"To Be an Israeli" Rav David Milston (Director of Overseas Programs at Midreshet Harova) I would like to respond to the article by Yair Lapid 'To be an Israeli": To be an Israeli: To be an Israeli - Is to be proud of the country that you live in. To be an Israeli - Is to be taking part in the making of History. To be an Israeli - Is to get up in the morning knowing that you are doing the right thing. To be an Israeli - Is to have faith in the G-d of Israel. To be an Israeli - Is to be able to look further than your own back yard,to dedicate your life to your people. To be an Israeli - Is to look at your children with pride that they with you are a part of Shivat Tzion. To be an Israeli - Is to drive to work through a road full of tanks, fulfilling the ideology that you preached with such enthusiasm. To be an Israeli - Is to keep driving on that road, because this is your Homeland. To be an Israeli - Is to be here and not in the Diaspora. To be an Israeli - Is to be living in the land of the Tenach, surrounded by enemies but happy in your portion. To be an Israeli - Is to see the flag flying and remember the reality of sixty years ago in Europe, thanking G-d every day for the miracle of Independence. To be an Israeli - Is to have meaning in your life. To be an Israeli - Is to know that we are all brothers. To be an Israeli - Is to know that for life to be real it must have a real purpose. To be an Israeli - Is the fact that when you hear bad news you care. To be an Israeli - Is the fact that you are proud of your people, their restraint, their morality, their courage. To be an Israeli - Is when life is so much more than what you earn. To be an Israeli - Is to know that when you face the Almighty, whenever that maybe you will be able to say that you did something for your people. To be an Israeli is the greatest thing I have ever done, it is the most wonderful achievement I can be proud of. This is my Home, not because I have no other, but because this is my home!