Arlene Kushner | June 29, 2026
David Ben-Gurion reads the Declaration of Independence at the State Declaration ceremony on May 14, 1948 in front of the microphones of the recording company “Zion” – the two largest microphones identical. Photo by Rudi Weissenstein – Public Domain, Wikipedia
I am asked by readers what I think the outcome is going to be, with regard to Israel, the US and Iran/Hezbollah. While there is a great deal I cannot speak to with any authority, I believe there are factors we should pay close attention to as we look for answers.
These are historical factors, which are often ignored. Consider:
In 1948, the international community across the board did not support the establishment of a sovereign Jewish state. And yet, David Ben Gurion, on 14 May 1948, in a move that required enormous strength and determination, declared the independence of Israel.
https://www.jta.org/archive/full-text-of-israels-proclamation-of-independence-issued-in-tel-aviv
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The surrounding states of the Arab League – Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt – went to war against the new Jewish state on that very same day. Four hostile nations with standing armies, determined to finish Israel at her inception. Israel had a population of not much more than 600,000 or 700,000 Jews at that point, some of whom were survivors of the Shoah. With it all, they struggled with a scarcity of weapons.
And yet, yet Israel won that War of Independence.
A truly astounding feat.
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Just short of 20 years later, Israel found herself at war again, battling a combined Egyptian and Syrian force after Egypt blockaded the Strait of Tiran to all Israeli shipping and demanded the removal of UN peacekeepers from the Sinai. These were acts of war to which Israel responded.
Once again Israel achieved an astounding victory, and this time in six days. The entire Egyptian air force was demolished before its planes took off. Jordan, which had been advised by Israel to stay out of the fighting, was lured in by Egypt. As a result, in the ensuing fighting Israel was able to liberate the Old City of Jerusalem – the site of the Temple Mount and Kotel – which Jordan had annexed illegally after the War of Independence. In fact, all of Judea & Samaria, the very heart of ancient Israel, was liberated from Jordan, and the Golan – which was held by Syria – was taken, as well. As was the Sinai (which was ultimately returned to Egypt as part of a peace agreement).
Apparently military institutes still study this war. They find it difficult to understand the extent of Israel’s achievements.
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Six years later, on Yom Kippur, Israel was stunned by a surprise attack by Egypt and Syria. There are military analysts who maintain that Israel’s victory in this war was even more astounding in military terms than the Six Day war.
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But Israel’s astounding achievements are not limited to the military. Not by any means.
We have grown from those 600,000 to 700,000 Israeli Jews in 1948, to some 7.5 million Israeli Jews today, out of a population of roughly 10 million. We are approaching the point at which the majority of Jews in the world will live in Israel.
Across the years, but most significantly in the early years, Israel has absorbed Jews from other countries – very frequently because they were pushed out or fled from persecution. Some, mainly from N. America and Europe, have of course come by choice – making aliyah because they were drawn to life in Israel and wanted to call it home. (Sadly, we know that Jews may start coming from the US and Europe also because they must flee anti-Semitism. To some degree this is already true.)
In all, Israel has absorbed more immigrants relative to her population than any other nation in the world. They have come from over 100 countries and regions – from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe – speaking some 15 living languages as well as a variety of dialects.
Israeli Jews have a variety of skin colors, and over the years we see blending of colors and cultures through marriage. I, an American-born, Ashkenazi Jew, see it in my own family – my daughter-in-law is of Syrian extraction, and one granddaughter is now engaged to a man of Yemenite heritage. All cause for rejoicing.
What we are experiencing is the ingathering of the exiles (kibbutz galuyot), a unique situation in the world. There has been no other people who were dispersed for an exceedingly long time and then returned to their original homeland. Such people absorb into the population amongst which they have been living.
But the Jews, dispersed for 2,000 years in different places, are coming home. We learn about this in Deuteronomy 30:3-5.
“…then, the Lord, your God, will bring back your exiles and He will have mercy upon you. He will once again gather you from all the nations, where the Lord, your God, had dispersed you.
“Even if your exiles are at the end of the heavens, the Lord, your God, will gather you from there, and He will take you from there.”
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At the same time that Israel was doing this absorption, and fighting her enemies, she was also engaged in the monumental task of developing into a first world nation. That accomplishment has been stunning.
Israel, in the vernacular, punches above her weight. Way above! Considering the size of her population and the difficulties with which she must cope, her achievements have been astounding. Israelis have advanced highly significant innovations in medicine, technology, agriculture and a great deal more. Her rate of literacy is exceedingly high (higher than that of the US). Her contributions in scholarship are many. Israelis account for a disproportionate number of Nobel Prize recipients.
Israel, in short, is a marvel.
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There is in truth only one way to account for this: Israel is blessed with protection from Above.
This does not mean we never have to struggle with major problems. It means that in the end we will remain on this Land, which is where we are meant to be, and we will grow ever stronger. That is an important point: we will not simply “survive,” we will become greater.
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When I say to friends and acquaintances that “We are going to be OK,” the response I invariably get is, “Of course!”
And that is the other source of our extraordinary strength: The faith and perseverance and determination of the people of Israel.
Even in our recent time of war, Israel was counted among the ten happiest nations of the world. How could that be? Because we have a sense of a larger purpose and our lives have meaning.
Quite frankly, I am often astounded when I see the courage and resilience of our people, especially the younger generation. We know that we are fighting evil – and that evil must be destroyed, not bargained with. We know, in fact, that we are fighting not just on our own behalf, but on behalf of a world that is clueless.
There is pain, and there is suffering. No one takes it lightly. But we do what must be done and look forward to better days.
Israel has a higher birth rate than any other first world country. Some European countries are not even reproducing themselves. The Jewish birth rate here in Israel is somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.1. This reflects a hope for the future. What was amazing was that during the war, the birth rate actually increased: there was an understanding that the country needed more people. Only in Israel.
I have learned about former hostages eager to do constructive work, and even, in some cases, to return to their military units (which would not be required of them).
I have seen men who lost both legs in war determined to get on with their lives, working productively, starting families, even dancing on their protheses.
Rabbi Liraz Zeira lost both legs while serving in combat. Here we see him welcoming his new son.
https://w2.chabad.org/media/images/1370/GwPq13704170.jpg?_i=_nF72F3FCB89E9790A548A28674376BE69
He said: “In the midst of such a deep and life-altering period, we feel that there could be no greater healing and no greater form of recovery than this…
“Every new child that enters the world is not only a personal joy, but a celebration of a new Jewish soul brought into this world. In this case, especially, it is a powerful message of the enduring spirit of the Jewish people, of faith and the ability to rise from pain to profound joy…” (Emphasis added)
Let me point out here, that Rabbi Zeira already had five children, and his hair is gray. Not a young man, he chose to go and fight anyway.
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I have learned about those who suffered through war or captivity expressing a desire for increased spirituality in their lives, and reaching out to help those wounded in the war.
Here is former hostage Bar Kuperstein, the first time he laid (put on) tfillin after his release. He later called for a public tfillin event.
Screengrab via Anash.org
All enormously hopeful signs, with regard to our resilience, our values, our future.
We are going to be OK!
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In my next post I will examine yet other indications that we are going to be OK: the picture, set into context, is not nearly as bleak as it sometimes appears to be.
And then I will look at the complexity of the current situation, which means that it is difficult to predict precisely when we will be OK, or how the situation will evolve.
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I ask, as I always do, that you please pray. Pray for our leaders, both political and military, and for all of Israel.
©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
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