Sabine Sterk: UNGRATEFUL
Imagine living in a country whose ancestors endured the most horrific persecutions in human history. A people scattered across continents, hunted, humiliated, expelled, and ultimately subjected to the industrial-scale evil of the Holocaust. Imagine finally rebuilding sovereignty on May 14, 1948, when the State of Israel was declared independent, after recognition of a Jewish national home by the decades earlier. Even before that historic day, pioneers drained swamps, cultivated deserts, built cities, revived a language, and made barren land flourish.
And still, from the moment of independence, there were wars. Invasion by surrounding armies. Terror attacks. Buses exploding. Rockets falling on homes. Children running to shelters. Death and destruction were inflicted by those who could not accept the existence of a Jewish state within any borders.
What does that do to a people?
It makes them cautious. It makes them vigilant. It makes them distrustful. Sometimes it makes them hard. Sometimes it makes them impatient. Sometimes it makes them unkind.
I understand that.
Trauma leaves scars. Generational trauma leaves deeper ones. When survival has never been guaranteed, when every concession has at times been met with violence, it is human to build emotional armor. It is human to question motives. It is human to focus on threats rather than on gratitude.
But there is something Israel, and many Israelis, need to hear. You reap what you sow.
Support is not automatic. Friendship is not unconditional. Solidarity is not indestructible.
If you treat people who defend you with every cell of their body like garbage, something breaks. If you constantly criticize them. If you never offer a kind word. If you never say thank you. If you fail to keep promises. If you show disrespect in small everyday interactions, whether in traffic, in business, in simple punctuality. If you dismiss the efforts of those who invest time, energy, reputation, and sometimes even safety to create awareness about the truth of Israel and her people. If you focus on one minor disagreement while ignoring a thousand acts of loyalty. Then you reveal something deeply troubling.
You reveal ingratitude.
And there is no excuse for being ungrateful.
Gratitude is not weakness. Gratitude does not compromise security. Gratitude does not diminish strength. On the contrary, gratitude strengthens alliances. It builds loyalty. It deepens trust.
Thousands of non-Israelis fight daily battles in media, in politics, in academia, and on social platforms to counter lies about Israel. They correct misinformation. They confront bias. They defend Israel’s right to exist and defend itself. They do this often at personal cost. They lose friends. They are attacked online. They are labeled and shamed.
And yet, too often, their efforts are met with silence. Or worse, with nitpicking criticism. A misplaced word becomes a reason for public rebuke. A small strategic difference becomes a reason for dismissal. Thousands of supportive posts are ignored because of one imperfect sentence.
That is not a strength. That is short-sightedness.
Even the most devoted supporter has a breaking point. Even the most stubborn defender, the kind who will stand alone in a hostile room and speak up for Israel, begins to wonder. Not because the cause is unjust. Not because Israel does not have the right to defend itself. But because love without reciprocity slowly erodes.
I am a huge lover of Israel. I believe in her right to exist. I believe in her resilience. I believe in her innovation and courage. I believe in the miracle of her survival since 1948. But I would be dishonest if I said I never question whether that love is valued.
And I am not alone.
Israel is not isolated only because of geopolitics. Not only because of biased institutions. Not only because of hostile regimes. Sometimes isolation grows quietly from within, when gratitude is absent and humility is missing.
What goes around comes around.
When appreciation flows, support multiplies. When respect is shown, loyalty deepens. When kindness is expressed, bridges are built. But when supporters feel used, ignored, or belittled, they withdraw. First emotionally. Then publicly. Then permanently.
This is not a call for weakness. It is not a call to ignore security threats. It is not a call to surrender principles. It is a call for self-reflection.
Change the world and start with yourself.
Israel has always demanded that the world recognize its legitimacy. That is fair. But legitimacy is reinforced not only through military strength or diplomatic victories. It is reinforced through moral example. Through gratitude. Through character.
If the most stubborn, passionate supporter is starting to question whether the devotion is reciprocated, imagine how many quieter supporters have already stepped back. Thousands. Perhaps more.
It is not too late. But relationships, like nations, require care. Appreciation must be spoken. Respect must be practiced. Promises must be kept.
Wake up before it is too late. Strength is not only measured in Iron Dome batteries or technological breakthroughs. It is measured in the loyalty of friends.
Make a change today. Because the same principle that built Israel through perseverance also applies here.
You reap what you sow.
