Israel is much safer now than a few years back, Egypt is really pro Israel, Iran wants to make peace, even Saudi Arabia is positive towards Israel. How has this come to be?
I will not diminish the epic work done by mr. Netanyahu. He has protected his people against innumerable enemies, and successfully so. IDF as well, professionally and carefully.
At the other hand, Israel has been bestowed with one of the most illustrious liberal leaders of the time mr. Peres. His leadership will also be legendary.
In a way, this has been the blessing of Israel; balance between strength and forgiveness, between dialogue and defense.
This is how nature works. On one hand there is the material world, where the strong rules the weak and there is no justice, on the other hand there is the spiritual world where we are all connected.
Politics is about finding that difficult balance. I know how difficult it is. I have tried to have my mother taken away, having my daughter in harms way. In the face of these difficulties, insisting on the path of dialogue and peace is extremely difficult. Sometimes we have to fight, but if we forget that our true mission is a mission of peace we loose. This task is almost inhuman, but it is these stakes that are put up in front of us.
This is why we were chosen, I think, because through our misery the world will have faith in the creator. Because they see, that even though we lose the persons who are most dear to us, we still fight for peace.
This process is easily understood and acknowledged by the nations around us. They see if we sacrifice ourselves, and they want us as friends when we are on the level of some of the saints and heroes they also revere.
This will always be the difficulty of being a Jew. But it is nevertheless this work we have always had as a burden and sometimes as a blessing.
Walking the thin rope between the material world and the spiritual world, and always failing, but a few times actually fulfilling the covenant.
G-d bless the task of the Jews.