An Ordinary Israel

In the New York Times this week, Richard Cohen claimed that Israel lives in a perpetual state of exceptionalism. Apparently, Israel does not see itself as ‘normal’ and that the ‘never again’ mantra (which he admits is necessary) is an inadequate way of dealing with the modern world. In other words, the Holocaust occurred 65 years ago, get over it.

Yes, the Prime Minister spent a good deal of his U.N. time lecturing an apathetic audience about the horrors of the Holocaust. But understand that the ‘never again’ theme does not only apply to last century’s evil perpetuated against Jews. It is about centuries worth of persecution, of pogroms, of discrimination, of being perceived as a persistent thorn in the side of society. While born from the ashes of the most recent atrocities against us, Israel stands now as a permanent safe haven for Jews. It was not so long ago that Ethiopians, Russians, and even the French came to Israel to escape the discrimination and persecution.

Israel has not asked for, nor should it be granted the status of “exceptionalism” simply because our statehood came after our systematic annihilation in plain sight of the civilized world. No, we are not exceptional for that reason alone. We are exceptional because the cards have been stacked against us for so long, yet we have survived and thrived.

We are exceptional because, despite all of the wars and terrorism that plague us, we have seen steady economic growth since our birth.

We are exceptional because we open our doors wide to all Jews who seek to come here, even though we don’t have enough jobs, enough land, or enough water for those that live here already.

And we are exceptional because we don’t give up easily. Unfortunately, this means that we are constantly in battle mode. I don’t simply mean that we are always on terror alert, although we are. I mean that we are in battle mode every single day over nonsense. Just ask any Israeli how much they fight with their bank.

The most mundane disagreements escalate fast around these parts. Maybe its the heat, but I think it is because we are genetically wired to constantly prove ourselves, our worth, our right to exist as a people, let alone as a country. Constantly having to prove yourself is very tiring indeed and that we are still ‘here’ is also exceptional.

We’d be quite satisfied with less ‘exceptional’ and more ‘normal.’ Normal means we can plan for university when a child is in high school rather than praying that our boy-soldiers come home alive. Normal means that we can stop thinking about the fact that our daughter’s bus line blew up not once, but twice, just around the corner. Normal means that you can actually try to plan past tomorrow. No one here does that because you can’t plan tomorrow when you are still fighting today.

Israel would like nothing more than to wake up one day and find itself an ordinary nation, at peace internally and externally, with the Palestinians and with the Arab world. We dream of an ordinary and mundane Holy Land, with less bickering and more tranquility that befits a country that is holy to three major religions. That day won’t come easily, or without sacrifice, but the fact that we continue to yearn for it is exceptional too.