In the years I came to Israel as a tourist I visited several museums, but never discovered one that would tell me the story of the connection between Jews and the land.
Of course, there are museums that tell the history of our people partially. By means of archeological museums and the abundance of archeological places all through the land to discover our ancient roots and that of the people who were there before us and the cultures that uprooted our kingdoms later on.
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We have a major museum that tells us the story of the agony our people went through during World War II. We have a museum that tributes those among the nations who helped our people to come back to our land. ANU museum in Tel Aviv tells us the proud story of the identity of the Jewish people in the Diaspora and their contributions to literature, theatre, film, music, and art; but it is not the same as telling the narrative of our people in the Land; our homeland.
We lack a museum that tells the narrative of the Jewish people and our connection to the land of Israel from the days of Abraham until now.
It is surprising that we don't have such a museum, especially in light of the rise of antisemitism in the world focusing on our tiny country as the late Rabbi Lord Sacks pointed out when he says: "There are 56 Islamic nations and 159 in which Christians form the majority. There is and only ever has been one Jewish state, tiny and vulnerable though it is and always was. That is why anti-Zionism, denying Jews the right to their one and only collective home by misrepresenting Judaism, is the new antisemitism, every bit as virulent and dangerous as the old."
Nowadays, ignorant intellectuals worldwide see Israel as an apartheid state. We are accused of colonialism by states that had colonies. The boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement is specifically targeting products of Israel. Their signs to "boycott Israel" are carried along with signs of "Free Palestine". Palestine is represented as an entity of its own, while the first ancient Palestinian potsherd still has to be discovered.
In the meantime, our ancient archeological sites in Judea and Samaria are uprooted, looted, and destroyed. "Palestine" is presented as a country where the Palestinians have always lived and all of a sudden Jewish aggressors occupy them. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas even claimed that Palestinians are the descendants of the Canaanites, the original inhabitants of Palestine and, he was not joking.
The recent decision of the UN to bring the status quo of Judea and Samaria to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to be judged also illustrates that the narrative of the Arabs is taken as the (only) narrative that holds truth. This is of course due to the successful repetition from every lectern of the Arab politicians.
However, it is also because of our lack of showing the world the opposite: our narrative.
Now that I made aliyah, I want to devote my time to be an advocate to this cause, because I am truly convinced that such a place, this physical and digitally accessed historical museum of Israel, including our heartland Judea and Samaria, will contribute to a broader understanding of Zionism and our heritage. It will help us to stand firm against the rise of antisemitism. It will be an antidote to the false narrative of the Arabs.
Today we live in a divided country if you only look at the news. I once heard that Jews need a war to get united. So, please, help me and let us fight antisemitism together because really, antisemitism was and still is our biggest enemy.
