By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM–God isn’t mentioned in the Book of Esther, which will be read on Purim. Some say, however, that God is implied in the text. The story about the wicked Haman who wanted to destroy all Jews in the Kingdom of Persia has become topical in our time:Iran is, of course, ancient Persia and its president does a convincing imitation of Haman.
But those who use the story in their rhetoric about the nuclear threat of Iran– e.g., Prime Minister Netanyahu in his rousing speech to AIPAC last Monday night – rarely mention that the point of the fictitious tale is that the Jews were saved, perhaps by divine intervention but certainly thanks to the subtle diplomacy of a nice Jewish girl.
It’s consistent with our understanding of modern Zionism – that led to the establishment of the State of Israel, which its prime minister epitomizes – to write God out of the script. Zionism was shaped by the Enlightenment that, as Voltaire put it, may have been on greeting terms with God but definitely wasn’t on speaking terms. And Zionism was influenced by contemporary European nationalism. On both counts, Jews ceased to wait for miracles and decided to take matters into their own hands. Instead of waiting for redemption, they themselves would make it happen. Instead of patiently waiting for the Messiah, they’d nervously walk toward him.
No doubt that’s also the message that the Government of Israel is giving to the world. It tells it repeatedly that it’ll take whatever measures are needed to defend Israe land its people. For all the concessions that the government is making to the ultra-Orthodox who maintain that only by prayer and piety can the Jews survive, defense nowadays means first and foremost military action.
Though there’re still those in Israel and elsewhere who believe that a combination of sanctions and diplomacy will compel Iran to desist from making atom bombs, most seem to realize that a military option may be inevitable and that Israel is the one to carry it out, hopefully with American backing. As much as we shudder at the thought of the consequences of yet another war – for us and for the enemy – a growing number of people seem to believe that we’re running out of alternatives.
Being as confused as the next person and more, I follow media reports and listen to small talk. That gives me added cause for deep concern: Israel’s state comptroller has just published an interim report which describes the deep tensions between Minister of Defense Ehud Barak and Israel’s then Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. Their animosity was often reported when Ashkenazi was still in office, but it wasn’t known at the time that people close to the chief of staff – including his wife – were prepared to forge documents to make their point. It’s a cruel and dangerous Purimshpiel.
According to the same report, nobody in Israel’s defense establishment comes out well – and that includes Minister of Defense Ehud Barak. They all seem to have been acting as if in a kindergarten. The thought that now mostly the same people are to decide the fate of the Jewish state should give us all cause for deep concern.
Israelis have always had the utmost confidence in their defense forces. Mostly it has been vindicated. Unless and until that confidence is fully restored, it would obviously be hazardous to embark on an operation of the kind that’s needed to at least delay the Iranian nuclear programme.
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Now dividing his time between Canada and Israel, he may be contacted at dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com