Sammy Azair
    Age 13
    Harkhem Hillel Hebrew Academy
    Mrs. Goldberg
    Beverly Hills, California


                                                                             Impossible Dream


           Whenever I think about Israel, I think of the song “Impossible Dream.” Lyrics like “To fight the unbeatable
    foe/To bear with unbearable sorrow/To run where the brave dear not go” and “I’ll reach the unreachable star”
    reflect the history of modern Israel. In the sixty years since its establishment, Israel has not only defied the odds
    but has accomplished what others thought impossible. Even though Israel has been attacked numerous times by
    the Arab countries and Israelis have to deal with suicide bombers and gunmen, the country has triumphed and
    continues to survive and prosper.  Whether in immigration, education, or industry, Israel has achieved many great
    things.

           “To fight the unbeatable foe…” On May 14, 1948, in Tel Aviv, David Ben Gurion declared Israel’s
    independence and became the country’s first prime minister. Immediately, armies from Egypt, Syria, Transjordan,
    Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and soldiers of the Holy War Army and Arab Liberation Army attacked the
    new state. No one thought that the small, untrained Israeli Army would win against the combined forces of all of
    those Arab countries but it did. This was the first war of five. The others were the “Sinai Campaign” (1956), the
    “Six Day War” (1967), the “Yom Kippur War” (1973), the “First Lebanon War” (1982), and the “Second Lebanon
    War” in 2006. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which fought all these wars, has grown from volunteer soldiers
    with simple weapons to becoming one of the most powerful and high-tech armies in the world. The IDF designed
    the world’s most secure tank as well as a high-energy laser weapon system which is capable of shooting down
    and destroying a rocket carrying a warhead.
           
           “To bear with unbearable sorrow…” Israel has sustained many terrorist attacks throughout its short
    existence. In the 1972 Munich Olympics, ten Israeli athletes were killed by Arab terrorists. There have been many
    more incidents in Israel itself. On June 1, 2001, 21 people were killed and 120 were wounded when a suicide
    bomber blew himself up at the Dolphinarium Disco in Tel Aviv. On August 9, 2001, fifteen people were killed and
    130 were wounded at the Sbarro Pizzeria in Yerushalayim. On September 9, 2003, sevenpeople were killed and
    50 were injured at Café Hillel in Yerushalayim. Two of the people that were killed were Dr. David Appelbaum and
    his daughter, Nava, who was going to be married the next day. Terrorism is something that Israelis have to deal
    with every day. Even if nothing happens, people have to be checked before they enter malls, movie theaters, and
    restaurants. Buses have guards on board. It’s a way of life.

           “To run where the brave do not go…” Israel has a deserved reputation for bravery. On July 4, 1976, an
    Israeli Special Operations team secretly flew into Entebbe, Uganda, to rescue the Jewish passengers of an Air
    France plane that had been hijacked by terrorists. There were 260 passengers on the plane. When the hijackers
    got to Entebbe, they let the non-Jewish passengers leave and kept the 100 Jewish passengers. The IDF rescue
    was a success although the leader of the mission, Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed. In another example of bravery,
    on June 30, 1981, the Israeli Air Force flew to Iraq and destroyed the Osirak Nuclear Reactor near Baghdad.  

           “I’ll reach the unreachable star…” Israel is not just all about war and violence. Many positive things have
    been achieved over the last sixty years. For example, between 1948 and 2007, Israel, a country the size of New
    Jersey, has successfully absorbed 3, 053, 799 immigrants from many different countries and cultures. Israel has
    achieved much success in education. For example, the Israel Institute of Technology, or Technion, is one of the
    top universities in the world, and Israel has eight Nobel Prize winners. In industry, Israel has become one of the
    leaders in the high-tech. industry in the world. According to the Technion, Israel “is home to the greatest
    concentration of high-tech start-up companies anywhere outside of Silicon Valley.”

           Even though Israel seemed like an “impossible dream,” sixty years ago, it is now a reality. It has survived wars
    and countless terrorist attacks. But, at the same time, it has become a strong, successful country of which Jews all
    around the world can be proud.