One remembers the Zionist credo: Create a Jewish State and the Jewish problem will be solved. Normalize the Jewish condition with the establishment of a Jewish State and anti-Semitism will disappear. This has not materialized. To the contrary, the Jewish State itself provides just another target for anti-Semitism. The meaning of the Jewish State is not the elimination of hatred, but the possession of a source of power that can be utilized to defend our people, not only in Israel but around the world, from the slings and arrows of outrageous hatred.

We have learned, and it is to be expected, that hatred for the Jew will again and again rear its ugly head and bring with it untold pain and anxiety. But that sadness is eclipsed by hope, based on faith, and by power, the power that is the State of Israel.

The acquisition of the State of Israel has always been a struggle. It was a struggle when the people of Israel was liberated from slavery in Egypt and a struggle to survive the desert for forty years, so that a new generation more resolute than its predecessor would inherit the land. When the people finally entered the land of its dreams, the struggle continued with a battle for the Holy Land. Throughout our history, in Israel and outside, we have had to fight for survival.

The moral of the story is that ultimately the destiny of our people will depend on its own inner strength -- a strength inspired by faith in the Almighty and commitment to our people, our land, and our Torah.