Does Canada have a right to exist? Her two official languages are the languages of two European nations whose citizens took over empty lands as well as the lands belonging to others. The English and French conquerors were colonialists who eventually broke free of the bondage of their motherlands, allowing them to enjoy the fruit of a land flowing with natural resources with no obligations to their families back in the Old Country nor to the peoples whose hunting grounds they overtook. The national anthem, in the languages of the conquerors, refers to Canada as their "native land." The flag was designed by a descendant of the British invaders.
Yet no one questions the Anglo-Francophone government's right to exist. Its flag is proudly flown on every public building all year long, its anthem sung with pride at every ballgame and school assembly, with no regard to the emotional effect on the First Nations and other aboriginal people.
Why is the Canadian Parliament never asked to change Canada's symbols? To hand over administration of the land and natural resources to the people who were there first? The European conquerors were not returning to their ancient homeland. They did not make a desert bloom. They were not even a persecuted race looking for a safe haven.
The natives against whom the "Canadians" went to war were not resistant to their settling the land. The First Nations were not immigrants themselves, riding on the success of the Europeans and then attacking and massacring them at every opportunity.
Yet no one questions the Canadian right to exist nor the Canadian-of-European-descent's right to independence and security. Only Israel merits international attention in the form of scholarly articles, street demonstrations and media writeups.
As a religious Jew, I see the commonplace rejection of Israel's right to exist, as well as the rejection of its national symbols, as a unique challenge posed to the Jewish people. We, unlike everyone else on earth, have to justify our existence.
However, it is not to their standards that we must answer. It is to the standards in the weekly Torah reading immediately preceding Independence Day that we must answer. The reading, called "Kedoshim" ("You shall be holy," Leviticus 19:1-20:27), details 51 of the 613 commandments that teach us as individuals and as a nation how to be the Chosen People, the Light Unto The Nations that we were chosen to be.
When the world questions our actions, we must question our actions as well. We must ask ourselves: Are we a nation that sanctifies God's name in accordance with His laws? Are we a nation that respects the worker by paying her on time and giving her the weekly day of rest? Are we, as a nation and as individuals, as careful about paying employees on time as we are about lighting Shabbat candles on time? Do we return lost objects and lost self-respect? Do we show respect for our Torah leaders yet ignore their greatness when we judge their possible misdeeds? Do we remember from where we came and why we are here?
I believe that when we can answer ourselves as to why we have an obligation to develop a Jewish nation in this land, the world will no longer question our right to a Jewish anthem and flag.
