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Israel's Second War of Independence

(Mosaic) Amb. Michael Oren - During the summer of 2024 - because I could no longer bear the thought of not taking an active part in our ongoing war, and thanks also to my stubborn refusal to acknowledge my advancing years - I volunteered for the IDF reserves. For the first time in decades, I put on a uniform, donned a helmet, and picked up a gun. My assignment was to help guard a kibbutz in the Upper Galilee, an area that was then under constant rocket fire from Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon. As in our 1948-49 War of Independence, the current war has been fought nearby and indeed within the state itself. Like that war, this latest war has been waged not only or even principally against our armed forces but rather against our civilian population. This war, as well, has seen civilian Israeli volunteers picking up guns to protect and secure their homes. This war also rivals the War of Independence in terms of its duration. The current conflict has already outlasted our independence struggle. On May 14, 1948, only hours after David Ben-Gurion had proclaimed Israel's independence, five Arab armies joined by barbarous terrorist bands invaded the nascent Jewish state in order to destroy it. That, too, was a genocidal campaign, smashing through our borders and claiming the lives of thousands. Israel had been alone. We had no major allies. Although President Truman recognized the re-created Jewish state, he slapped a total arms embargo on that state. Visiting an artillery base last summer in the north, I was told that, as a result of the cutoff of American supplies, our cannons were down to firing a mere five shells per day. In this war, we Israelis will remind ourselves of lessons from 1948. We will recall that we live not in Sweden or California but in the homicidal, fratricidal, and genocidal Middle East. We will recall that, while we can form crucial alliances, at the end of the day we alone are responsible for our defense. We will also recall that, rather than remaining dependent on foreign sources of arms, to the greatest degree possible we must be munitions-independent. The 360,000 reservists who have fought and continue to fight this war are tempered, steeled, anything but fragile, and intensely patriotic. They are unparalleled in their resilience, their camaraderie, their quiet moral confidence, and their courage. This generation will lead our country in rebuilding, reviving, and breathing new life into the Zionist project. This is the war for restoring our dignity, our identity, our independence, and for reaffirming and embracing our responsibility. The writer is a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and Deputy Minister for Diplomacy.
2025-03-18 00:00:00
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