HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO THE THIRD JEWISH COMMONWEALTH, THE STATE OF ISRAEL

Peloni:  Great article by Avi!

Avi Abelow 

Photo by Hynek Moravec – Self-photographed, CC BY 2.5

In addition to celebrating the miracles that brought about the return of the Jewish people as sovereign over our ancestral homeland in 1948, at 77 years old, it’s time for a new vision for our reclaimed sovereign state, one rooted in strength, morality, and Jewish destiny!!!

Since October 7th, we have changed.

We didn’t choose this war. But we’ve woken up in it, with open eyes and open hearts.

For many Jews in Israel, it’s the first time we truly grasp that we are fighting not just for our lives, but for the very right to exist as Jews in our ancestral homeland.

And as we celebrate 77 years of Israeli independence, we must also birth something new: a new vision, rooted not in fear, guilt, or foreign expectations, but in clarity, truth, unshakable Jewish morality, and deep faith in Hashem.

Because we’re not just any nation fighting for survival.

We are the Chosen Nation, Am Segula, chosen by Hashem not for privilege, but for purpose.

A nation meant to live in its ancestral homeland according to G-d’s will, to build a just and moral society rooted in truth, and to be a light unto the nations—not by mimicking the world, but by courageously standing apart from it following the guidance of Hashem, who introduced freedom and morality to humanity via the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people.

For decades, many Israelis believed that we could live in Israel side-by-side with people who openly reject our existence. We hoped that with enough concessions, appeasement, enough good will, enough patience, and ignoring what they actually say out loud, that we’d find peace.

But hope is not a strategy.

October 7th shattered that illusion, and in its place, it gave us truth.

We cannot share our ancestral homeland with people committed to our destruction.
Not in Gaza. Not in Judea and Samaria. Not in Lod. Not in the Galil. Not in the Negev or Jerusalem.

And yet, I know many Israelis still hesitate to embrace this vision. They worry: But what about morality? What about our values? What will the world say?

Let me tell you this:
Moral clarity is not immoral.

Defending your people against a 1,400 year religious ideology whose proponents is not racism.

Securing your future is not extremism

It’s called survival. And more than that, it’s called leadership.

We are not talking about hating Arabs. We are talking about embracing peace loving people.

We are not talking about “transfer.” We are talking about encouraging voluntary emigration, for those who educate their children to aspire to kill Jews and destroy the Jewish state of Israel.

We are not talking about revenge. We are talking about responsibility.

Responsibility to our children.
Responsibility to the families shattered by terror.
Responsibility to every Israeli who deserves to live without rockets, ambushes, or blood-soaked headlines.

And yes, responsibility to a moral code that values life over a false peace that ignores the evil in our midst that endangers our lives.

But even deeper than all that, we have a spiritual responsibility to fulfill our divine mission.

To build a Jewish society that reflects the values given to us by G-d.

To live in the land promised to our forefathers.

To restore G-d’s presence to the world by living according to His will, as a free and sovereign people in our ancestral homeland.

That is what it truly means to be a light unto the nations.

This vision won’t be fulfilled overnight. It’s not a quick process. It’s a long, patient, determined national project.

It means ending our dependence on our enemies for labor.

It means reversing Oslo in our minds and in our policies.

It means strengthening Jewish identity and national resilience—through education, media, community, and action.

Some call this unrealistic. I call it the only path that is realistic.

The only future that allows us to be both sovereign and safe—and faithful to the G-d who brought us home after 2,000 years.

And here’s the truth: the more we speak this vision, the more Israelis begin to understand it—not as extremism, but as wisdom.

For too long, too many Israelis were naive. But now many more are awake.

We are the most blessed generation of Jews in 2,000 years.

We are no longer exiles praying for mercy—we are home. With an army. With a state. With a mission.

And now, with the moral and spiritual clarity to match.

So as we celebrate 77 years of miracles, let’s take a bold step into year 78:
Let’s build a new Israeli culture—one that doesn’t apologize for our existence.

One that refuses to be held hostage by failed dreams.

One that raises a generation proud of our identity, loyal to our land, and ready to lead—not just to survive.

Am Yisrael is rising.

And with G-d’s help, we will never fall asleep again.

Am Yisrael Chai.