Benyamin Netanyahu has dedicated his life to public service including a distinguished career in a top army unit [סיירת מטכ"ל] where he was wounded. He also lost his brother Yoni in the famous Entebee raid. One must appreciate all he has done for the Jewish people [whether he was always right or not]. He is also a great politician and speaker. His eloquent, unaccented English brings credit to the State of Israel in the world forum. He is a brilliant man and it is evident.
That being said - he is afflicted with the illness of כוחי ועוצם ידי - the delusion of our independent power to the exclusion of Hashem ח"ו - as are many Israelis. Here is an example: He spoke at the UN a few days ago and said the following:
... After 70 years, the world is embracing Israel, and Israel is embracing the world. One year. Six continents. Now, it’s true. I haven’t yet visited Antarctica, but one day I want to go there too because I’ve heard that penguins are also enthusiastic supporters of Israel. You laugh, but penguins have no difficulty recognizing that some things are black and white, are right and wrong.
Unfortunately, when it comes to UN decisions about Israel, that simple recognition is too often absent. It was absent last December when the Security Council passed an anti-Israel resolution that set back the cause of peace.
It was absent last May, when the World Health Organization adopted — you have to listen to this: the World Health Organization adopted a Syrian-sponsored resolution that criticized Israel for health conditions on the Golan Heights.
As the great John McEnroe [JOHN McENROE??!!!!] would say, “You can-not be serious!” I mean, this is preposterous.
Syria has barrel-bombed, starved, gassed and murdered hundreds of thousands of its own citizens and wounded millions more, while Israel has provided lifesaving medical care to thousands of Syrian victims of that very same carnage. Yet who does the World Health Organization criticize? Israel.
So is there no limit to the UN’s absurdities when it comes to Israel?
Well, apparently not, because in July, UNESCO declared the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron a Palestinian World Heritage site. That’s worse than fake news. That’s fake history. Mind you, it’s true that Abraham, the father of both Ishmael and Isaac, is buried there, but so too are Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca – Sarah is a Jewish name, by the way – and Leah, who just happen to be patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people. You won’t read about that in the latest UNESCO report.
But if you want to, you can read about that in a somewhat weightier publication — it’s called the Bible. I highly recommend it. I hear it even got 4 ½ out of 5 stars on Amazon. And it’s a great read. I read it every week.
He often does that. He makes Tanach and Jewish references. That's GREAT. A Kiddush Hashem. But there is rarely [if ever] a mention of Hashem. Just Israel's power. When he spoke at the UN before Purim he said that the Arabs are trying to destroy Israel but won't be successful just as MORDECHAI AND ESTHER saved the Jewish people. I think he missed the point of the story... In this recent speech he said: "Today, I have a simple message for Ayatollah Khamenei, the dictator of Iran: The light of Israel will never be extinguished. נצח ישראל לא ישקר.
Those who threaten us with annihilation put themselves in mortal peril. Israel will defend itself with the full force of our arms and the full power of our convictions. We will act to prevent Iran from establishing permanent military bases in Syria for its air, sea and ground forces. We will act to prevent Iran from producing deadly weapons in Syria or in Lebanon for use against us.
And we will act to prevent Iran from opening new terror fronts against Israel along our northern border.
As long as Iran’s regime seeks the destruction of Israel, Iran will face no fiercer enemy than Israel....
Those who threaten us with annihilation put themselves in mortal peril. Israel will defend itself with the full force of our arms and the full power of our convictions. We will act to prevent Iran from establishing permanent military bases in Syria for its air, sea and ground forces. We will act to prevent Iran from producing deadly weapons in Syria or in Lebanon for use against us.
And we will act to prevent Iran from opening new terror fronts against Israel along our northern border.
As long as Iran’s regime seeks the destruction of Israel, Iran will face no fiercer enemy than Israel....
Ladies and gentlemen, in this year of historic visits and historic anniversaries, Israel has so much to be grateful for. A hundred and twenty years ago, Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress to transform our tragic past into a brilliant future by establishing the Jewish state. One hundred years ago, the Balfour Declaration advanced Herzl’s vision by recognizing the right of the Jewish people to a national home in our ancestral homeland. Seventy years ago, the United Nations further advanced that vision by adopting a resolution supporting the establishment of a Jewish state. And 50 years ago, we reunited our eternal capital Jerusalem, achieving a miraculous victory against those who sought to destroy our state. Theodor Herzl was our modern Moses — and his dream has come true. We’ve returned to the Promised Land, revived our language, in-gathered our exiles and built a modern, thriving democracy.
Tomorrow evening, Jews around the world will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of our new year. It’s a time of reflection, and we look back with wonder at the miraculous rebirth of our nation, and we look ahead with pride to the remarkable contributions Israel will continue to make to all nations.
You look around you and you will see those contributions every day — in the food you eat, the water you drink, the medicines you take, the cars you drive, the cell phones you use, and in so many other ways that are transforming our world.
You see it in the smile of an African mother in a remote village, who, thanks to an Israeli innovation, no longer must walk eight hours a day to bring water to her children.
You see it in the eyes of an Arab child, who was flown to Israel to undergo a life-saving heart operation.
And you see it in the faces of the people in earthquake-stricken Haiti and Nepal who were rescued from the rubble and given new life by Israeli doctors.
As the prophet Isaiah said, “I have made you a light unto the nations, bringing salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Today, 2,700 years after Isaiah spoke those prophetic words, Israel is becoming a rising power among the nations. And at long last, its light is shining across the continents, bringing hope and salvation to the ends of the earth.
Happy New Year, Shanah Tovah from Israel. Thank you.
All this talk about Israel's power and Israel's success but no mention of Hashem. Theodore Herzl is Moses but no Hashem bringing us into the Promised Land. He quotes the pasuk נצח ישראל לא ישקר to say that we are an eternal people. But what the pasuk means in context is that HASHEM keeps His word. Shmuel says to Shaul when Hashem takes away the kingship and Shaul begs him to give it back:
"קרע ה' את ממלכות ישראל מעליך היום ונתנה לרעך הטוב ממך! וגם נצח ישראל לא ישקר ולא יינחם, כי לא אדם הוא להינחם!"
But the PM quotes it as saying that we are independently the eternal people.
He speaks about Rosh Hashana and says: "It’s a time of reflection, and we look back with wonder at the miraculous rebirth of our nation, and we look ahead with pride to the remarkable contributions Israel will continue to make to all nations."
What about Malchus Shomayim and our vision [based on Tanach] of וידע כל פעול כי אתה פעלתו ויבין כל יצור כי אתה יצרתו ויאמר כל אשר נשמה באפו ה' אלקי ישראל מלך ומלכותו בכל משלה - Every living creation should know that G-d of Israel is the only true G-d?!
In his narrative - it is all about OUR power. That is the way he was educated. But an intelligent person such as he should realize how jaded and contorted this narrative is. The entire thrust of Tanach and Jewish tradition is to crown Hashem as King and to view ourselves as His servants who have no power without Him.
IMY"H - He will come to that realization soon.
