Israeli journalist| In the seventy-sixth year of its establishment: Israel is divided into 6 countries and one people

Ehud Yatom

In the seventy-sixth year of its independence, the State of Israel can be said to be a metaphor for 6 countries and one people.

The first state: It is the state of burden-bearers, who contribute to military service, or within the framework of national service, or in the reserve forces, or in life-saving services, and in service in the security services, in addition to its contribution to the economy, education, and building society. It should be noted that those who bear the burdens do not receive a fair reward, neither in terms of their salaries, according to their efforts, nor adequate compensation for the loss of property and business due to their service and contribution.

The second state: It is the state of evaders: those who do not bear the burdens, and do not contribute to bearing the burdens of the state with the least, neither through voluntary, nor civil, nor economic, nor social contributions. All they seek is to obtain profits from the state without contributing anything. These days, we live in the time of the scandalous draft law, or by its more accurate name: the “Draft Evasion Law.” It is not just about contributing to the state through military service and reserve forces, but rather about comprehensively evading any possible contribution to building the state, and of course, there is much that can be contributed to for the sake of this state.

The third country: It is the country in the southwest of the country, the “Gaza envelope” country: where the government abandoned its citizens for years. They were bombarded with rockets and mortar shells, and on October 7th, they were abandoned, killed, and kidnapped. Their homes were burned, and entire families paid an unbearable price. Hundreds of thousands of citizens of this country remain refugees throughout the country, and no one knows when they will return to their homes.

The fourth state: It is the state of the Upper Galilee, the Western Galilee, and parts of the Golan Heights. Tens of thousands of its residents have been driven from their homes, many homes destroyed by anti-tank missile fire, fields burned, orchards destroyed, and crops rotting on the trees. Its residents' livelihood has vanished, and their project in life has vanished.

The fifth state: is the state of the West Bank, where there has been “terrorism” that has been going on for decades, with a significant escalation since October 7, in light of continuous attempts by Iran and those within its orbit to open a wide “terrorism” front between Jenin in the north and Hebron. In the south, but without much success. In the West Bank, unlike the north and south of the country, we are the victors, and we are able to prevent the attacks. Not all attacks can be prevented, and it is also not possible to completely eliminate "terrorism", but it can be repelled and lives saved.

The sixth state: It is the state in the middle of the country, where daily life goes on normally and calmly, as if there is no war. Restaurants and cafes are full, stores are open, the education system is operating as usual, and companies and workplaces have not been significantly affected, except for those where employees work long periods in the reserve forces, and there is no one to replace them. This does not mean that the citizens of downtown are not worried or afraid of the situation, but some of them live and act in complete ignorance of what is happening around them. This is the center state: a vibrant, self-focused state that has fun and travels abroad.

There is a seventh country, but it is outside the borders of our wounded and torn country, and it is the country of immigrants. Its inhabitants preferred to find safe havens across the seas: those who decided after the terrible seventh of October to take a break and look for a good time, peace and tranquility in distant lands.

One people: a people with a glorious past, a present that raises questions, painful and full of problems, and an unknown future, but with hope for recovery.

Source: Maariv