A friend who I have had several heated rows with about Israel told me recently that he thought I must have had a good year. I knew immediately that he was referring to Israel’s spectacular military successes against Hamas, Hizbullah and Iran.
Those triumphs are certainly worth celebrating. A year ago Israel was still on the back foot after it was taken by surprise by the 7 October pogrom. Gradually though it mounted a successful counter-attack including assassinating the senior leadership of Hamas and Hizbullah. It also destroyed much of their military capacity. These military accomplishments were only possible because of the incredible resilience of the Israeli people.
However, it would be one-sided to see the year as entirely positive. Israel has paid a high price for its victories and anti-Semitism remains a severe problem in the diaspora.
For most Israelis 25 December will not be Christmas but day 446 of the war. Of course Jews and Muslims would not normally celebrate Christmas. Among Israel’s Christian minority some celebrate Christmas in January as part of the Orthodox church. But Israel’s majority will likely see it as one more gruelling day in the country’s longest war. (Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, also coincides with Christmas this year but it is a minor event in the Jewish calendar).
Israel’s undoubted victories have come at a heavy price. As of yesterday the names of 821 killed from the Israel Defense Forces had been cleared for publication with thousands more wounded. Then there is immense social dislocation with tens of thousands having to be evacuated from the areas adjoining Lebanon and Gaza since 7 October. The high number of soldiers called up for reserve duty, mainly men but some women too, has also put immense pressure on families. In addition, reserve duty entails heavy economic costs, with lost output as a result, on top of cuts in non-military government spending.
Nor should the tremendous suffering of the Palestinian and Lebanese civilians be forgotten. The exact casualty figures are unknown but they are undoubtedly high. Naturally I hold the coalition of Islamist movements ultimately responsible for their plight. It started the war and it has a concerted policy of using civilians as human shields to protect its terrorist activities. Nevertheless it is a tragedy that non-combatants have been caught up in the conflict.
Meanwhile, the problem of anti-Semitism in the diaspora remains severe. The number of incidents has surged as soon as the war started on 7 October and has remained at a high level ever since. I have yet to find a country with a significant Jewish population where this is not the case.
So the overall picture is mixed. On the positive side, welcome military victories for Israel combined with incredible popular resilience. On the negative side, Israeli triumphs won at a high cost and the persistently high levels of anti-Semitism in the diaspora.
Under these circumstances it seems to me more important than ever to accentuate the positive at times. I certainly hope that all my readers who celebrate the festival have a happy Christmas. And even those who do not do so should stand against the onslaught on Christmas coming from, among other sources, anti-Israel activists. In these strange times western self-loathing has somehow become a threat to Christmas.
In any case it is also always possible to look forward to the future. Hopefully 2025 will be a better year for everyone. In relation to the Radicalism of fools project I am hoping to make an exciting announcement in the new year.
Perhaps a fitting place to end is with a joyous song, Tamid Ohev Oti (always loves me), which has become a phenomenon in Israel in recent months (video link at the end of the article). It is quintessentially Israeli in style although arguably Christmassy in sentiment with its hope for better days. Despite the lyrics being deeply religious it appeals, as the video testifies, to a wide cross-section of Israeli society. Everyone can benefit from escapism some times.
I will be back in early January. In the meantime have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.