Israel at 60 and America's enduring role (op-ed) by Annette TaddeoJewish Journal The modern State of Israel just turned sixty years old. Yom Ha'atzmaut this year affords us the opportunity to reflect upon the achievements of the Jewish State, upon the dangers it still faces, and upon America's special role in defending our most valued ally. As the child of a G.I. father and a Colombian mother, I grew up from a young age curious about the world around me. This curiosity led me as a young adult to the Jewish faith. I fell in love with a religion that values knowledge and exploration, a religion built around the mitvah, and with a religion that embraces the Golden Rule so profoundly - not just in word, but in deed. My father was an American combat fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, and he taught me the sacrifices that a country must endure when its very existence is at stake. I and my husband, Dr. Eric Goldstein, know too that Israel is a country that confronts daily those who too often wish it harm. The burden Israel must bear is far greater than any country must be expected to bear. When the rockets of Hamas reign down on the children of Sderot, Israel has every right to defend itself. In no other civilized nation could this even be questioned. And yet, Israel has always been held to higher standard. In some ways, it should be. Israel is a beacon unto the nations and has astounded the world with its technological, economic, and social progress in its first sixty years. But when it comes to its right to self-defense, Israel deserves the same standards as all the other nations of the world. And yet, Israel does not face its struggle alone. The United States of America is the best friend that the Jewish people have had throughout our long journey. My own family bears testament to this history. My father-in-law, Mort Goldstein, was an American soldier who took part in the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. This experience changed his life forever - and the lives of all those around him. Mort, a proud, stoic man, could not speak of his experiences in Germany for over forty years. He shared at last the horrors of what he saw with his wife Sonia, and his children. Sonia later blessed me by sharing his story, and with the true meaning of ‘never again.' My husband to this day cannot talk of what his father saw in the camps, and cannot even bring himself to watch movies about those tragic events. And yet, while the Shoah was unprecedented in its evil, it illustrated an eternal truth: the Jewish people must have a secure homeland of their own. And that is why I will always be a strong voice for a secure Israel - for an Israel that remains forever a bulwark against anti-Semitism and hatred. I am running for United States Congress in Florida's 18th District, and as your next Congresswoman, I will be a leader on the Middle East. Leading means that we must never negotiate with terrorists bent on destruction. It means never allowing Iran to possess nuclear arms, weapons that once again threaten the Jewish people's very survival. Some issues require negotiation and compromise - Israel's existence is not one of those issues. Israel's security is non-negotiable. I am a progressive, proud, Jewish Democrat. Working together with the people of the South Florida, I will carry on in the tradition of great progressive Democrats like President Harry Truman, who supported Israel in its moment of greatest need, despite opposition from his advisors in the foreign policy establishment. As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of a reality that seemed like only a distant dream for two thousand years, we are reminded of the amazing story of the Jewish people. But we are reminded, too, of the fleeting nature of history. Israel's security must never be taken for granted. It rests upon the shoulders of those of us in the diaspora to ensure that it never is. Taddeo, a member of the Beth David Congregation, is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in Florida's 18th Congressional District. The District includes Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, downtown Miami, and the Florida Keys.