As the days pass by, we keep hearing talk of an impending attack on Israel– at any moment, there could be a large-scale assault from either Iran or its proxy Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border. The attack looms after the assassination of Hamas terrorist Ismail Haniya in Tehran last month, which demonstrated Israel’s ability to strike Iran in the heart of its capitol.
While Iranian officials have continued to make threats against Israel, the days keep passing without a major incident. The world is left to wonder what is going on.
The last time that Iran attacked Israel was in April, when four hundred rockets and drones were shot down by a coalition of anti-Iranian partners including the United States, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. This unlikely coalition, brought together by Iranian aggression, embodies a new dynamic in the middle east where Sunni Arab moderates are willing to band together with Israel and the United States to isolate an ever-threatening Shiite Iranian regime.
Iran recognizes that a miscalculation could prove devastating. An Iranian attack on Israel would embolden Arab states to partner with Israel again and a Hezbollah attack from the north could lead Israel to destroy Iran’s presence in the region. Thus, while Iran feels the need to demonstrate strength in the wake of the assassination, it is reluctant to launch an attack – knowing that a mistake could lead to disaster. The result has been that Iran is using the very threats of attack as ammunition – hoping to stoke constant fear in the hearts of the Israeli public. Iran’s predicament is Israel’s strength.
In this week’ Torah portion, Parashat Va’etchanan, we learn about the Israelites struggling with their smallness. They look at the nations around them and wonder how they could possibly survive. Moses reminds the people that God did not choose them for being the most numerous of people – God chose them for their loyalty to the covenant. Israel’s power is not derived from the number of people within its borders. Israel’s power comes from its commitment to care for all of humanity. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains,
“Traduced in the media and pilloried by much of the world, Israel continues to produce human miracles in medicine, agriculture, technology, and the arts, as if the word “impossible” did not exist in the Hebrew language. Israel remains a small nation, surrounded, as in biblical times, by “nations larger and stronger than you” (Deut. 7:1). Yet the truth remains, as Moses said: “The Lord did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you are the fewest of all peoples.”
We are reminded daily of the smallness of the Jewish state. The Jewish state is surrounded by enemies who seek its destruction. Israel’s population of 9.7 million people is tiny compared to the 473 million members of the Arab world.
Yet Israel continues to demonstrate its strength through a commitment to care for its people and the broader world in which they live.
Iran’s current predicament is based on Israel’s unique place in the world – a small and tiny nation that is able not only to defend itself but also the broader world – a nation that despite its size, leads the world in so many different areas – a nation that is on the verge of normalizing relations with former enemies because of all that it offers them –a nation that is a ‘light unto other nations.’ Iran’s predicament is Israel’s strength.
