A few days ago, my friend Steve Foss texted me: “If you ever wonder why we Christians love and admire the Jewish people, this video sums it up perfectly.” The video was an interview with Douglas Murray, who has emerged as Israel’s most powerful and passionate defender in the Western world since October 7th. While many intellectuals equivocated in the face of barbarism, Murray has tirelessly traveled across Israel, bearing witness to both the horrors and the heroism, and speaking truth to a world that often seems unwilling to listen. As I watched, I was moved by his observations of Israel’s young generation. In a time when youth across the West seem lost in a culture of grievance and nihilism, Murray had witnessed something extraordinary: the awakening of Israel’s young people in a way that our prophets foretold millennia ago.
“I have so much admiration and pride,” Murray reflects, “that this generation of young Israelis were put to the test and they’ve been magnificent. If you see what these young men and women do on a daily basis from the south of Gaza to the mountains of Lebanon and Syria in the northāand they don’t do any of it with hatred in their hearts.”
What we are witnessing in Israel today defies conventional explanation. In an age when young people across the West are increasingly drawn to nihilism and anti-Western ideology, why are young Israelis moving in the opposite direction? How is it that in the face of unspeakable horror, instead of falling into despair or hatred, they have risen with a spirit of determination tempered by moral clarity?
The answer lies in prophetic words written over two millennia ago. The prophet Zechariah, in particular, spoke with striking clarity about this very moment in history:
The words “I will arouse your sons” carry a mystery that our sages have pondered for generations. Rabbi Meir Wisser, a 19th-century biblical commentator known as the Malbim, notes something striking: the Hebrew word used here for “arouse” – ×¢××Ø×Ø×Ŗ× – appears in this exact form only twice in the entire Bible. The other instance is in the Song of Songs, where it describes love that cannot be forced or rushed, but must awaken in its own time. This, the Malbim explains, is why the prophecy specifies that God will do the awakening – no human force could orchestrate such a revolution of the spirit. Throughout history, there have been moments when the Jewish people seemed to drift from their heritage, particularly the young. Yet the prophets assured us that in the final days, it would be the youth who would lead the return to our traditions and values – not through coercion, but through an awakening of the soul.
As Joel prophesied:
This spiritual awakening is manifesting today in unprecedented ways. Tens of thousands of young “secular” Israeli soldiers have requested tzitzit, the ritual fringes that serve as a constant reminder of our covenant with God. Prayer services have spontaneously emerged on battlefields, with soldiers of all backgrounds turning to their Creator before entering combat.
Zechariah’s vision continues with remarkable specificity:
The imagery of divine protection alongside warrior strength perfectly captures the dual nature of today’s Israeli youthādeeply spiritual yet prepared to defend their people with unwavering resolve.
Most powerfully, Zechariah concludes with words that seem to describe our current moment with uncanny precision:
This generation’s goodness and beauty have indeed been revealed through their actions, their sacrifice, and their commitment to higher ideals.
As Douglas Murray powerfully observes: “They know that they are fighting for the Jewish people as their forbears have before, but this time with a state, with an army, with an Air Force. And they’ve stepped up to this moment and they have been extraordinary. People will write books about this generation.”
This spiritual and moral awakening stands in stark contrast to concerning trends among youth in other parts of the world. Murray notes that there is “something better than this culture of grievance and ‘I don’t have enough’ or ‘someone else must have something.'” The young people of Israel are showing a different pathāone of “gratitude instead of resentment, pride instead of envyāand pride in the real sense, pride in something you should be proud of: pride in protecting your people and your faith and your community.”
Perhaps most remarkably, this generation has maintained its humanity and joy even in the face of unspeakable evil. As Murray notes, “It turned out not to be an either/or thingāyou can fight for your country and your people and you can still dance. That’s what they’re showing.”
The prophets foresaw not just the external battles but the internal transformation that would occur. They spoke of a generation that would combine physical courage with spiritual awakening, military might with moral clarity. Today’s young Israelis embody this prophecy, demonstrating that strength and spirit, courage and compassion, can coexist and reinforce each other.
The world watches in wonder as prophecy unfolds before our eyes. A generation that many had written off as interested only in parties and smartphones has revealed its true character – warriors with the strength of lions and the spiritual sensitivity of prophets. They fight with weapons in their hands and prayers on their lips, with courage in their hearts and Torah in their souls. And in their awakening lies not just the fulfillment of ancient words, but a blazing light of hope for all humanity. As Murray witnessed, these young Jews have discovered what their counterparts in the West have lost – that true freedom comes not from tearing down the old world, but from standing up to defend what is eternal and true.
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