In Defense of Israeli Nationalism

Nearly 18 months into the Jewish state’s longest war, it is important to remember what Israelis are fighting for.

Israelis have now been fighting Iran and its allied military organizations for nearly 18 months. This is already Israel’s longest war, surpassing even our War of Independence, which ended in an armistice after 15 months of fighting on multiple fronts. Shortly after the massacres of October 7, 2023, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israelis that the coming conflict would be our “Second War of Independence.”

We know now that he was right.

Israel has conducted a protracted campaign to destroy enemy forces in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, in addition to preliminary engagements in Samaria, Yemen, and Iran. Yet the end is not in sight. Nor will it be until the existential threat to the Jewish State posed by Iran and its allies has been eliminated.

The prosecution of such a lengthy and difficult war has taxed Israel’s soldier-citizenry in ways that none of us expected to see again. Many reservists have had to leave their families and businesses for most of the last year and a half. Even very small communities have had to bury many victims of Hamas and Hezbollah atrocities. And the numbers of our fallen and wounded continue to mount.

Under these circumstances, it is important to remember what Israelis are fighting for. A little more than a year ago, on February 28, 2024, I was asked to present Israel’s cause at the University of Colorado—Boulder. At the request of my hosts at the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization at UCB, the topic of my talk was “In Defense of Israeli Nationalism.”

Neither my speech nor the intense question and answer session that followed have become dated in the intervening year. On the contrary, this is a subject whose relevance has only grown.

I’m pleased to be able to present you with the full 85-minute video recording of my talk and of my conversation with the students afterwards.