I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO ISRAEL, BUT I AM STILL ISRAELI

There are over eight million people in Israel. There are children and grandparents, Arabs who are born there and westerners who have made Aliyah. Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheist, and more all dwell together in this tiny country just bigger than New Jersey. But there are more Israelis than just in Israel–they are all over the world.

I have never been to Israel, but I am still Israeli. Constantly on the brink of war, drowned in the media by misinformation, and resisted in too large a part of the world, Israel makes me feel a passion I don’t get from anywhere else. I love this tiny country, from the salty shores of the Dead Sea to the night life in Tel Aviv. It is my home away from home, so when I hear of those who are visiting Israel, I feel the excitement. When I hear of the community coming together for Shabbat, I feel the peace. And when I hear yet another has been killed in the Israeli-Arab conflict, I feel the loss.

Without ever stepping foot on its soil, I know that Israel is my home. It is the Promised Land, full of meaning and life. It is the place I hope for on the holidays when I say, “Next year in Jerusalem.”

And I am not alone. In social media, it is easy to see people supporting Israel. From sharing videos promoting the open truth about what is happening in the Middle East to superimposing an Israeli flag over their profile picture, people are making it known that they Stand with Israel. Many of those posting were born in America and some have never been to the Holy Land, but that rarely seems to matter.

As Jews, we all belong to this nation. We are descendants of Jacob, the one who wrestled with G-d and was thus named Israel, so we all have Israeli blood. We are all part of the Jewish state. Give it strength, give it support, and give it representation. After all, it is our home.

The American flag and Israeli flag mixing together. (Source: awiderbridge.org, via Google Images)