On July 4, 1776, Americans chose freedom over British tyranny. On the same date 200 years later, Israel made the same decision by not succumbing to Arab terror.
By Daniel Krygier
On July 4, 1776, the American colonies declared independence from their colonial master, Great Britain. At the time, Britain was the unrivaled economic and military superpower of the era, while America was a fragile and fledgling nation struggling for independence.
On July 4, 1976, Israeli commandos rescued more than 100 Jewish and Israeli hostages held at gunpoint by Arab and German terrorists at the Entebbe airport in Uganda. Israel ultimately defeated the terrorists and rescued the hostages.
Both the American colonies in 1776 and Israel in 1976 had to make a decision when facing intimidation and terror: appeasement or fighting for freedom. Both nations chose to fight for their respective national freedom rather than giving in to political oppression and overwhelming opposition.
Since its reestablishment in 1948, the tiny Jewish state has had to fight for its existence against numerically superior foes. In 1976, the Jewish state was not merely facing Arab terrorism, but also an increasingly hostile international community.
Just a year before the Entebbe rescue operation, a bigoted United Nations, led by the Soviet Union and the Muslim bloc, voted in favor of “equating Zionism with racism.” In the Orwellian lexicon of Soviet-Arab propaganda, Jewish national freedom was demonized as “racism.” At the time, Israel’s late UN ambassador Chaim Herzog eloquently blasted the “Zionism is racism” UN resolution and declared it null and void.
Declaration of Independence (left, Shutterstock); Israelis return from Entebbe hijacking. (AP/Pool)
National independence is not merely a function of a territory and a national flag. There are nearly 200 countries in the world today. However, only a handful of these countries have a history of defending freedom and standing up to oppression. In fact, when facing overwhelming opposition, most countries tend to fold and appease their powerful opponents. During the Second World War, much of Europe appeased Nazi Germany and gave in to Hitler’s aggression without much opposition.
By contrast, America and Israel have systematically defended freedom against tyranny and despotism. America’s founders saw the new young republic as a promised land based on the Judeo-Christian values of the Bible.
Unlike countries like Sweden and Switzerland, the Jewish state has never had the luxury of declaring itself “neutral.” Since Israel has consistently faced existential threats since 1948, the Jewish state had no option other than fighting and defending her freedom.
Long before other imperial subjects, the American colonists rejected British power and dominance. While the Americans were not facing extinction in 1776, they were outgunned by the British forces in 1776.
Israel was in an even worse situation in 1948.
Today, America is a superpower, while Israel is a regional powerhouse. While both countries have significant technological and military power, their ultimate strength is rooted in their shared Judeo-Christian heritage and commitment to freedom, even when facing overwhelming opposition.
Israel’s spirit of Entebbe is still relevant today. Tiny Israel continues to play a disproportionately important role in defending Western freedom against Iran’s Islamist terrorist regime and her allies.