DESPERATE ISRAEL TURNS TO PRAYER
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
Article from the Jerusalem Post, Feb 10 2004:
<http://www.jpost.com>
"A Call to Psalms"
-by Michael Freund <msfreund@netvision.net.il>
Enough is enough. For the past 11 years, we have watched
in dismay as Israel hurtled toward disaster. Defying all logic,
the Jewish state proceeded to arm its enemies, turn over
territory to their control, and undermine the security of its
own citizens.
Israelis began to die in unprecedented numbers. Buses were
bombed, cafes were attacked, yet our leaders forged ahead,
plunging headfirst into the abyss.
It made no sense. Our foes broke every promise, violated
every commitment, and continued to kill. But the more they
did so, the more Israel continued to withdraw.
Throughout this period, we took to the streets, shouting
and pleading for the madness to end. Protests were held,
meetings were convened, and petitions were signed. We
lobbied our representatives, urging and cajoling them to take action.
Faxes and e-mails and ads in the newspaper; articles and
editorials, speeches and parlor meetings what didn't we
try, as we sought to save Israel, the Land and the people,
from impending catastrophe?
And now, after so much effort, and sacrifice, and suffering,
when at last it seemed clear that Israel might finally prevail,
along comes Ariel Sharon and declares defeat. The man
who built his reputation by building Jewish settlements now
wishes to uproot them.
And so, after 11 years of Oslo, after hundreds of Jews have
been killed and thousands of others wounded, we find
ourselves once again facing the prospect of further withdrawal
and retreat.
The irony of it is too cruel to contemplate. It cannot be that
the Jewish people withstood years of Palestinian terror only
to be driven from their homes by their very own government.
It cannot be that the self-sacrifice and determination which
the Jewish people have displayed in reclaiming their land will
all be for naught.
It simply cannot be.
And yet, here we are, all of our options seemingly exhausted.
Diplomacy has failed us, politics has disappointed us, and
the world still hates us, even more so than before.
In the past two elections, a majority of Israelis voted for
parties who pledged to stop the capitulation, who vowed they
would fight the terror, not its victims. They promised us
firmness, but instead delivered frailty.
We did what the world wanted, withdrawing from parts of our
ancestral homeland, turning over places where our forefathers
were buried and where the prophets of Israel once walked.
WE PUT our faith in men, and that perhaps was our greatest
mistake. Right is Left, Left is wrong, and the Palestinians
continue to spill Jewish blood.
It seems as though we have nowhere left to turn, as there is
no one in whom we can place our trust.
No one, that is, except for God.
It might sound silly, or even naive. But all of our high-tech
know-how and military prowess, our scientific advances and
wireless technologies, have not succeeded in extricating
Israel from its current mess. Our modern solutions have
failed us, so why not turn to the wisdom of yesteryear?
Indeed, throughout history, the Jewish people have always
looked to their Father in Heaven as a source of strength and
support. During the darkest days of the Exile, the power of
prayer was our most potent of weapons. It is time we deploy
it once more....
So many people wonder how they can play a role in changing
things. Each of us wants to make a difference, to influence
the course of events, yet often we feel powerless to do so.
But that is precisely why prayer is so important, especially
in this case, because it empowers every individual, rich or
poor, saint or sinner, and enables us to forge a common
bond as we transcend our differences on behalf of the Jewish state.
Cynics will no doubt mock the idea, chuckling with derision
at such simplistic beliefs. But we should pay them no heed.
After all, it is thanks to their progressive agenda that Israel
finds itself in its current predicament.
The fact of the matter is that no prayer goes to waste. As
King David himself wrote, "God is near to all those who call
to Him, to all those who call out to Him in truth." (Psalms 145:18).
Now, more than ever, is the time for us to do so.
For, unlike our leaders, He will never disappoint.
[The writer served as deputy director of communications &
policy planning in the Prime Ministers Office under former
premier Binyamin Netanyahu].
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