August 2006

I was living in Israel in
1982 when Israeli forces entered
the War in Lebanon. Danny, a
college friend and a new immigrant,
was one of the first soldiers
to lose his life in that war.
Around the same time, a
Hezbollah bomb attack in
Lebanon killed the brother of
Avraham’s best friend. In 1983,
Hezbollah also killed 257 Americans in Beirut when it
bombed the American Embassy and Marine barracks.
We did not foresee that Israel would be in Lebanon
for nearly two decades in a war that began to protect
the peace of Galilee but ended up labeled “Israel’s
Vietnam.”

While we were on a family visit to Israel in
1998, Avraham’s cousin, Amit Asoulin, was one of the
last soldiers killed during active duty in Lebanon.
Amit was the same age as my students at Chico State,
his life cut short before it could be lived.
In 2000, Israel withdrew from Lebanon, hoping
that no more Dannys and no more Amits would
lose their lives. That year, in a scenario eerily similar
to recent events, Hezbollah captured three Israeli soldiers.
At that time, Israel did not return to Lebanon,
fearing a reentry into what had come to be viewed as
a quagmire. Hezbollah killed the soldiers and later
returned their bodies to Israel in a lopsided prisoner
exchange.

Since 2000, Hezbollah, aided by Syria and
Iran, has built up an arsenal of some 12,000 rockets
hidden in Southern Lebanon. More ominously, they
appear to serve as a surrogate for their Iranian sponsors
and Iran’s radical political agenda. Hezbollah
often shelled Israel and attempted raids into Israel.
Therefore, when Hezbollah recently crossed the
Israeli border in an unprovoked attack, killing eight
Israeli soldiers, kidnapping two others, and subsequently
sending thousands of rockets raining on civilians
in Israel’s northern cities, it was hardly surprising that
even many ardent Israeli “doves” supported a strong
military response. The majority of the Israeli public
view the war with Hezbollah as an existential struggle
for Israel’s survival.

I have long been a “dove” and a “peacenik” in
all matters Israeli. However, being a peacenik does
not equate with being a pacifist. Sometimes one must
recognize the Talmudic dictum that, “One who is kind
to the cruel ends up being cruel to the kind.” Israel
would not have been able to make peace treaties in
the past without first being strong militarily. Yet most
Israeli analysts recognize that diplomacy and dialogue
will best serve Israel in the long run.

For us in the Diaspora, this has been a time of
great fear and concern for the people of Israel, who
have made so many sacrifices for peace, including
withdrawing from the Gaza Strip last August. We
have been riveted to the media, hoping to hear of an
improvement in Israel’s situation. At the same time,
we care deeply about the many innocent Lebanese
who are suffering terribly from this situation brought
about by the extremists in their midst.

I am sure that many members of our congregation
are wondering what we can do to help Israel. Let
me suggest five things. First, stay informed. You can
read Israeli publications like Haaretz in English
(haaretz.com) or the Jerusalem Post (jpost.com). Our
own Rafi Frankel is now a reporter for MSNBC
(check with David Frankel and Janice Gagerman for
his current on-air schedule). Second, express your
views to our elected officials. You can access their
addresses in our local newspaper or online at state and
federal web sites. Third, tzedakah is always a Jewish
way to take action. Groups that are helping ordinary
Israelis get through the current crisis include the
Jewish National Fund (jnf.org), the Magen David
Adom (afmda.org), and the United Jewish
Communities (ujc.org). Fourth, the practice of prayer
and good deeds will always help in healing our world.

Finally, we must never give up on seeking
peace. Israel has succeeded in making peace with
sworn enemies of the past. We must remember that
most people in the Middle East want most of all to
live their lives in peace. If you want to learn what
ordinary citizens are doing every day to help bring
peace in the Middle East, let me suggest the website
of Len and Libby Traubman:http://traubman.igc.org/global.
htm. The Traubmans are running “Peacemakers’
Camp” at Tawonga on Labor Day Weekend and will
visit Chico in early November.

Hashem oz le’amo yiten, Hashem yevarech et amo
bashalom,
May G-d bless us with strength…and with peace,

Rabbi Julie Hilton Danan