{"id":144,"date":"2025-09-28T12:03:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-28T12:03:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e4ellis.com\/?page_id=144"},"modified":"2026-05-20T21:22:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T18:22:24","slug":"israel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/e4ellis.com\/?page_id=144","title":{"rendered":"Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Susan and I made aliyah <\/em>(emigrated to Israel) in 2009. The experience has not been without its challenges, but neither of us regrets the move, nor would we consider going anywhere else. Here, we live a Jewish life to a tempo that doesn’t exist anywhere outside Israel. We are safe, secure, and happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That last sentence is not puffery or propaganda; despite being surrounded by enemies who want to kill us, despite experiencing terror and missile attacks, despite the blood-libels of the world, we feel safe here. (Much safer here than when on our travels.) We know the IDF will do all they can to protect us. We weep at the price our young people pay. We know that, when it comes down to it, \u05e2\u05b7\u05dd \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d7\u05b7\u05d9 \u2014 Am Yisrael Chai<\/em> (the people of Israel live).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two famous quotes which it’s appropriate to finish with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Menachem Begin said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As Golda Meir said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If we have to have a choice between being dead and pitied, and being alive with a bad image, we\u2019d rather be alive and have the bad image.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And I stand firmly behind these points of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For ease of reference, this page contains links to posts about Israel, my homeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n