Holocaust refugees were also boat people, drowned at sea. Israel overcame in a way that is instructive for other struggling nations.
The shocking reports of over 1,700 deaths aboard a ship carrying illegal migrants from Africa to Europe have forced the world to acknowledge a developing trend that many preferred to ignore: The smuggling and transport of humans. For Central and South Americans, the destination is the United States; for Africans, the primary destination is Europe. Thousands of East Africans have also been smuggled via inhumane human traffickers across the Sinai desert into Israel.
All of these illegal migrants share the same goal: They seek a better life. All are willing to risk the ultimate price to achieve their goal.
In the case of the most recent tragedy, the migrants came from various sub-Sahara African countries plagued by violent conflict and economic instability.
The circumstances behind these new boat people are so complex, and so intertwined, it is difficult to know where to begin to seek a solution.
Do we begin by addressing the protection of European markets so that African products have difficulty competing; the rape of Africa’s natural resources, which has continued post-colonialism; the corrupt governance in many African countries, often times subsidized by Western and East Asian corporations profiting from Africa’s rich natural resources; or the increase in racial, religious and tribal violence in response to racial, religious and tribal persecution?
We offer one potential, unheralded solution: Israel as a model for the developing world.
Like all of Africa’s now independent countries, Israel too was born from colonialism, in its case, British imperialism. Israel began with almost nothing, a skeleton of a government and a ragtag army. Its people — despite all being Jewish — was not a cohesive one. Jewish migrants came from across the world, bringing with them the potential for internecine conflict. The majority of migrants to Israel during the British Mandate (1922-1948) and in the early years of the state did not come from countries with a history of democracy. And, unlike many African countries, Israel had very few natural resources.
From these skewed odds, Israel has created an economically stable democracy that conducts trade and diplomatic relations with the most advanced countries. How did Israel accomplish this?
It’s easy to say that Israel has become what it has because of grit and determination. More difficult is the follow-up question, whose grit? Whose determination? It is not Israel’s pioneers alone who built the country; the ongoing support from the Diaspora community played and continues to play a pivotal role in Israel’s success. Could that be a solution for other less developed countries?
Many African countries rely significantly on remittances, the checks sent from citizens who have migrated to Europe and the United States. Israel relies on remittances, too, but in a wholly different, highly institutionalized manner. Israel relies on a global network of Jewish communities and Jewish institutions that support the growth of the State of Israel. Israel’s remittances don’t necessarily come in the form of checks; Israel’s remittances come in the form of city-city partnerships, “friends of” societies for everything from hospitals to universities to environmental efforts, federation campaigns and global organizations such as UJA and JNF.
Israel has used this economic support to build leading universities, hospitals, invest in its infrastructure and build a viable, democratic state. Israel is connected to its Diaspora in a way that means Israel is never on its own; Israel can rely on the network it has cultivated through diplomacy and communal exchange.
And the Diaspora is connected to Israel. Myriads have flocked to Israel to work on kibbutzim, to volunteer for the army, even, decades ago, to build a fledgling air force. Not necessarily to settle, but to help. Because they believed in the Zionist dream.
Israel continues to struggle with similar issues that face nearly every country: economic inequality, integration of minorities, security threats, to name a few. Yet Israel’s remarkable trajectory — in only 67 years, from a land controlled by empires for close to 2,000 years to an independent, democratic nation — can be a model for many other post-colonial nations struggling to succeed.
On Israel’s 67th birthday, let’s not only celebrate Israel’s accomplishments. Let’s share Israel’s example with the rest of the world.
Copyright © 2015 by the Intermountain Jewish News
