The Nation that roars like lions is powered by Zionism

By Rolene Marks

“And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem and be a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and doing for them great and awesome things for your land, before your people whom you redeemed to yourself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?” Samuel 7:23

Maligned, demonized, misunderstood, bastardised and used as a pejorative, the word Zionism has become another “ism”. Simply put, Zionism is the Jewish right to self-determination in our ancient homeland, Israel and the right of the modern state to exist. You don’t have to be Jewish to be a Zionist and as antizionism, the latest iteration of the ancient hatred of antisemitism soars, I want to take a moment to celebrate the country that we have built. A nation is built by people and Israel’s people are nothing less than extraordinary. These past two years have been a lesson in heroism.

This is the house that Zionism built. The ordinary people who have become the heroes of story.

I watched former hostage, Matan Angrest, pale faced and frail, stand before the grieving family of his late commander, Cpt. Daniel Perez (z”l), and deliver a eulogy, stating his intention to walk beside them for the rest of his life. Angrest spoke of his willingness to go back into Gaza and retrieve the remains of Itay Chen (z”l), his fellow soldier from “Team Perez”. Chen’s remains were returned for burial in November 2025.  I watched this slight young man, barely 48 hours out of captivity, having difficulty standing but a superhuman strength to honour his captain. I was captivated by the integrity and sheer inner strength of this young man.  

I have watched the coverage of the funerals of soldiers and hostages laid to rest and the hundreds and sometimes thousands who line the routes and filled the cemeteries for someone they did not know personally, but knew and loved with their soul. I have also been to these funerals – and the pain of burying our finest sons and daughters cut down in their prime while defending our safety is a sorrow that cuts to the very core. Soldiers in Israel are the sum of us and when we refer to them as our sons and daughters, we mean it in the purest form.

I think of the almost superhero strength of hostage families who moved heaven and earth in every corner of the globe, to make sure that the world heard about and never forgot that their loved one in captivity was more than a picture on a poster – they were a universe. Some families got their loved ones back alive and can accompany them on their road to healing and recovery – but many, far too many, received their beloved to lay to rest. They are bound in the holy place reserved for the martyrs of our history.

The women of this country are remarkable. They are every kind of wonder woman you could image. They are the ones who serve on the frontline and the ones who hold down the home front, who volunteer in every imaginable way. They are the wives, girlfriends, partners of soldiers, offering strength and support while our warriors defend and protect. The weight of responsibility that they carry on their shoulders is enormous and yet they are the unbreakable spine of our country. I think of women like Tali Hadad, a kindergarten teacher from Ofakim who rescued her wounded son and other victims amidst intense gunfire on 7 October or Rachel Goldberg-Polin, who in her fight to free her son, Hersh, from captivity inspired the world with her strength and humanity. Hersh was murdered along with 5 other hostages and the world, in turn, hold Rachel in her grief with love. These are just two examples of the many, many heroines.

Our women defending us in the skies flew missions to Iran as pilots and navigators to strike at the heart of the despotic regime that has persecuted their own women and girls. There is something magnificently poetic about that.

It takes herculean strength and courage for victims of sexual violence to speak about it – let alone publicly. On 7 October, Hamas committed the crime against humanity of sexual violence against women, girls and men. Most of the victims were murdered, their testimonies silenced forever. Summoning their extraordinary strength following captivity, at least 11 hostages, male and female have spoken publicly about the horrific sexual abuse they routinely endured in captivity. They are a living testament to the horrors that happened and an answer to deniers.

Prior to 7 October, many feared that should war break out, our young generation would be too engrossed in their devices to respond. Boy, did we get it wrong! They have more than risen to the challenge – I would go as far to say they are our finest generation. On 7 October, they did not wait for the call – as Hamas committed a trail of atrocity in their wake, our young warriors came home to defend our country. Those that were here did not wait – they grabbed what weapons they had, many paying the ultimate price.

Many of them rest in eternal peace in graveyards across the country, testament to lives gone far, far too soon.

The former hostages that held on to their faith in the depths of hell. The stories of what they endured are devastating – but they all held on to their faith, taking pride in their identity as Jews, all the while knowing that is why they were targeted. Their faith was their rebellion against torture and constant attempts to convert them to Islam. In the pits of the terror tunnels like their ancestors who held on to faith in the death camps during the Holocaust – and those that found secret ways to continue observance in Inquisition Spain or Soviet Russia. They welcomed in Shabbat, tried to observe the laws of Kashrut, said the Shema and all they could to sustain their faith. Their steadfast faith has inspired the same in so many around the world as antisemitism spreads in a deadly blaze of hate.  

The house that Zionism built was created by pioneers, stoic in the face of extreme challenges. Pioneers on many fronts like former hostage Gadi Moses. The octogenarian has vowed to rebuild his beloved kibbutz Nir Oz that was decimated on 7 October or Brig. Gen. Daniel Gold, the brains behind the Iron Dome or the countless others in the fields of science, medicine, agriculture, AI, culture and entertainment and many, many other fields.

The house that Zionism built has tikkun olam (repairing the world) as a pillar of its foundation. Herzl’s vision for the Jewish state was one that helped communities in Africa and around the world. Today, wherever disaster strikes or where help is needed, Israel answers the call – even in those places where we have no diplomatic relations or official recognition.

We are a nation of dreamers – for peace, to blaze a trail in the unknown – but we are also a nation of warriors. A nation that almost stands as a global anomaly because we know the price of not having our home and are proud of who we are and the values that we defend. Yes, there are divisions and internal disputes that threaten to rock the stability of our home – and we cannot allow hubris and disunity to find a permanent place. Our robust, democratic nature must be protected at all costs.

The House of Zionism is built on a solid foundation of strength, heroism, sacrifice, courage, love and an unshakeable millennia old love and connection. The house of Zionism has weathered storm after storm and despite the constant attacks and lies, will remain strong.

We are Aner Shapira and Hannah Szenesh, Eli Sharabi and Ahsan Daxa, we are Rachel Goldberg Polin and Ibrahim Kharuba. We are Yuval Raphael and Golda Meir. Shimon Peres and Artem Dolgopyat. We are King David and Devorah. We are Ben Gurion and Judah Maccabee. We are the sum of all of us throughout our noble history and have built this home, brick by brick.

For over two years, Israelis have lived with compounded trauma – but walking hand in hand with that, is this fierce resolve to live and to win. We are stubborn like that. On 7 October, we were hit as hard as we could be – and kicked repeatedly. Since then, we have fought back. We have fought on multiple fronts as Iran sought to surround us in a ring of fire. The pressure has been immense – but so has our stoic fortitude. Our ability to feel joy and treasure life has learnt to walk hand in hand with our grief. Both are ever present.

Every slur, every accusation even though they hurt has also woken something up in us. It has galvanized us a fierce resolve to protect and defend our home. We do not need to be loved or pitied – but we do need to live.

We are the house that Zionism built. We are the bricks and mortar, the very foundation. There are times when the house comes under attack – but the foundations remain strong, rooted and defiant. We have been through a baptism of fire and are surviving the inferno. We bear the bruises – but also the triumphs. We are writing our own story, determining our own future, with resolute determination.

We are the house that Zionism built.

*Feature photo: Nation Roars. Statue of a roaring lion – “The Roar of the Lion”.

While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).