Israel is only 70, but how far we have come

My country’s seven decades of progress are a cause for celebration for the whole free world

For readers in Britain – a sovereign kingdom from time immemorial – 70 years of independence may seem to be embryonic. For the Jewish people in the context of our historical roots in the Land of Israel, 70 years is a mere speck on the monitor, too. A point evidenced just this week when, during a school archaeological outing in the Galilee, students unearthed, among other artefacts, a 1,400-yearold lamp engraved with an ancient Jewish symbol, the Menorah, the seven-branched candelabra.

However, as short a time as 70 years may seem even in modern history, when we mark today – according to the Hebrew calendar – seven decades since the founding of the State of Israel, there is no denying the true significance of the day, not just to Israel, but for the whole world.

Yes, it is true, we are marking the realisation of the dream of Jewish independence in our homeland for the first time in two millennia. But this significant step for the Jewish people also represents a giant leap for mankind. As Israel enters its eighth decade, we mark 70 years of a vibrant democracy and a strong and independent civil society – the first of its kind in the Middle East.

For nearly three-quarters of a century, this nation, Israel, has held high the torch of freedom and equality in a difficult region. In Israel, we remain committed unequivocally to defending our people: defending their safety and security, as well as freedom and equality. Our commitment to the values of free speech, diversity of opinions and freedom of religion is the cornerstone of Israel as a Jewish and as a democratic state – Jewish and democratic in one utterance and without any contradiction.

The result of this commitment has been seven decades of achievement in innovation, in trade, in academia, in medicine and more. With much hard work, we made the desert bloom and hi-tech boom. We developed technologies that bring water from thin air, and helped make cars that drive themselves. In Israeli universities and hospitals, we are making discoveries every day to help answer some of the problems that have challenged mankind for centuries. Israel is reaching out around our region, and around the world, to share our knowledge and our experience; from food security to cyber security, Israel is making a better tomorrow for millions of people today. Over the last decades, we have managed to make peace with many who were once our enemies.

But no nation is an island. We could never have done all this without the support of many people around the world. Men and women, Jews and non-jews, who dedicated their lives to Zionism and the well-being of the Israeli people. We could never have done all this without the support of our allies – countries around the world with which we have developed strong relations and friendships rooted in shared values and built out of cooperation.

These are difficult times in many places around the globe – perhaps no more so than in the Middle East. But today, we also look warily at Europe where the spectre of anti-semitism is not so much raising its head, but is in full sight – even for those determined not to see it. Israel is by no means compensation for the Holocaust, but is certainly the definitive answer to the crimes committed against our people. As a seventh-generation Jerusalemite, whose family returned from Europe more than a century before even the First World War, Israel represents for me the knowledge that never again will the Jewish people be left defenceless. Never again indeed.

Closer to home, we hope we will not have to wait another 70 years for peace in this region. Israel will not stop trying, striving, for peace. Yes, we will do everything to defend ourselves. We may have to build fences to stop terrorists, or be forced to act to ensure the safety of our people, but we will never close the door on peace.

As we look back on the past 70 years, we can all see clearly that progress is not only possible, it is also necessary. And 70 years after the Star of David was raised as the flag of the State of Israel for the first time, Israel continues to inspire the world and the people of Israel continue to inspire me.