamic. The only way to keep up with the constant changes is by following the developments. Check out some of the websites listed below:
www.haaretz.com
www.jpost.co.il
www.israelinsider.co.il
www.israel21c.com