It is rare that a short video production contains so much history and modernity wrapped together in a powerful presentation that is filled with so much rapid-fire Jewish pride and Jewish destiny. There really is no way to think about Israel today without thinking about the people who’s shoulders we stand on, those of the previous generations, who gave so much so that we could live the lives we live in Israel today.
One of the most powerful aspects of the war we have been experiencing in Israel is the overwhelming sense of pride in the bravery of the tens of thousands of young and not-as-young soldiers on the frontlines. They have been rightfully labeled as the “generation of Redemption,” as tens of thousands of them clearly are focused on the ultimate goal – the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The short-term goal may be to free the hostages and destroy the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza. But that is not the end goal.
What shocked so many of these soldiers is the fact that nearly every Arab apartment in Gaza had a picture of the Temple Mount in their house (and a terror tunnel underneath). This woke up many soldiers – of various levels of religious observance – to the reality that we really need to refocus where our priorities ought to be. The Temple is not merely a long-term goal. It is a goal that may very well be more around the corner than we may realize, and it is up to us – more than we may think – to move the dial forward.
This video was produced by one such self-professed proud Tel-Aviv Jew who has made it clear where he stands, and on who’s shoulders we all stand.