After a week in Israel, I found myself thinking this afternoon about fear. I was sitting near the water at a cafe in the Ashkelon marina. The weather was beautiful, sunny and 20 degrees Celsius. I noticed several young families. There were two families of five. In both cases parents were shepherding a baby and two older children. Another couple were walking with a fourteen year old.
I found myself thinking about these children and their future military service. It’s a well known fact that Israelis have more children than people in western Europe or North America. How do these parents think about raising Israeli children who will serve in the IDF and may see action in defense of the country? Do these parents fear for their children’s future? Do Israelis have more children than average because of the risk that some will lose their lives in combat?
Anyone who has been a parent knows that fear of what the future holds in store for our children comes with the role. Especially for those who have children with extra challenges, thoughts of what the future may hold can be daunting. But for most of us in Canada, the fear of death in battle is simply not on our radar.
Right now in Israel, the fear must be magnified one hundred fold. Tens of thousands of Israelis are serving in combat. Almost every day brings news of a death or injury. The majority of Israelis are related to someone who is in harm’s way or know someone who is. A great many have lost someone close to them in the past four months.
Image: Marina in Ashkelon — picture by David Roytenberg
At the same time I found myself wondering what role fear plays in bringing the people of Israel together. I wrote in my previous article about Israeli resilience and the strong sense of unity I see in the country. It seems to me that the immediacy of the common threat is part of what creates that powerful sense of community.
What does it take to raise a generation of young people who hurry off, like their parents and grandparents before them to battle for the preservation of their country? How does the fear of losing the beloved homeland fuel the every day heroism of so many Israelis?
Since before the founding of the state, Israelis have lived under the shadow of violence. The relentless hatred that emanates today from Hamas and the PA, and echoes around the world, reminds the people of this small country that they can’t take their safety, let alone their prosperity and comfort, for granted. But the lack of vigilance along the border in the face of intelligence that Hamas was planning something big, shows that the fear of attack that motivated Israelis in the past had perhaps given way to complacency. A healthy fear of the enemy is a necessary evil which keeps the nation ready to defend itself.
In the Jewish tradition we are commanded to fear God. Leviticus 19, verse 14 reads “You shall not curse the deaf, and before the blind you shall not place a stumbling block; rather you shall fear your God, I am the Lord.” Here, fear of God is cited as a motive to ensure that we don’t take advantage of those around us who are at a disadvantage. How important is fear of God in maintaining a sense of community where the norm is to behave well toward strangers?
This injunction is, of course, also part of the Christian Bible. How has fear of God helped to sustain our societies in the past? Can a society in which most people don’t believe in God sustain the kind of good conduct that is necessary for peace order and good government?
I wonder if a society in which people don’t fear God is a society in which people instead fear each other. It is said that there is a decline of belief in most western countries. This has coincided with a rise in political tribalism and a fear of those who don’t share our political beliefs. Does the lack of common beliefs leave us more at risk of seeing evil in our fellow citizens?
While volunteering this week at Kibbutz Saad, my son and I were witness to people pushing on with their work in the shadow of war. On October 7, the kibbutz guard succeeded in fighting off the invaders who had ravaged neighbouring communities. One of those guards, who was on duty the day we first visited the kibbutz, is dating the daughter of a woman I know in Toronto.
While many of the residents of Saad have been evacuated and are staying elsewhere in the country, the factories there are running and the managers are staying in the community. Workers report for duty daily. It was an honour to be among them and bear witness that fear will not drive the people of Israel from their land
.Image: View of Kibbutz Saad from the Carrot Factory — Photo by David Roytenberg
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I have raised a large family in Israel. Most people I know, are like myself, veteran immigrants. When we came here decades ago, we committed ourselves, all in, to every aspect of life here. I don't recall any of us ever deliberating over this or hesitating. Nobody packed up and left before their kids were called up. We and our children all looked forward with enthusiasm to that stage of life. All mine and everyone else's I know, served proudly, It was not always easy but it is just what is done, a non issue.
Those who not serve, are looked down upon. Physically and mentally challenged individuals or those with medical conditions, often fight tooth and nail to be drafted, or at least volunteer. Others come from abroad as lone soldiers and often stay and make aliyah, Many whose parents left the country, return to serve as well. Additional fringe benefits of serving are that it helps tremendously by opening doors for future studies and employment. It is the best way to learn the ropes and how to function here. In the army people also make lifelong friendships. It is a great honour and a privilege.
Agree that there is a lack of fear and a decline in religion in almost all western democracies. And this has created a weird sense of complacency notable in North America, but more acutely in Europe where people have moved on from the Russia-Ukraine War to the order of the day. Lots of similarities with the 1930s.