The Jewish state of Israel became necessary after the Holocaust. The Holocaust is the term used to describe the mass murdering of six million Jews. Before it expanded to the rest of Eastern Europe, this extermination began with specifically German Jews. The German Jews were betrayed by their government; they were stateless. They did not have any other countries to help them. What does one do when his government is his biggest enemy? Where does the Jew go when his government, his promised source of security and protection, is the one trying to destroy him? Before 1948, he had nowhere to go. Now, he has a safe place.

The idea of a Jewish state was questionable before 1948; the Holocaust, however, validated the necessity of a safe haven for Jews to exist peacefully and free from harm. This oasis would later be called “Israel,” which translated in biblical Hebrew means, “May God prevail.” The United Nations placed this Jewish refuge in a tiny strip of land, 640 miles at its longest and 60 miles at its widest, in the crevices of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Ironic, that such a small area created such a large debacle.The UN delegates chose this area because it surrounds the city of Jerusalem, a holy city to several religions, including Judaism, because it is where the first temple was built and where the Jews have lived for over two thousand years. Unfortunately, the world was not as welcoming to this Jewish state as the United Nations had anticipated.

The state of Israel has been fighting to this day to be recognized as a Jewish country, specifically with neighboring countries and a Palestinian terrorist group by the name of Hamas. A majority of these people dislike Jews, do not approve of a Jewish state, and resort to violence in order to destroy Israel. After a two thousand year struggle for recognition and a genocide that deemed them a disease, it is about time that the Jewish people are given the respect they deserve to exist as a peaceful people in the small safe haven that was designated to them. (Israel is below in the red.)

The most common five reasons why people are against the Jewish state of Israel are mostly misconstrued ideas. First, adherents of the opposing side often think that a Jewish state of Israel only allows Jews to be citizens and to enter the country. Furthermore, if Jews are allowed to be citizens, they think that only Jews can participate in the government. Next, they think that Israel is an imperialistic gateway for Jewish expansion to other countries. All of these interpretations of a Jewish state are 100 percent false, and I will explain why later. In addition, some people are simply anti-Semitic and detest Israel simply on the basis that it is a Jewish state. Lastly, and the most valid opposition to a Jewish state, Jerusalem has several ties to other religions, besides Judaism. This is the only fair opposition to the argument, because no religion is more important than another. However, it does not take away from the several reasons why the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state is imperative.

First, the violence and open hatred towards Israel is despicable and most people do not recognize how often and commonplace a bomb threat is to the people of Israel. During the summer of 2012, I went to a kibbutz in Eshkol, Israel. A teacher gave us a tour of the community and I was shocked to see several bomb shelters that were placed around the town. The Israelis on the kibbutz did not even seem to think twice about it. I asked the woman when the last bomb threat was, expecting her to say that it was years or months ago. She calmly responded, “yesterday,” and proceeded to tell me about the water drainage system as if such a recent bomb threat was no issue at all. It is sickening that these people have grown so numb to something so dangerous and threatening; no one should ever be accustomed to terrorism.

Those who hate Israel have been relentless in trying to destroy them since the day that Israel signed its Declaration of Independence. On September 15, 1948, angry Palestinians attacked Israel four hours after signing the declaration. This war resulted in a divided country that forbade Jews from entering certain parts of Jerusalem, the primary connection to that land for which the Jewish state was founded, unless they wanted to be slaughtered,. Furthermore, in 1973, Egypt attacked on the holiest holiday of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur. On this holiday, Jews normally fast. However, with this attack, the Jewish-Israeli soldiers were forced to break their fast in order to defend their country. This attack was not only an assault against the Israeli people, but it was also a directly hateful attack on Judaism. On the sixth and last day of this war, the Israeli Defense Force had the Egyptian militia surrounded in the Negev desert and they let them go freely without harm, proving that Israel is a peaceful country that only uses forces to defend itself. Egypt and Israel signed a treaty after this, but that hasn't stopped the rest of Israel's neighbors from violently harassing Israel every day. Since its establishment, Israel has clashed with Syrian, Egyptian, Jordan, Iraqi, Lebanese, Palestinian and terrorist forces. Jordan took over an area close to Jerusalem and the Jordan border called the West Bank and Egypt took over a place on the western coast of Israel called the Gaza strip.

These areas are still disputed today because they are home to mostly innocent Arabs, but also to some radicals who seek to destroy Israel. Ironically enough, even though the Israeli government has had to seclude them for safety purposes, it continues to support them. The Israeli government sends the people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip money, fuel, resources, etc. The Gaza Strip, specifically, is home to mostly innocent Arab-Muslims that are controlled by Hamas, a Muslim extremist-terrorist group, who has been the most destructive and heinous in trying to demolish Israel. In fact, Hamas states in their charter the outright hatred of the Jewish people and their goal to have the Jews “swept into the sea" (Zuhir).

According to the Israeli Defense Force statistics, between 1989 and 2008, there were 150 Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel that occurred in buses, coffee shops, restaurants, schools, etc. Just within those nineteen years, those bombings resulted in 804 Israeli casualties. Between January and August of 2014, Hamas sent 4,005 rockets into Israel. In June of 2014, Hamas kidnapped and killed three Israeli teens. They celebrated the murder of Israelis in the middle of a highly populated area and celebrated the murder as a means of empowerment similar to the manner of a high school pep rally.

Ironically, Israel supports the Gaza Strip financially and Hamas uses this money to smuggle in weapons, ammunition, and to build tunnels into Jerusalem. Hamas hides these stolen weapons in schools, hospitals, malls, and other highly populated areas. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli’s prime minister, explained in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September of 2014 that, “Hamas uses children to protect its bombs, while Israel uses bombs to protect its children."

After years of violence and the breaking point of kidnapping and killing these teens, Israel retaliated and sent a rocket at the Gaza Strip. Interestingly, the Israeli government warned the Palestinian-Muslims living in the area that they were going to be bombed in advance using telephone calls, text messages, flyers, Arabic television, etc., allowing them to leave the area or find protection. Unfortunately, Hamas forbade them from leaving on the grounds that this radical and extremist form of Islam reveres the honor in dying for a cause. No other country or army in history has gone to greater lengths to not only defend, but also support its enemies, than Israel has to protect and provide for the people whom Hamas controls. In fact, Israel works harder to defend the innocent Palestinians than even Hamas does. When Israel sends rocket, it is simply an act of self defense.

Why would the Israeli government spend so much money protecting and providing for a group of people if they had the intention of destroying them? If Israel is universally recognized and supported by the rest of the world, Hamas will likely feel pressure and intimidation to stop this bloodshed. Not only will the Israeli-Jews be saved from Hamas’ constant bomb threat, but the Arab-Muslims in the Gaza Strip will be free from their oppression, as well.

It is ridiculous that one single Jewish state is so widely unaccepted. An Israeli newspaper, Haaretz (“the land” in Hebrew), explains that there are 23 officially Christian countries, 26 officially Muslim countries, and four officially Buddhist countries. In perspective with the rest of the world, one Jewish country is certainly not asking for much. Even so, the surface area of the surrounding Muslim countries is 640 times larger than the surface area of Israel. Therefore, the idea that Israel is an imperialist country is absolutely ridiculous. That would be similar to saying that New Jersey has the means to take over all of North America. Furthermore, Netanyahu explained that one Jewish state simply means that there is a place where “Jewish culture is nurtured” and that unconditionally accepts Jewish people (Netanyahu’s speech at United Nations General Assembly in September 2014). Undoubtedly, non-Jews and people of all faiths are welcome to become citizens, to worship in Jerusalem, to practice all religions, and to participate in the government. Non-Jews would have completely equal rights within the boundaries of Israel. Israel believes in cultivating an environment that cherishes difference and compromise. In the midst of several other reigning religious countries, one Jewish state that accepts all religions is certainly not a menacing threat to the world.

The Jewish state of Israel should exist in that specific strip of land, not only because that is where the Jews have been living in Jerusalem for over two thousand years, but also because they built it. Judaism was fostered in Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE; King Solomon built a Jewish temple in Jerusalem and founded it as the center for Jewish culture and rituals. Even when other groups were living there and suppressing them, including the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, British, and several others, the Jews always prevailed and refused to leave behind the sanctity of the original temple. The temple in Jerusalem symbolically represents the relationship between Jewish struggles and triumphs, one of which is for Israeli independence. An important principle in Judaism is the hope to return to Jerusalem and to restore it to its most basic Jewish roots. For example, the last line of the Israeli national anthem “Hatikvah,” which literally means “the hope” in Hebrew, reads “The hope of 2,000 years / to be a free people in our land / the land of Zion and Jerusalem.” Similarly, on Passover, the Jewish holiday celebrating the liberation from ancient Egyptian slavery, the Seder concludes with the host saying “Next year in Jerusalem!” to commemorate the fallen temple and to remind everyone that Judaism is embedded in Jerusalem (Elazar, "Israel is a Jewish State").

In conclusion, the recognition and acceptance of a Jewish state of Israel is crucial. Despite the difficulties that Israel faces, a fresh approach from its neighbors is enough to ensure a promising future that welcomes Judaism and, perhaps, opens a door for other minorities. Israel simply wants to be treated like its Arab neighbors, with respect and acceptance. Hamas, however, takes Islam to a militant level that utilizes terrorism, which is not only threatening to Israel and Judaism, but is a danger to the rest of the world. Furthermore, another Holocaust can be prevented simply by the existence of Israel, a promised and protected place for the Jewish people. A future with Israel is also a future against terrorism and genocide. After two thousand years of struggle, perhaps it is time that people open their eyes to combatting terrorism, open their minds to accepting diversity, and open their hearts to believing in a safe place for the oppressed.