Israeli Independence Day is celebrated on Yom Haatzmaut.

The State of Israel is an example that combines tradition with democracy and a model for all those who strive to maintain their cultural identity and at the same time respect that of others, dignifying all the peoples of the world.

The world should learn to consider, ponder and respect the individuality of each people —its own and that of others— in order to make peace prevail among all human beings.

In order to maintain this path, we should try to guard against extremism and fanaticism. When the individual fails to assume that their role and purpose in life is not limited to a single aspect of their person, when constancy and perseverance is used in favor of a determined group of ideas and attitudes, leaving aside the totality of obligations as humans, then the process called “fanaticism” occurs.

Fanaticism or extremism is synonymous with imbalance. By not taking “the whole” into account in its relationship with “the part”, the latter becomes itself the whole. The desire to carry out that part will undermine the value of it and all the other obligations that it does not take into account, and the results will lead to failure.

For example: in health issues, one cannot only attend to the needs of one organ of the body; each intake and each exercise must be carried out considering the entire body in order to have benefit.

When all efforts are directed towards one aspect of life, neglecting others, the imbalance generated leads to dangerous situations. We should be vigilant to avoid this problem.

We must analyze each step we take, each action we carry out, taking into account that it is part of a set of actions and ideas to which they are part of reality.

Then and only then will every action blossom into its highest aspect, leading people away from extremism and thus toward integrity.

Israel, a young country, in a zone of sensitivities, is carrying out many achievements in various disciplines, but the one that is most worthy of pondering today, as it celebrates 75 years of its creation as a modern State, is knowing how to maintain its own culture, respecting also that of others.

This is an example for all the nations of the world. The State of Israel ought to continue with this policy: value diversity and respect for others, without abandoning its identity and culture, in order to achieve a peaceful and harmonious coexistence within Israel and as an example to all humanity.