Heritage Florida Jewish News
Gloria Yousha
August 16, 2019
Over 3,000 years ago...
I received this information from StandWithUs.
"An indigenous people developed a thriving civilization and culture in their ancestral homeland.
"Over time they were conquered by a series of aggressive foreign empires, and while some remained in their cities and communities, most of them scattered across Europe and the Middle East.
"Although they flourished at times, for 1,900 years the Jews lived as an oppressed minority, suffering expulsions, massacres, and ultimately genocide.
They barely survived but never lost hope. They overcame. They started a liberation movement, returned home to join those already there, and built one of the most vibrant, diverse nations the world has ever seen."
THAT NATION IS ISRAEL, THE JEWISH HOMELAND!
(Israel's story is proof that if you will it, it is no dream.)
The Jewish people are indigenous to Israel, the birthplace of their language, culture, religion, and identity. Jews have had an unbroken presence in the land for over 3,000 years.
Although they flourished at times, for 1,900 years Jews lived as an oppressed minority across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Despite many obstacles, those living in the Diaspora maintained their unique identity and connection to their ancestral homeland and to the Jews who remained there.
In the late 19th century, Jews started a movement called Zionism to liberate themselves from oppression and rebuild a thriving nation in the land of Israel.
In 1920, after the Balfour Declaration and the San Remo conference, the League of Nations recognized the Jewish people's historic connection to Israel as well as their right to a homeland there under international law.
For decades, beginning in the late 1800s, waves of Jews returned to the land of Israel to rejoin those who were already there and rebuild their nation. They drained swamps, built cities and farms, revived Hebrew as a spoken language, and created the institutions necessary for a state.
In 1948, Israel declared statehood in the midst of a brutal war launched by Arab forces to prevent its establishment. Its Declaration of Independence enshrined the values of justice, democracy, equal rights, and peace. Initially, most of its population consisted of Jewish refugees who survived the Holocaust or fled rising violence and persecution in Arab countries.
Israel is about the same size as New Jersey and can fit into California 22 times. It has very limited natural resources, and most of its land is desert.
Yet, Israel is a world leader in innovation and humanitarian aid. Israelis are helping people all over the world overcome hunger, disease, water scarcity, war, terrorism, natural disasters, environmental degradation, cyber threats and much more. Israel made peace with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Israelis have agreed to or offered at least four major proposals to end the conflict with the Palestinians and help create a Palestinian state. Palestinian leaders have said no each time, to the detriment of both peoples. Yet, Israelis have successfully fought for progress on human rights issues like equality for minorities (especially for the 1.8 million Arab citizens of Israel), women's rights, LGBTQ rights, peace with Israel's neighbors, and much more.
(I am so privileged to have visited Israel and hope to return before my time on earth expires!)
Read the full article HERE.
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