“And the Children of Israel were going out (of Egypt) triumphantly with an outstretched arm.”

Rashi interprets with an “outstretched hand” to mean “with proud and prominent valor.” Triumphantly, indeed. The Israelites left Egypt openly and proudly, with their heads held high.

I sometimes wonder: Whatever happened to that pride and strength that were characteristic of our people back then? Over the centuries of Jewish life in the Diasporas of the world, we seem to have lost that sense of pride. We keep punishing ourselves rather unmercifully.

Even the comedians joke about it. The legendary Jackie Mason would say, “I know what’s gonna happen after this show. The gentiles will love it, and the Jews will say, “Nah, too Jewish!” Why are we such masochists, forever demeaning ourselves?

For too many Jews, the standard of excellence is determined by one factor: “Would the non-Jews like it?” I’m not Sigmund Freud, but I would suggest that all too often, Jews suffer from an inferiority complex. How ironic that the non-Jews accuse us of being elitist, condescending and throw the whole “Chosen People” at us, while the truth is that we ourselves tend to feel inferior rather than superior.

There are defeatists in the Knesset, and apologists in New York. There are too many Jewish university students afraid to raise their voices, or wear a kippah or a chai necklace, or affix a mezuzah to their residences on campus. There are too many Jews in the capitals of the West who today wear baseball caps instead of yarmulkes. I understand that many are afraid of being attacked by antisemites who roam the streets all too freely. But at some point, we have to stand up and be counted.

With all the delusional cries of genocide, we must state proudly and defiantly that Israel is fighting a defensive war against countries and terror groups committed to its total destruction. The Israel Defense Forces is the correct name for an organization with an army, navy, air force and intelligence units. The old cliché still stands true. “If the Arabs put down their arms, we would have peace, but if Israel put down its arms, there would be no Israel.”

And if there have been occasions when Israel conducted a pre-emptive strike, like in the Six-Day War of 1967, it was because Egypt had mobilized the entire Middle East in a joint military effort to “drive Israel into the sea.” And had they been given half a chance, they would have done exactly that.

The United Nations, the European Union, The New York Times, The Guardian, and other international agencies and media outlets may cry foul and castigate Israel for its defensive measures, but they are no beacons of morality. We have our own Talmudic teaching that puts it very bluntly: “If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first” (Sanhedrin 72a).”

Self-defense is moral and correct. Saving lives is paramount in our value system, but if the only way to save the lives of innocent would-be victims is to take the life of the perpetrator, then so be it.

Believe it or not, Jews are pacifists by nature and by conscience. We don’t go picking fights with people or nations. Our neighbors in the Middle East would have a much better life and standard of living if they were prepared to live in peace with Israel.

In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat famously tried. He even addressed the Knesset in Jerusalem. His reward? Assassination by his own people. And so, Arab despots who might consider making peace are petrified to try because they know they will be next on the hit list.

My dear fellow Jews, please do not allow yourselves to be influenced by the media madness or symphony of insanity emanating from around the globe. The utter and absolute hypocrisy of protesters against Israel has now been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt by their abhorrent silence on the Iranian revolution taking place right now. Not one has come to the defense of the Iranian people, who have taken to the streets and are desperately struggling for freedom. Tens of thousands have been murdered by the ayatollah’s bomb squads, and not a single word of protest has come from those oh-so-moral international agencies and media outlets. Some of the nations that shout the loudest against Israel are strangely silent on Iran—South Africa included.

We have nothing to be embarrassed about, and we have nothing and no one to be ashamed of or to apologize to.

Jan. 28, 10 Shevat, marks the yahrzeit of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson. As the leader of Russian Jewry, he fought Stalin and the KGB, and nearly lost his life in the process. He was sentenced to death for his activities and work in keeping Judaism alive in Communist Russia. Miraculously, he survived. He was defiant until the end and eventually helped build Jewish life in the United States. Meaning, he wasn’t shy to speak out.

It’s time that we, too, left Egypt and the slave mentality behind. “And the Children of Israel were going out (of Egypt) triumphantly with an outstretched arm.”

Let us do it proudly and boldly.

Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates