Bar Kochba and Netanyahu in the mirror of history

MembersBar Kochba and Netanyahu in the mirror of history

1,890 years ago, Judea was in flames. Shimon Bar Kochba had risen against the Roman Empire. He reestablished an independent Jewish state. But this lasted only three years, as the revolt ended in a national tragedy. Hundreds of thousands died, Judea was devastated.

The Bar Kokhba Revolt is anchored in the collective Jewish memory—and thus in Israel’s history—as a symbol of tragic heroism. And yet, this Bar Kochba became, so to speak, a personification of hope. Rabbi Akiva even saw him as the “King Messiah.” Today, Israel faces a different existential threat. No less dangerous than Rome back then is the Islamist camp now threatening the Jewish state, compounded by unprecedented international pressure. Today, Benjamin Netanyahu stands at the center. Like Bar Kochba once did, he sees himself as the people’s shield, the only leader capable of withstanding the onslaught of enemies and critics. Netanyahu, too, knows how to concentrate power in his hands and decide alone, regardless of all warnings and objections. “The spirit of Bar Kokhba seizes the destroyers of the Third Temple,” read a headline in Zman, drawing parallels.

In recent weeks, a new Jewish settlement has emerged between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion. Its name is “Bar Kochba,” a deliberately chosen symbol embodying Israel’s combative spirit and determination in the present day. In Israeli...

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