Happy 60th Birthday, Israel!

On May 14th, Israel celebrated the 60th anniversary of its independence as a nation. The parents of this new state were zealousness of Zionism in the person of Theodor Hertzl and the ashes of the crematories in Germany and Poland. But, above all was the guiding hand of a God who had promised this strip of land to Abraham and his descendants.

Israel was truly born out of adversity. Following the end of World War II, as the death camps were being liberated by Allied Forces, the world began to see the images of the holocaust that had taken place during the preceeding years under Nazi rule. The images today still haunt a person, so one can only imagine what those pictures did for those who lived during those days. There was a sense of collective guilt on the part of many Western world leaders that such atrocities happened during their administrations. How could such evils be corrected? The viable solution seemed to be implementing an agreement made back in 1917 between England and leaders of the Zionist movement. This agreement, known as the Balfour Declaration, stated that the Jews should have their own homeland and that homeland should encompass what was known as Palestine...the ancient land of Israel. So, in November 1947, the newly created United Nations, in one of its first resolutions, created the State of Israel. And on May 14, 1948, Israel's new Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, declared Israel to be a free and independent state - a homeland for the Jewish race.

But, unlike many births, this one was not to experience many moments of joy. Immediately the neighboring Arab nations declared war upon Israel hoping to drive this new child into the sea. But God worked His miracles and Israel survived. (Read Larry Collins book "O Jerusalem!" to get a sense of Israel's birth and the miracles accompanying it). In 1967 and then again in 1973 those same neighbors attacked again with Israel defeating its enemies in most remarkable ways. And, from 1979 - the days of the First Camp David Accords - to 2000, Israel lived in an uneasy peace with its neighbors. That climate changed in 2000 with the Intifadah or Palestinian uprising under the leadership of Yasir Arafat. World leaders met in various locations and at various times to bring stability and peace to this region. But no sooner was the ink dried than attacks and counter-attacks prevailed. That continues until this present day. (Read Anton LaGuardia's book "War Without End" to better understand the history of this portion of the world).

But the Israeli people continue to survive. To be honest, they do more than merely survive...they thrive on making the land better. Swamps, once home to deadly malaria, now are homes to banana plantations. Deserts, once inhabitable, now produce some of the finest citrus fruits in the world as well as some of the most beautiful flowers. Israel continues to be a land of contrasts - one can step from the 21st century into the 8th century BC in a matter of minutes. There is a mutual respect of the ancient with the modern. Jerusalem is the city where the three monotheistic faiths meet...often with controversy and chaos rather than with peace and understanding.

So, I want to add my anniversary greetings to this nation that I have come to love so very much. It is not a perfect country. But it is the nation where the King will some day reign. And it is that hope and promise that make Israel a nation worthy of our attention.