How has Israel done this past year? It had its triumphs and tragedies, its wins and losses, its ups and downs, its good and its not so good moments. But it keeps on keeping on, the Little Engine That Could among the nations, that despite having to fight wars on five fronts, has managed to best all of its enemies. At the same time, it continues to innovate, to produce more advances in medicine, high tech, weapons, and AI than any other country save for the United States and China. On April 21, Israel celebrates its 78th Independence Day, prompting the Jerusalem Post columnist Herb Keinon to take stock of his country over the past year.
More on the state of this remarkable nation, so small you can hardly make it out on a world map, but so large in its cultural significance, can be found here: “Israel at 78: Unbowed, strong, and determined as it swings between a miracle and a mess – comment,” by Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, April 20, 2026:
…It has been a year of sirens and safe rooms, of long stints of reserve duty, of families stretched to the breaking point. A year of loss, strain, and uncertainty.
But that is only half the story.
Because there is also much that is “good.”
Israel fought on multiple fronts, dealing devastating blows to Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran – actions that will take those enemies years, if not decades, to recover from. It secured the release of the remaining hostages. And it once again demonstrated a capacity for resilience and mobilization that surprised even itself.
We have always lived in that space between miracle and mess. This year, we felt it again and again.
What is often missing in how we process a year like this is perspective.
October 7 was a catastrophe – a horrifying echo of a long and painful Jewish past, a pogrom in modern form. But October 8 was something entirely different. It broke the historical pattern. It was the moment when Jews did not simply absorb the blow and move on, but responded forcefully and decisively….
After a year like this, it is tempting to focus only on what went wrong, on what remains unresolved, on what still looms ahead. That habit, useful as it often is, can also obscure a fuller picture.
But it is not the whole story.
The other part of the story is that Israel, once again, absorbed a shock that might have broken other societies, fought a multi-front war, adapted, endured, and continued to function – not perfectly, not without cost, but effectively.
If you are looking for a metaphor for the year, consider this: the image of Lior and Michael Marianof refusing to postpone their wedding and instead marrying in an underground parking lot-turned-public bomb shelter in Tel Aviv.
This resilience does not erase the difficulties. It does not resolve the dilemmas. And it certainly does not guarantee what comes next.
But it does say something important about where the country stands as it marks its 78th Independence Day: unbowed, strong, and determined.
Good.
More good than not good.
And let us hope that judgment will still hold true at every Israeli Independence Day hereafter.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
Here is how Keinon’s piece began:
Each year before Independence Day, the Central Bureau of Statistics releases its familiar set of numbers: population, demographics, immigration, and satisfaction levels.
This year’s figures show that Israel’s population grew by 150,000, that 7,000 fewer immigrants arrived than the previous year, and that 91% of Israelis say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their lives.
But those are dry statistics. They say nothing about the kind of year the country actually experienced.
To understand that, it is worth recalling an oft-told story from Israel’s early years. David Ben-Gurion once sent a minister to the United States to drum up support. At a synagogue in New York, someone asked him: “How are things in Israel?”
“In one word,” he replied, “good.”
“And in two words?”
“Not good.”
That answer fit then. It still fits now.
What is “not good” hardly needs elaboration. Turn on the radio or television, and you will see and hear it every morning and evening.
It has now been well over two years since October 7, 2023, a day that shattered assumptions and exposed vulnerabilities we still struggle to comprehend. It is also the event that has shaped everything that followed this past year. Since then, Israel has been at war – first in Gaza, then in Lebanon, and now twice in direct confrontation with Iran.
A year of sirens, safe rooms, and reserve duty.
It has been a year of sirens and safe rooms, of long stints of reserve duty, of families stretched to the breaking point. A year of loss, strain, and uncertainty.
But that is only half the story.
Edmund Carey says
I am not Jewish and I have never been to Israel, but I am always appreciative of Hugh Fitzgerald’s writings on this subject. Bravo Israel the Survivor. Esto perpetua.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Israel has had a great history, but I do hope that they soon gain another leader like Menachem Begin or Yitzhak Shamir at their helm. Hopefully, it will be one of either Ben-Gvir or Smotrich
Also hoping that Iran becomes their #1 ally this year, rather than remaining their #1 adversary
R G says
Stay safe, stay strong!