Israel's best defense
By Michael Freund

(August 29) - The news, it seems, gives us no rest. Every hour 
brings with it another attack, another victim, more tears and 
more bloodshed. We reach for the tuner on the radio, like 
alcoholics grasping a bottle, punch-drunk from its effects yet 
unable to free ourselves from its stubborn hold. 

With each passing day, the danger facing Israel seems to mount, 
as does our frustration. We all want to help, we all want to do 
something at this critical hour that will make a difference for 
our people. And yet, we seem at a loss as to just what we can 
and should be doing. 

The usual array of pro-Israel activities - contacting one's 
elected representatives, combating media bias or even writing 
a check - just doesn't seem to cut it anymore. People are dying 
in the streets, being shot on their way to work or blown up at 
the local pizza parlor. There must be something more, something 
that each and every one of us can do to directly affect the 
situation, no matter who or where we might be. 

And, in fact, there most assuredly is. However you might define 
yourself - be it Jew or Christian, agnostic or simply confused - 
the key to Israel's victory may very well lie in the palm of 
your hands or, more precisely, in the words of your heart. 
Israel's best defense is the power of prayer, and it is time 
we unleash this weapon with all the fury and determination that 
we can muster. 

To modern ears, it might sound archaic, even simplistic. 
But modern solutions have failed us miserably in recent years, 
with diplomacy and statesmanship bringing us all to the edge of 
the abyss. For all of our advanced technology and finely-honed 
military prowess, Israel seems at a loss as to how to extricate 
itself from the current impasse. Perhaps it is time to put aside 
our cynicism and our doubts, and to do what people in trouble 
have always done in their hour of need - turn to their Father in 
Heaven and plead for help. 

The Palestinians are now openly declaring that we are all 
potential targets. The Popular Front for the Liberation of 
Palestine, whose leader was eliminated by Israel earlier this 
week, has warned that "The flames shall reach every Zionist 
everywhere." This means that all of us who support Israel are 
now effectively soldiers in the battle to save the Jewish state. 
And just as there are no atheists in a foxhole, there should be 
no lips that remain silent in the current battle. 

Israel should launch an international campaign, Operation Shield 
of David, which would bring together Jews, Christians, and others 
to pray on the country's behalf. The Book of Psalms, written by 
King David, has always been one of the most potent weapons in 
Israel's spiritual arsenal. It is time to dust off this powerful 
tool, and to let its words of comfort and succor resonate across 
the globe. 

Synagogues, churches and other places of worship should regularly 
recite specified psalms on Israel's behalf, culminating in an 
international day of prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. 
If tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of voices 
are raised worldwide simultaneously, the echo will resound, 
not only through the corridors of power in Washington, Moscow, 
and elsewhere, but more importantly, in the Heavens too. 

Unlike other forms of activism, prayer is something that each 
and every one of us can do. It costs no money, does not require 
a great deal of time, and allows every individual to express 
himself in a unique and highly personal manner. And prayer has 
the power to unite us, if only for an instant, in an uplifting 
and meaningful experience that transcends our limitations as 
individuals and bonds us together as petitioners on Israel's 
behalf. 

Critics will no doubt mock the idea, asserting perhaps that it 
is a sign of weakness or even desperation. But when a people 
finds itself with its back against the wall (or, in this case, 
the Mediterranean Sea), no answer should be so hastily dismissed. 

The fact is that for the past decade, we have given politics a 
chance, and it has failed us. Now is the time to give God a 
chance, for unlike politicians, He can always be relied upon to 
keep His word. 

(The writer served as deputy director of Communications and 
Policy Planning in the Prime Minister's Office from 1996 to 1999.)