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Israel Has Emerged Stronger from the Gaza War

(Times of Israel) Daniel Polisar - Though there was uncertainty as to when the fighting between Israel and Hamas would end, there was little doubt what would happen immediately afterwards: Hamas leaders would declare victory and bring Gazans into the streets to celebrate, and Israelis would engage in public hand-wringing over whether our situation had become bleaker - as we have done following every military conflict since the Yom Kippur War four decades ago. Israel emerged from the war strengthened in the areas that matter most. Despite sadness at our losses and concern about uncertainties that remain, Israelis and those who support us should face the future with a sense of accomplishment and heightened confidence. First and foremost, Israeli society was strengthened over the last seven weeks. The unity, solidarity, and resolve Israelis showed during the war was of an unprecedented nature. Israelis in the millions maintained normal lives in the most abnormal of circumstances, showered soldiers with moral and material support, demonstrated gritty determination to continue the ground war despite the large number of IDF casualties, and bolstered the spirits of those most in need. One symbol was the sign placed near the grave of ex-Californian infantry fighter Max Steinberg, "There is no such thing as a lone soldier in Israel." Such acts etched into the hearts of Israelis that we are a people capable of great courage, compassion, and commitment when it matters most. When the dust settles, it will be this sense that will remain and will instill in Israelis the conviction we have what it takes to survive and thrive, come what may. Dr. Daniel Polisar is provost of Shalem College in Jerusalem.
2014-08-29 00:00:00
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