An opinion piece connects this week’s Torah portion of Balak, Yitzhak Rabin’s 13 July 1992 Knesset speech, the Oslo process, the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan, and Israel’s war with Iran to argue that Israel’s strength comes from standing on its own, politically, militarily, and spiritually. Rabin said in his government’s inaugural address that the world had changed, Israel should join the global drive for peace and cooperation, and that it must not remain isolated. In the Torah portion, Balaam says, “Behold, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.”
The writer says Rabin’s remarks were the first sign of Oslo and describes that process in harsh terms, including expulsion of Jews from the Land of Israel, bringing terrorists into Israel, arming and organizing them into a regular army, and handing territory to enemies. Rabin repeated the same idea in his 25 October 1994 speech announcing the peace treaty with Jordan, saying, “No more ‘a people that dwells alone.’” The column argues that many Jews fear that slogan because they worry about international isolation, even comparing the feared outcome to North Korea.
The article says Balaam’s curse was really a blessing, because he was forced to acknowledge that Israel is not like other nations. It cites a line attributed to Charles de Gaulle after the Six Day War describing Israel as “elitist, domineering and self-confident,” and notes recent remarks by France’s prime minister denying claims of French arms dependency on Israel, as well as a U.S. vice president warning against attacking America, Israel’s strongest remaining ally. The writer also invokes Donald Trump’s claim that Israel would not survive “two hours” without the United States, then argues that Israel existed before him and will exist after him.
The piece says the region’s history proves that great powers repeatedly pressured Israel to stop winning wars, listing the War of Independence, Sinai Campaign, Six Day War, Yom Kippur War, Operation Peace for Galilee, and later wars. It adds that the confrontation with Iran, including two instances in which the United States reportedly pulled back Israeli aircraft, has sharpened this reality for cabinet members. The conclusion is that Israel is not bound by other nations’ moral or political patterns and is moving toward Isaiah’s vision that many peoples will come to Zion for divine teaching.
