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April 16, 1999/30 Nisan 5759, Vol. 51, No. 29
Nation on fireEditorialWriting on the eve of Israel's 50th anniversary, columnist Tom Friedman described the quest for peace as the biblical burning bush: It looks as if it's on fire but is never consumed.Now, as we approach the April 21 celebration of Israel's 51st birthday, the embers of that striving toward peace still glow. While a date for final status talks is yet to be set, and wrenching issues of land and security still must be hammered out, there is an underlying sense that compromises will be made and thorny issues ultimately resolved. Israelis largely concede that a neighboring Palestinian entity is likely. They recognize the opportunities for regional economic development, the benefits of shared water and other natural resources, and immense possibilities for cultural exchange - even as they soberly accept that violence is ever possible and danger is ever near. Israel's quest for internal peace is yet another burning bush. As issues of pluralism and diversity, of religious law and political authority, threaten to explode, the fiery mix remains controlled, the flames contained. Progressive religious movements slowly are gaining a foothold and a voice. Public policy is evolving toward institutional pluralism, including broader representation on religious councils. Like the burning bush that appeared to Moses in the desert, neither the state of Israel nor the quest for Mideast peace will be consumed. Fueling the constant flames is a profound yearning for a place to call home, for Zion. It is a passion that has propelled Jewish identity and hope for nearly 5,000 years, fed by the epic Jewish narrative of exile and return, of persecution and redemption. It is a dream clung to again and yet again by a never-ending stream of refugees. Its sparks illuminate the land and all it represents, elevating its existence beyond the corporeal to the spiritual, and assuring that it will endure. As Israel approaches the new millennium, the oldest of tribes perhaps will find peace at last among the nations of the world - and at home. |
