As so many things in our lives at the moment, Independence Day 2025 was different.
Remembrance Day was dominated by huge fires, and the traditional ceremonies and celebrations were canceled, including the central event at Mount Herzl.
We celebrated Israel’s 77th year of independence much as we did the 76th year, at a profound moment of national reflection.
The Jewish people stand unique among nations in that our identity was formed long before our modern state.
We were a people enslaved in Egypt, a civilization wandering the desert, and a community bound by covenant before we ever established political sovereignty in the land promised to our ancestors.
This historical anomaly should have deep implications for how we understand Israeli identity and leadership today. When Moses led the Israelites from Egypt, freedom did not immediately mean statehood. For 40 years, our ancestors developed the values, laws, and communal structures that would define them – not as subjects of a kingdom or citizens of a republic but as keepers of a divine covenant.
Humility vs charisma
Moses himself embodies a leadership model strikingly different from what we see in contemporary politics, local and global. He was chosen not for boldness or charisma but for humility. His defining characteristic was that of a shepherd who would leave the 99 to search for the one – who prioritized the most vulnerable among his flock.
This stands in stark contrast to the rising tide of authoritarian leadership we witness across the globe in 2025, where strength is often measured by dominance rather than compassion. Populists who have mastered the art of social media lead, rather than serving the people with humility.
The Torah repeatedly emphasizes our obligation toward the vulnerable: “You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9).
This moral imperative forms the backbone of Jewish ethics. Our tradition insists that a society is judged not by its military might or economic prosperity but by how it treats its most marginalized members. This is not merely one aspect of our societal commitment but the very heart of our national mission.
Ingathering of exiles
Modern Israel represents the fulfillment of an ancient dream – a sovereign Jewish state in our ancestral homeland. Yet the Zionist vision is not merely about political independence or secure borders. It has encompassed the revival of Hebrew culture, the ingathering of exiles, and the creation of a society that should embody the ethical ideals of our prophetic tradition.
As David Ben-Gurion wrote in 1954, Israel will be judged “by the moral character it imparts to its citizens, by the human values determining its inner and outward relations, and by its fidelity, in thought and act, to the supreme behest: ‘and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’”
Hostages' plight
Another year of independence, and we cannot ignore the shadow cast by the ongoing war and the plight of the 59 Israelis still held captive in Gaza. Their absence from our national celebration represents an unfulfilled promise – a reminder that our national mission remains incomplete while any of our people remain in captivity.
There is an attempt to create a dichotomy between the interests of the collective and the interest of the individual. Somehow, campaigning for the return of every hostage is to undermine the solidarity of the collective, because of the ransom to be paid.
This is to miss the very lesson that our first national leader taught. The shepherd is not fulfilling his duty if a single sheep is left behind. Moses is not enough alone: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were shepherds, as was King David. Rachel and Leah, the mothers of the 12 tribes, were shepherds, too. Indeed, the Almighty himself is compared to a shepherd in Psalm 23.
This is not a bug but a core feature.
Liberty to live
True independence means not only freedom from external domination but the liberty to live according to our highest values. When we forget the Mosaic model of leadership – one that prioritizes the lost and vulnerable – we risk betraying the very essence of Jewish civilization that predated and transcends statehood itself.
The Talmud teaches us, “All Israel is responsible for one another.” This principle embodies the shepherd’s commitment to each member of the flock – all the more so the country’s leadership. This principle demands that we leave no one behind, that we count every captive as if they were our own family member.
Without their return, the celebration of independence rings hollow, our freedom remains partial.
We must rededicate ourselves to the values that defined us before we had a state.
We must demand from our leaders the humility of Moses, the moral courage of the prophets, and an unwavering commitment to bring home every last captive.
The State of Israel represents a miracle of history and persistence, and its ultimate purpose is to embody the timeless ethical vision that has sustained Jewish identity across millennia.
Only when we fully embrace this moral heritage – only when every captive returns home – can we truly celebrate our independence as complete.
The writer is a founding partner of Goldrock Capital and the founder of The Institute for Jewish and Zionist Research. He currently co-chairs the Coalition for Haredi Employment and is a former chairman of Gesher and World Bnei Akiva.