Why Me? [Israel]

[Israel]

Quiet times like these were rare to be had. Nowadays, he always seemed to be running around, making sure his citizens were safe, going every other week to have pointless meetings with Palestine that don't seem to do anything. They were still fighting. They were still looking behind their backs as if they were going to be stabbed by the other. Nothing has changed.

But his question had always been the same, ever since he existed: why me?

And indeed, it is a legitimate question to ask. For as long as he can remember, the suffering and punishment, the anti-Semitism being prevalent in the world, it had been there. Countless times in history had he been exploited, bound into slavery, bombed, slashed, maimed, almost killed. It had always been his people. For some reason unfathomable, it was always the Jews who had been hated by all. Even in ancient times, there were far too many instances where various other kingdoms and nations tried to wipe them off the face of the earth, most notably the Great Exiles that happened to his northern and southern kingdom, most of which is modern day Muslim land as these lands belonged to his Islamic neighbors. Even now, he is the drop of Judaism in an ocean of Islam- in the region that he lives in, he is the only Jew, the only one who claimed to believe and worship the One True God, and because of this, his people are being thrown into war once more.

He really just wanted peace. This was too much. Since ancient times, he had always been picked on. Sure, his people had disobeyed God far too many times, and they all probably deserved the punishment- however, this was far too much. Where was the promise in the Bible that his nation would be great, that they would one day be called forth from all ends of the earth and live in one nation, where other nations would then come and worship the One True God in his land? Why was that promise taking so long? Surely, they have atoned for their sins enough? When is the messiah coming?

Though he didn't believe in his religion himself and is only merely doing the rituals because it is part of his culture, he still couldn't help but wonder sometimes whether or not these promises were true. He had read the Torah countless times, and he was pretty sure that those promises were indeed written down in the Torah. But what has happened? Where is everything? Why are they still being persecuted, treated as though they were misfits? It's been more than a thousand years, and yet, nothing has changed. In fact, everything has just gotten worse, what with the coming of WWII.

That particular World War was something he never wanted to be brought up. Whenever it is talked about, he grows quiet and refuses to respond. And it was understandable. Though he held no grudges towards Germany, he still couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. He knew he was following orders, and he understood that. He just wished that he wasn't so... to the book about it. But either way, the war was over, and it was over more than sixty years ago, so he didn't want to think about it anymore.

But he still couldn't help but muse upon his situation. Because really, why him? There are countless other people groups out there. What is so undesirable about Jews? Was it the fact that they were successful financially? But even then, he knew that the reason lies deeper than just greed. But the question is, what?

Is this really divine punishment? Whatever it was, he doesn't like it.

Because he doesn't deserve this.