The words of Samuel II, 7:23, which find themselves in the Shabbat Mincha service, took on a new meaning for me this past Monday: “You are one (of a kind), Your name is one (unique) and who is like Your people, a suis generis nation on earth.”
Without a doubt I’m in the minority, but for me the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem was the “Shanda of all Shandas” (Shanda is German/Yiddish for shame or embarrassment.) What it shows is 70 years of Chutzpah of the highest order on the part of governments of pretty much all countries of this world. Would any of these countries have dared to open their embassies in New York rather than Washington D.C. or in Toronto rather than Ottawa? Yet, it was perfectly legitimate for them to open their Embassies in Tel-Aviv rather than Jerusalem. For shame!
As one who has an affinity for a number of Israel’s Prime Ministers, I share with you three different “embassy” responses taken out of context, from three leaders of the modern State of Israel. I do so with full knowledge that these responses are anything but politically correct in the eyes of contemporary culture:
“History has shown us time and time again that what is right is not what is popular.” Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s current P.M. could not have been more concise in evaluating the lack of courage exhibited by government after government. Obviously, popular is far more important than right. A modicum of justice would dictate that Israel open its embassy in Sao Paulo rather than Brasilia, in Manchester rather than London and in Leningrad rather than Moscow. Yet, there are those American Jews, who in response to our current president’s decision to open the American Embassy in Jerusalem exult: “Mah Rabbu Ma’asecha!” or “How great are you deeds!” (Psalm 104.) No doubt, I’m a lone voice, but as far as I’m concerned, such effusiveness smacks of the shtetl Jew beholden to the Poritz (wealthy Polish landlord) for the slightest of accommodations.
From my point of view, it behooves us to borrow from Golda Meir who turned to Anwar Sadat on his first visit to Israel over four decades ago and remarked “What took you so long!” All countries of the world, including these United States, have had over half a century to come to terms with the reality that Jerusalem is no longer a divided city. All countries of the world have had over fifty years to accept the reality that the unity of Jerusalem is non–negotiable. Refusing to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is tantamount to refusing to recognize New York City as being on American soil.
There is a speech made by Menachem Begin taking Helmut Schmidt to task for having the audacity to lecture Israel about the rights of the Palestinian people. “Of all people, for you Germans to speak about human rights is a sham. What gives you the right to speak about minority groups? We Jews should be the ones lecturing you Germans about human rights and not the other way around. We are the people who introduced the notion of human rights to the world.” Given his conviction, given his boldness, it’s quite likely that Menachem Begin would have lectured the world by saying: Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel, long before any of your countries came into existence. If history has taught us anything, it’s that countries come and go. So do their capitals. But Jerusalem is eternal. We welcome those who relocate their embassies to Israel. But know one thing. With or without your embassies, Jerusalem has been and will continue to be the capital of the Jewish State.