The miracle of Israel is the return of a people scattered for twenty centuries around the world to a land where, in the words of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, they once gave the world the Book of Books, the foundation of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim monotheism. This is the standard against which Israel, a small yet not insignificant country on the world scene, must judge itself. In the words of Isaiah, reiterated by Jeremiah and other prophets, “For out of Zion shall yet come forth the Torah, and the divine message from Jerusalem.”

Christians find validation in these ancient words for their New Testament, and Muslims for their Qur’an. Both consider their Torah the ultimate fulfillment of the Jewish one. But it appears that the Jews, as witnesses of God’s presence in human history, have not yet finished their task. Even though Christian nations in Europe sought to exterminate the Jewish people 69 years ago, and even though Arab nations sought to destroy the Jewish state 60 years ago before it was even born, the Jews and their state have survived and prevailed. At 60, as Israel begins to mature as a state, and as the reality of Jewish life is no longer what it was before the birth of the state, it is time for all Jews to ask themselves why we have survived, and what is the higher meaning and purpose of the State of Israel and of Jewish existence, which in fact are one and the same.

As a native of Israel and as a Jew, I believe that we Jews have a role to play in this world, namely, tikkun olam b’malchut shaddai, to repair the world according to a higher plan. There are those among us who argue that “the whole world is against us,” hence we have to be ever vigilant and be prepared to strike back. This is a narrow view that has no future. It is the denial of hope and the rejection of faith. The whole world is not against us, and we are not and never have been more righteous than others. The miracle of our survival is due to something greater than ourselves. It is a gift and a trust, and we must heed its meaning and purpose.

In the first 60 years of its existence, Israel, with the help of world Jewry, has performed the miracle of making the desert bloom, absorbing millions of Jewish immigrants, and winning Nobel Prizes in literature, peace, and science. All Jews can take pride in the achievements of the Jewish state. But now the time has come for the state in partnership with world Jewry to reach out beyond self interest, and become a leader in pursuing world peace, fighting world poverty and disease, saving the planet, developing alternate sources of energy, and helping make the planet a kinder and gentler place. A good start has already been made, with Israeli experts helping victims of natural disasters around the world, taking in refugees from Vietnam, etc. But much more can be done, and Israel and world Jewry are up to the task.

Last but not least is the seemingly insoluble Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A peace treaty between the two people is yet to be reached. Some Palestinian leaders question the viability of an independent Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza. Here there are two things to consider. First, a successful Palestinian state is in Israel’s best interest. Israel ought to make every effort to help such a state become a reality. Second, one and a half million Palestinian Arabs, both Christian and Muslim, are Israeli citizens. Here Israel has missed a golden opportunity to reach out to its own Arab citizens and make them a more integral part of the state. This would have gone a long way in healing the long and bitter conflict between the two people. But it is not too late. Rather than continue to treat its own Arabs as second class citizens, Israel at 60 needs to make it a top national priority to enable its Arab population to become an integral part of the state. Only then will Israel become a true democracy, a true “light to the nations.”