The Virtue of Stubbornness

You can’t win a war without consensus at home. And that's something that every nation instinctively knows. The U.S. certainly learned that during our tragic experience in Vietnam. Well, the lesson is one the state of Israel ought to know, but for whatever reason doesn’t. 

A few years ago, there was a Palestinian terrorist who was captured and jailed by the Israelis. While in prison, he was almost ready to give up the fight, preparing to tell everyone, on his release, that Israel will never withdraw from the territories it conquered and that the Arabs need to recognize this and finally make peace. But then, during the week of Passover, he noticed one of his Israeli guards eating a piece of pita bread. “What are you doing?” the Palestinian asked incredulously. “This is Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and here you are, a Jew, eating leavened bread at a time when this is strictly forbidden. How can you live with yourself?” The Israeli guard only laughed. “What do I care about an ancient religious holiday? What connection does that have with me?” 

Instantly, the Arab prisoner’s mind changed. If this Israeli cares so little about his heritage and his people’s faith, what does that say about the determination of this rest of his countrymen? Maybe this people is so weak-willed  that they will give up everything – their whole nation – if we press them hard enough. When the Palestinian was finally released from jail, he went home and told everybody the exact opposite of what he had earlier planned to tell them. He became a ringleader of further terrorism, a perpetrator of continuing jihad against the Jewish state. 

Fortunately, many Israelis today are experiencing a renewed commitment to their Zionist ideals, without which there would never have been a Jewish state to begin with. As the Arab world, and much of the entire world, continues to align against Israel (especially with the upcoming U.N. vote recognizing a Palestinian state), Israelis are going to need every ounce of hutzpah they can muster. They’re going to need to do the one thing they’ve never been able to do in all of history – agree on something! Instead of endless overtures to the Arab world (the “appeasement” route), how about some good ole’ stubbornness? It’s an ancient Jewish trait that could well serve Israel in the 21^st century...