Rabbi Alexandra Wright
20 April 2018

Eternal God, shelter of peace for all nations, we ask Your blessing on the State of Israel and all who live there. We give thanks for 70 years of Israel’s independence; we recognise her achievements and accomplishments: the pioneers who nurtured the land and built cities and homes, who planted trees and crops and found ways of irrigating the desert. We pay tribute to the creativity, innovation and ingenuity of her citizens: in technology and agriculture, in medicine and humanitarian work, scholarship and learning, in building a cleaner world, improving the health and living standards of many across the globe.

And we pray that Israel’s leaders may strive to be true to its founding principles of freedom, justice and peace. May its citizens uphold a vision of equality and understanding, removing all fears and healing all wounds. And may we, through our loving attachment to the land, remain unprejudiced and clear in our pursuit of peace and justice. ‘Let peace be found within her walls and safety within her borders.’ Va’yiggal ka-mayyim mishpat, u’tzedakah k’nachal etan – ‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.’