Except when their national holiday falls on a symbolic year, or a round one for that matter, countries that have been around for a long time don't celebrate it as a birthday where the exact age is of ceremonial significance. Israel, on the other hand, is among the relatively young countries that regard their years of existence as a precious treasure, as though the accrual of time was an achievement in and of itself, proof of the capacity to survive and growing strength.

Last year, Israel marked its 60th anniversary with great pomp. Perhaps now the time is ripe to let go of the euphoria over the country's very existence, the flip side of existential fear.

On this Independence Day, we could enter a new space, where what matters is not the number of years, but what has been done with them. Especially since the synergy between "time" and "working in our favor," which Israel's leaders clung to as a guarantee of automatic improvement, isn't as certain as it once seemed to be. Time and again it has been shown that time in and of itself does not work in Israel's favor as long as Israel isn't doing its part.

Despite the impressive dynamism with which Israel strengthened over two generations, in its population, military, economy and unique culture, the ever-changing governments have a glaring tendency to view their responsibility as primarily maintaining stagnation on fundamental issues: the Palestinian problem, settlements and the eastern border; the constitution and Israeli self-definition, including the need for separation between religion and state; the integration of Israeli Arabs; the dominance of the military over life in Israel; and the trauma-stricken approach to the peace process, which concentrates on deflecting dangers and initiatives instead of seizing hopes, chances and diplomatic opportunities.

All of these subjects remain unchanged, suspended and frozen, devoid of solutions or answers.

Israel is not the only party responsible for its anomalous situation. Enemies near and far who question the state's legitimacy are not only not dissipating with the passage of time, they're becoming stronger.

But the answer does not lie in entrenchment and a contrarian approach to the whole world, but rather the opposite: remobilization of the same creative energies that drew Israel admiration in its early years.

Unfortunately, however, stagnation has taken the place of change when it comes to matters within our control as well. The new government is not only not heralding change and hope; it is calling for steps backward - in its approach to both Israel's Arabs and to our neighbors and the world.

Those who have embraced "conflict management" and have despaired of a solution, and those for whom governing is an end in itself rather than a means for change and improvement, will find themselves marking time and treading water with us all, driven by crises instead of growing and renewing.

On Independence Day, we belabor the obvious: The State of Israel was established to fulfill dreams, not to arm itself ahead of the coming of the Messiah.

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