You know who I really respect?
The Jews.
I think it comes from being a history nut, and slowly coming the realization that out of all the civilizations in memory, only the Jewish culture and religion remains and self identifies as the same culture that it was more than two thousand years ago.
The Jewish culture has been through Hell. First it existed as an enslaved people. Then those same people threw off their chains and established an independent state that lasted for more than 600 years. They were sandwiched between two ancient superpowers, the Babalyonians and the Egyptians, yet still maintained political independence for most of those 600 years. It took the juggernaut that is Rome to subjugate these people. Even then, their occupation was primarily in name only. The Jewish occupation government was more or less an independent state paying taxes to a larger one.
When the Romans finally decided to drop the big stick 1,960 years ago, it took three, count 'em, three, full LEGIONS to put down the rebellion. The Jews fought to the death, every man, woman and child was a threat to the invading Romans. In the final battle of the war 967 defenders of the mountain stronghold Masada held off 10,000 Romans for more than two years.
After this the Jews scattered to the four winds, with small communities keeping their religion and culture alive and relatively unchanged for almost two thousand years. In the late 1800s Jewish partisans decided it was time to unite the Jews in the Diaspora. They came up with an idea for a Jewish State. It would reside in their ancient homeland, and they would call it Israel.
As this bright star was rising, an eclipse rose to meet it. The Nazi Holocaust virtually eliminated Europe's Jews and blasted a hole so wide in the cultural memory of the Jewish people that it taints their every thought, every memory and every action even now, seventy years later.
Like a Phoenix from the ashes, the Jews rose again, as they always have.
On May 14th, 1948 the Jews got their independent state. The fledgeling nation of Israel was immediately attacked from all sides by its surrounding Arab states. Faced with superior organization, superior firepower, and superior mass, this was expected to be a short lived spectacle. Surrender and annihilation seemed the only option.
Surrender has never been an option for the Jews. Outnumbered and outgunned IDF forces slowed down the Arab advance long enough for this barely born government to mobilize a poorly equipped, barely trained, but highly motivated army. The Jewish second wave beat back the Arab advance and forced them back into their homelands, taking territory as they went. What started as a fight for survival turned into a rout, with international pressure eventually forcing Israel to keep from pursueing the enemy.
Since then Israel has beaten back three similar attacks from its neighbors. It remains the only fully westernized, modern nation in the Middle East and is a world leader in science, technolgy and military innovation.
I have seen the history of these people. Like America in 1941, they are a sleeping giant. With the right motivation they could rule the world. The Jewish culture is faced with annihilation every day, and what do they do? Do they roll over and show their belly? Do they give up to the inevitable?
No. These men and women bare their teeth in what the ignorant call a smile and say to the world "Do your worst. We have survived it all before. You may kill a few, you may kill many, but you cannot kill us, our people, our race, because we refuse to say die."
-Doug
"Stand beside or step aside/ we're on the frontline."
Pillar, "Frontline"
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