Ben Gurion Knew We'd Need To Update Our Story in 70 Years ....

Right at the end of the 1948 war David Ben-Gurion was asked if he's pleased with the result. This was his reply: "Ask me if I'm happy when Israel is between 70 and 80 years old (we just had our 76th Independence Day in May) - that's where the big challenges will be. The greatest challenge of that future generation will be to update the story of why we are living here. To answer a very simple question - why we are living precisely here? And why we're living here together. *

Sometimes people say really big things - but we can't hear them at the time. Today we're still not capable of hearing, but at least we can hear more than back then.

We returned to Israel and created a stunning country in 70-80 years. We're one of the most developed countries in the world. Of course there's still so much to do and improve. But we're still talking about an unprecedented achievement by global standards.

I'm not really familiar with Ben-Gurion's biography - just a sentence here and there. But when I heard this quote it really connected the dots for me. When it comes to the material side of things here in Israel - we've got everything covered.

But it's like the King without clothes - when we're standing in front of one another we don't understand why we're here together, or if there's a reason for it. And why precisely here in Israel? Why not in some other place? And do I have some special relation to the people here? If not - let's take our families and go somewhere else on the globe with less problems than here. Unless of course there's a reason for our being here.

Precisely from our current sad situation I want to raise the importance of this topic because we've reached a crossroads where each of us needs to decide which way things are going - both on an individual level of doing what's to our advantage, and in general. What's the best direction for our country? The nation of Israel and the land of Israel. Where are we headed - and if we're headed anywhere at all.

Long Overdue Discussion

Ever since the country was founded we haven't dealt with this question. The Jewish Question. We dealt with everything except this. And now more than ever - it's really like Ben Gurion said. We need to verify our reason for being here, who all the people here are, and what our purpose is in this world. Because if we're like all other nations ... great. We're the Startup Nation, and have tons of Noble Prizes, we're good at business, economics, and financial affairs. If this is what the world expects of us, so it's all business as usual for as long as we can keep that up.

The thing is that I don't believe that's the case. This is a really significant issue that touches each of us on a personal level and all of us at the collective level. The Jewish question is a question about Israel, and especially the land of Israel.

If we rely on our historical heritage, and not on some information we got off Google, our historical heritage is very clear. We're a nation that was formed in a certain way that we won't get into right now. We were in slavery in Egypt and got out of there, and gradually started to form a nation. We crossed the desert for 40 years, and prepared ourselves for entering Israel. All according to our heritage, which is essentially - love your neighbor as yourself.

We were a people who lived together in Babylon, and then separated. Abraham and his wife Sarah dealt with converting people - not to Judaism, which didn't even exist at the time. But rather whoever wanted to agree with 'love your neighbor as yourself'.

The rest of the people dealt with self-love, and they were the beginning of our civilization. Our people were around Abraham and Sarah's tent, and later became a nation. Our main motto was always - love your neighbor as yourself. It's on this great principle of the Torah that I'm basing everything I'm saying here. My being here in Israel is not a random thing for me - my family left Canada in 1978 with every intention of settling precisely here - in the land of the Jews. We wanted to make Aliyah because we felt this was our place in the world. It's not like we had to leave for any other reason - my father had built up a successful business in Quebec. But there was an inner calling to come home. So this is where us younger kids grew up. We still have family in Canada, but practically everyone has been living here for many years. My sisters' kids, and all their kids. We tied our fate to Israel's fate - and I believe that this is the right way to go.

So now that we're precisely in a state with two opposite views - each claiming that their way is the best way. Who is really right? So I'm telling both sides: I don't know what you're really arguing over. I simply know from our sources, from my personal life experience, and the collective experience of our nation and Jews all over the world - that we are a people with a heritage, and a history that must end precisely here in Israel. And we must verify this question of our purpose, our reason for being here, and who all these other people here are. Why them and not others? And only then will we be able to build the true Israel.

In the meantime we're not really impressing anyone with all the things we excel at - don't even bother trying to argue with me because we can see the results all around us. Not only in Israel but throughout the world. Almost everyone disregards us, and those helping us do so because it's in their best interests. Everyone would be happy to be rid of Israel if they could.

So we really need to verify this Jewish Question - but the catch is that it's only a question for those looking to get to the bottom of it. All the others here working against Israel, using foreign money to take down the government, and do what they think is best - I'm not even talking about those people. I'm not even talking to those people.

Those people cause so much damage here that we must rid ourselves of them. Whoever may be rising an eyebrow right now - I don't care - because the only thing I care about is safeguarding Israel. And those people that want to harm Israel - simply have no right to exist here. I'd even go so far as to suggest that each of them pack everything up and leave.

Those that like Gaza can go live in Gaza. Others can go to Europe and America. They should each go wherever they want - as you can see no one will stop people from here going into those continents anymore. The doors are wide open.

Those who want to take their money abroad - should take all their money along with themselves and leave the country.

Then the remaining people here will be people who care about the nation of Israel and the land of Israel, who are making sure to carry out this vision of 'love your neighbor as yourself."

We're seeing a great example of this with the next generation - they're putting their lives on the line for the rest of us without any hesitation. I have so much admiration for them - they are risking their lives every single day to keep us safe. And they're only asking for one thing - stop all the rubbish in the media and unite. They're not asking us for anything else - not food, drink, clothes or equipment. They're only demanding one thing - to unite.

And that's really the main message of everything I'm saying - UNITY. To strengthen the concept of unity, to educate ourselves toward mutuality, collaboration, concern and caring for one another, understanding and listening. Having a little more sensitivity to our fellow man - we need to exercise these muscles. And there should be no talking about anything else at a time like this. Not out of hatred or anything else. Anyone who wants to talk about anything else - and I'm really speaking from a cold and factual place without any emotion now - let them go wherever will make their hearts content.

Whoever likes Arabs - can go live with the Arabs.

Whoever is concerned with the European culture and mannerisms, should go there.

We can't mimic anyone else - we can only be true to our authentic selves and true to our heritage and wisdom of our sages. These are very simple rules - really on a few rules - according to which we can all become better versions of ourselves around the main rule - love your neighbor as yourself. Love others as yourself - rather than hating others. And in this we are all - every single one of us - students. None of this will come naturally - we're all going to have to get into this deeply - how to love others as much as we love ourselves. Why? Because our right to exist depends on it.

When we look back we'll discover a far bigger picture - I don't want to get into all the details now, because it's too soon. But first we'll need to get familiar with the concept of unity and love of others - and everything else will follow from there.

* Quote was taken from this interview where Ella Ringle CEO of the Fouth Quarter is quoting our first prime minister (minute 3:00 in Hebrew).