Empires and superpowers have risen and fallen throughout history, and one of the causes of their failure is the loss of what gave rise to their power and prestige: faith in their ideals.  In an ideal society, homogeneity of beliefs and cultural solidarity are essential.  Naturally, when a society is at peace with itself, maintaining its superpower status is possible. 

In America today, the academic institutions, the media, and the financial elites have succumbed to “wokeness,” within which are social imperatives that have resulted in division and conflicts, a generation that hates America, has contempt for Jewish and Christian values, and seeks to destroy the foundations and traditions of this country.  The “cancel culture” that has crept into America’s campuses and beyond is destroying a free society.  The destruction of historical monuments, because of alleged racism of some of America’s founders, is dismantling America’s heritage.  Mediocracy has replaced meritocracy, and race and skin color has replaced the democratic notion of a “colorblind” society.  The “melting pot” that made America a nation of patriots has now given way to identity politics.  Diversity, inclusion, and equity have become something akin to a religion.  The liberalism of the previous generations, and the common values that made the USA the envy of the world, has morphed into an illiberal caste system.  All of this is affecting the way we live, college admissions, and how hiring is conducted. 

For Israel, imitating America’s trendy social upheaval is a luxury the Jewish state cannot afford.  The incredible success of the Zionist enterprise has, paradoxically, created apologists who no longer believe in the righteousness of Israel’s cause, all while the ideological conflicts of the past have resurfaced and intensified.  

Both in America and Israel, it is the secular and leftist social elites who have rejected the particularism and, dare I say, exceptionalism of their nation.  They use their financial and political power to transform their respective countries into some form of socialist universalism, which accords global institutions such as the United Nations an elevated status, rather than elevating the principles of their respective founding fathers.  

In America, particularism meant strict adherence to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights — which were guided by biblical principles — making the U.S. unique.  Technological progress boosted living standards, and certain reforms were necessary for modern living, but these should not be at the expense of cherished values and mores that lifted this country above others.  True, America may not be perfect, but it is still the best humanity can offer.  Although freedom is one of our foremost values, the freedom to riot and destroy, as witnessed recently on America’s streets and campuses, is not freedom, but anarchy.

In Israel, much like the U.S., destructive demonstrations that seek to bring down the current government under the guise of supporting the families of Israeli hostages in Gaza are only bolstering the Hamas terrorists.  Israelis, as a whole, are united in solidarity with the hostages, and most do not sanction upheaval, especially in a time of war.  Many of the demonstrators that now occupy the main streets and highways in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are the same people who rioted in the name of fighting judicial reform prior to October 7, 2023.  There is little doubt that the sight of chaos in Israel, and political upheaval, encouraged Hamas to wage its brutal attack on Israeli civilians.

The greatest weapon Israel has is its unity of purpose.  The Jewish state cannot afford the luxury of internal conflict and division.  Unlike America, Israel is surrounded by lethal enemies who seek its destruction.  It is in an existential struggle for survival, battling attacks from multiple fronts orchestrated by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The European Union countries who have abandoned God and pride in their accomplishments, while opening their borders to immigrants who do not assimilate, have invited an eventual Islamic takeover.  Unlike the Christian world’s secularism, the world of Islam believes that it is destined to make the world safe for Islam.  

America faces a similar threat; its open southern border has encouraged Islamists to come in and slowly build up Islam’s influence and power.  Since religion is no longer viewed in the West as a reason for conflict between nations, Islamists see the destruction of the godless and decadent West as an achievable goal.  Islamists are waiting patiently as Western societies are torn by social strife and opening their doors for the Islamic invasion.

It is unity of purpose that is needed more than ever in both Israel and the U.S.  America can still bounce back to become what President Ronald Reagan hoped for in his 1989 farewell address to the nation: “the shining city upon a hill.”  Reagan said, 

We were taught, very directly, what it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love of country and an appreciation of its institutions. If you didn’t get these things from your family, you got them from the neighborhood. ... Or, you could get a sense of patriotism from school. And if all else failed you could get a sense of patriotism from the popular culture.

This is no longer the case for a large segment of the American people.

Ben Gurion, Israel’s founding father and its first prime minister declared, “The State of Israel will prove itself not by material wealth, not by military might or technical achievements, but by its moral character and human values.”  And, I might add, that only a unified sense of purpose and resolve will make Israel flourish.

Image: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.