Israel’s Fight for Freedom
Yael Eckstein | May 31, 2023
“Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight.” —2 Samuel 10:12
Natan Sharansky is a former Soviet dissident whose “crime” was expressing his Jewish faith and wanting to exercise the freedom to make aliyah (immigrate) to Israel. After finally making it to Israel, he became a major contributor to the nation, serving in a series of leadership positions in the Jewish state.
As someone who sat in a Soviet gulag for his faith and desire for freedom, Sharansky knows a thing or two about freedom. Here’s what he said about the ongoing struggle of Israel against her hostile neighbors: “We are defending our mutual values of which we believe—that man is created in the image of God, that there are basic principles of human rights, and that fighting for those principles and rights is a big effort worth the sacrifice.
“The moment we stop fighting, we will cease to exist,” Sharansky said. “The free world will also lose its freedom. So that’s why we will not stop fighting. We will not stop defending our freedom and the freedom of the world, and that’s why it’s so important that we have our Christian friends support us.”
Israel is often criticized for this by those who want us to stop fighting. But if we stop fighting for our freedom, we will most certainly lose it.
Israel’s Fight for Freedom
In the Book of 2 Samuel, the nation of Israel was in a perilous situation. Their forces were surrounded by attacking enemy armies—the Ammonites on one side, the Arameans on the other. Joab, commander of Israel’s army, rallied the troops, saying, “Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight.”
He knew that they were not just fighting to win a battle; they were fighting for their right to live, for their families, and for the freedom to worship God.
Today, Israel continues to take such a stand, knowing that we don’t just fight to gain a victory. Israel’s fight for freedom is to preserve our families and our existence. And just like in the times of Joab and King David, Israel stands for freedom for all people. That’s why Israel remains the only country in the region where all people are free to worship God, according to their faiths.
Then, as now, Israel’s fight is a fight for freedom for all of us.
Your Turn:
Join Israel’s fight for freedom by supporting The Fellowship’s many projects that provide security to Israeli citizens and help IDF soldiers and their families.