Existential Threat

I read in the newspaper the other day that North Korea is about to test one of their long-range missiles. According to reports, North Korea’s long-range missiles are capable of hitting Alaska. Perhaps Governor Palin, when she is watching Russia from her front porch also keeps an eye on North Korea. For most Alaskans I think the perception of threat from a North Korean missile attack is somewhere between remote and nonexistent.

I also read in the newspaper that five missiles were fired from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, one was fired on Friday, and at least three were fired on Thursday. There may have also been some mortar fire and a rocket or two in the North.

People talk and write about the existential threat facing Israel. When I first heard this phrase I thought it referred to some vague amorphous threat against the country. However now I understand this to mean that groups to the North (Hezbulla), South (Hamas), and East (Iran) that have expressed a desire to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.

If we were talking about a person, we can rationalize and intellectualize this existential threat as a natural part of life. You live and then you die. For a country however, death is unexpected. While many countries have ceased to exist throughout history this has occurred relatively infrequently during my lifetime.

In Israel the existential threat is also interpreted to be anti-Semitic. Clearly some of the threats against the country are explicitly anti-Semitic. In addition, the logic in Israel is that since this is the only Jewish state in the world, threats against the State are inherently anti-Semitic. Certainly the history of the Jewish people contributes to this perception. (The next two photographs convey part of this history -- one from Yad Vashem and one from Massada).

Massada looking North at the Dead Sea

Hannah & Ruth at Yad Vashem

I’m still uncertain as to whether I accept that logic. I do know that over the past two-months I have become increasingly Zionistic. I’m dyed in blue and white (the colors of the flag) but I do see and feel the need for this country to exist.

Feeding a Camel