Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/671794
8 April 28 • 2016 viewpoints » S e n d l e t t e r s t o : l e t t e r s @ t h e j e w i s h n e w s . c o m commentary Israel — A Justified Existence R ecently my son, who is an online student at Thomas Edison State University in New Jersey, received the following discus- sion question in his course on Western religions: "Discuss the history of the persecution of the Jews from the Middle Ages through to the creation of the State of Israel. Did the history of the Jews warrant the creation of a Jewish state in Israel? Explain your answer." First, I take issue with the idea that the State of Israel needs to justify its existence at all. Would, I wonder, jus- tification be required for Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Syria and Lebanon, all modern states founded by the Allies after World War II? In fact, as construct states, they would have no history in the lands they occupy and were subject to the whims of the colonial powers. This is one of the reasons why the original Arab Palestinian state, Jordan, became the Hashemite Kingdom with a ruler whose roots are not in the British Mandate of Palestine, but in the des- erts of Saudi Arabia. Secondly, by focusing on the Middle Ages, the question negates the most important justification for the re- creation of the State of Israel, if one is necessary. The Land of Israel is and was the indigenous home of the Jews. Archaeology and history have clearly demonstrated that Jews have lived in the Land of Israel for thou- sands of years. Before the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Christians and the Ottomans, the Jews were there. And the root cause of the suffering of the Jews does not hearken back to the Middle Ages, but to the year 70 C.E., when, against their will, most of the Jewish people were exiled from Judea by the Romans. Even then, some Jews managed to stay, so that throughout its history, the Land of Israel was always the home for the Jewish community, even when occu- pied by someone else. Finally, the question itself can be seen as part of the movement to dele- gitimize the State of Israel. Would we ask the same question about our own country? Does any other democracy in the world have to justify its existence? Calling into question Israel's legitimacy does prove one thing. Anti-Semitism did not end with the re-creation of Israel, but continues today, cloaked in "academic freedom" and taught by professors whose clear agenda is based not on scholarship, but on false narratives and left-wing ideologies. * Rabbi Dr. Sidney A. Vineburg teaches online in the College of Education and the College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz., and is an affiliated professor at Haifa University. He lives in Oak Park. Rabbi Dr. Sidney A. Vineburg, Ed.D. 000000 2053870 Awaken the Beauty Within... DANIEL SHERBERT, M.D. F.A.C.S. Certifi ed by The American Board of Surgery, The American Board of Plastic Surgery & Fellowship Trained in Aesthetic & Reconstructive Breast Surgery Specializing in Cosmetic Surgery & Aesthetic & Reconstructive Breast Surgery W est Maple Plastic Surgery (248) 865-6400 5807 W. Maple t Suite 177 t West Bloomfi eld For years, Lakes Area Auto Experts has provided neighbors with HONEST, DEPENDABLE, QUALITY information, repair and service! They live here and it shows! www.lakesareaauto.com Email Kenny the Car Guy at kenny@lakesareaauto.com For The Best Service Go To… SEEN MONTHLY ON FOX 2 NEWS DETROIT Kenny "the Car Guy" Walters, owns the award-winning auto shop and is a member of Temple Israel Lakes Area Auto Experts at 490 N. Pontiac Trail in Walled Lake 248.668.1200 MUFFLERS and MORE is now Kenny's Lakes Area Auto Experts! We've evolved: more training, more services, everything you need! We're changing our name to refl ect the direction we've been moving in for years. The name is changing, but our hearts and commitment are the same. SERVICE DISCOUNT (labor only) $10 OFF $50 $20 OFF $100 $30 OFF $250 or more 2082660 GET READY FOR SPRING!