One often hears the refrain [often said while all choked up from emotion] that the Nazi's killed us but today we have the IDF and can defend ourselves.
I am not so sanguine.
Since the birth of the State, thousands and thousands of IDF soldiers have been killed. Being killed while trying to defend yourself and being killed while unable to defend yourself has the same result.
Death.
This does not mean that we should not have an army. But just having an army doesn't stop people who hate us from killing us - both our soldiers and the countless people who have been killed despite the IDF. During the Gulf War, we were all told - including the soldiers - to go into sealed rooms for fear of Scud missiles and chemical warfare.
Of course, if you see a chayal - kiss him [if he wants to be kissed and you are male] but we would rather not have an army. We would rather have nobody killing us so that we don't have to train our children to kill or be killed.
So thank G-d for the soldiers who are risking their lives daily to defend us - we owe them a TREMENDOUS debt of gratitude.
But in an ideal messianic world there is no army, no killing, no fighting and no danger. That is what we yearn for.
In the meantime we quote the Navi:
וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי לֵאמֹר זֶה דְּבַר יְהוָה אֶל זְרֻבָּבֶל לֵאמֹר לֹא בְחַיִל וְלֹא בְכֹחַ כִּי אִם בְּרוּחִי אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת.
