Too many times in our history, in too many different ways, we have seen the prophetic words of Bilaam come to bear. For good and for bad, we are certainly, “the nation that dwells alone”. (Bamidbar 23:9)
On the one hand, we are the subject of unprecedented scorn - most evident in the ‘impartial’ halls of the United Nations. “The General Assembly approved 15 anti-Israel resolutions last year, vs.13 resolutions criticizing [all] other countries… Since 2015, the General Assembly has adopted 140 resolutions criticizing Israel…Over the same period, it has passed 68 resolutions against all other countries.” (TOI)
We proudly ‘dwell alone’ in our miraculous return to our homeland and remarkable achievements as a People. The American Enterprise Institute captured this powerfully - ”Remarkably, Jews and people of Jewish descent represent less than 0.20% of the world’s population, but they represent 22.4% of all Nobel laureates.”
However, I recently learned of a new and unfortunate Israeli uniqueness - a struggle that we encounter daily - the insane cost of living. Professional lobbyist Rachel Gur explored this with the TOI, following the statement by the Prime Minister that, “The fight against the cost of living tops our government’s list of national priorities.” She explains that, “one of the known secrets of the manufacturing world is that they have what’s called the ‘Israeli premium’. Israelis make relatively high salaries… have a very high birth rate, and we are very good consumers…And those companies… they know that Israelis are used to paying more money and so…they already price the goods to the Israeli market at a higher price… when they sign distribution agreements with other countries in this area….part of that contract says, you may not sell to Israel. It’s the same deodorant…But it’s being sold for a dollar in Eastern Europe, and it’s being sold for $4 here in Israel”. Rachel G explains that this is illegal within the EU, but Israel is currently excluded from this ‘geo-blocking’ and so unfairly targeted - “a nation that pays premium prices alone”. Our verse concludes prophetically, “Amongst the nations, we will not be counted”. Shocking discrimination or, at best, exploitation - Rachel’s mission is to change this.
Ultimately, we are a people of hope and we have survived far worse than overpriced toothpaste. The Ohr HaChaim sees an assurance here that, “We will survive all other nations in solitary splendour…how could Moav - which itself was slated for extinction - presume to uproot a nation whose future is eternal?!”
No matter what ‘price’ we have to pay, we’ll still be found in the shops (and everywhere else), until the end of days. Am Yisrael Chai.
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