Israel's enduring nature: God did not bring us this far, only to see us fail - opinion

Rabbi Stewart Weiss reflects on Israel's inconclusive 2026 election, expressing frustration and disappointment that neither the ruling coalition nor the 'coalition of change' won decisively. He argues that Israel's capacity for endurance, illustrated by Shackleton's Antarctic survival and the 1973 Battle of Tel Saki, will carry the nation through current crises.

In an opinion piece published after Israel's 2026 election, Rabbi Stewart Weiss reflects on the inconclusive result, describing feelings of frustration and disappointment. He notes that neither the ruling coalition nor the 'coalition of change' emerged with a decisive victory, leaving the nation at an impasse. Weiss argues that despite deep divisions over core issues like Zionism, support for the IDF, the Iranian threat, and the centrality of Judaism, Israel's capacity for endurance will see it through. He draws parallels to two historical examples: the survival of Ernest Shackleton's crew after their ship Endurance was crushed in Antarctic ice in 1915, and the stand of 60 Israeli soldiers against a vastly larger Syrian force at Tel Saki during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The piece concludes with a religious conviction that God did not bring Israel this far only to see it fail.