The mature. pained. thoughtful response of Israeli society to this murder is a reminder of something that would be a grave error to overlook: every condition that has been put forward by repressive rulers in the postwar world to justify the suppression of democracy has been present in Israel since its inception. and the experience of Israel is an eloquent repudiation of the notion that democracy is a luxury to be indulged only by those nations that are prosperous and secure. From its birth. Israels existence was threatened by attack from the overwhelmingly larger hostile forces which surround it. While fighting to defend its right to exist. Israel has also coped with the difficult economic problems of a new nation. compounded by the military drain on its resources and its unshakable commitment to absorb large numbers of Jewish refugees from oppression elsewhere in the world. Through all of this. Israel has maintained a commitment to a flourishing. vigorous democracy. governed by leaders chosen in elections as free as those held anywhere in the world. amidst untrammeledoften raucousfree speech.
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refugees