The land of milk and honey

Whenever we hear of the land flowing with milk and honey, we think of Israel. It is written in the books they regard as sacred that their supreme deity would take their ancestor to a land that flows with milk and honey, where the land would yield her increase without much labour. Because of the allure of such a wonderful promise, the Israelites enthusiastically destroyed the inhabitants of all the cities of Canaan and possessed their land.

Anybody that has visited Israel or heard about their land will wonder where the milk and honey are. Yes, they have food and fruits in abundance, but it is not because they live in the land that flows with milk and honey, but because they have invested quite a lot in their land. Israel is located in a desert region that is not very friendly to life of any kind. Getting Food from such a land is like squeezing water out of a stone and that is exactly what the Israelites have done.

Water is a precious commodity in Israel, and to get water for farming, they have to embark on serious irrigation. Israel does not have abundance of mineral resources. They have a few naturally occurring minerals, especially in the Dead Sea but their wealth as a nation does not depend on them. In other words, there is nothing in the land of Israel that suggests that God specially prepared a place for them.   

The only factor I have observed, which turned their desert into a fruitful field is a unique type of patriotism that Israelites have exhibited from earliest times. They love their land and nation to a point of madness. They start early in life to indoctrinate their children about how fortunate they are to be Jews. They use different strategies to convince themselves that they are the only people that matter to the creator of the world. They go to the extent of branding all other nations of the world ‘gentiles’, a derogatory term that puts a big wedge between Israel and all other occupants of the world. Their brand of patriotism makes them persecute, emasculate or even kill anyone who questions their grandiose claims even if such a person is one of them. With this kind of crazy passion, one can only imagine what their close neighbours have suffered in their hands. In spite of how they discriminate against the ‘gentiles’, they have managed to convince the gentile world that they are better off standing by and identifying with Israel if they want the favour of God. This is the magic of the Israeli model of patriotism.

It is this extreme patriotism that drives them to make their nation attractive and desirable. They go to the ends of the earth to buy or steal technologies to develop their nation because it is seen as a sacred duty to the homeland. All hands are on deck to make sure their system works, primarily because they have a strong unifying force which starts the process of igniting fervent love for one’s country over oneself from infancy.

This undying love for Israel has influenced the writings that come out of Israel from earliest times. They set out to draw attention to their nation with a view to making the world fall in love with Israel and wish to be from there. This unique patriotism has proved to be effective as it has made it possible for millions of people all over the world to regard Israel as a holy land; a place  of their desires. To a large number of people, any water from River Jordan, River Galilee or any other river in Israel is as precious as gold.

Mbaa River in my place (Ikeduru) is bigger that River Jordan. Urashi and Ogbuide waters may be more efficacious than the waters of Israel but the way these rivers have been glorified in the writings emanating from Israel make them seem out of this world and people’s faith has been activated to believe that any contact with these wonderful rivers must bring about a miracle.

Right now, tourism is a major income earner for Israel regardless of the fact that it is one of the most troubled spots on earth.  People are willing to spend their hard-earned money and risk their precious lives to be in this land they have come to believe is a delight and a blessing to step into. This is the power of patriotism.

I do not subscribe to Israel’s model of patriotism which drives them to oppress their neighbours, thereby making peaceful co-existence impossible. I do not also agree with their principle of using false claims of religious supremacy to take the world hostage. It has worked for them but a close look at Israel today tells us that not everything that works is beneficial. Violence and hate keep trailing Israel. The discrimination and disdain with which they treated those they branded gentiles has caught up with them. They are always looking over their shoulders, and cannot really sleep with both eyes closed.

Again, a look at all the religions that have their roots in Israel shows that hatred of other groups or sects is a major characteristic of all of them. In other words, the religious crisis that has engulfed our world today is traceable to Israel.  Those religions inherited Israel’s extreme stance and their brand of patriotism; Israel first, Israel only.

However, I love their fervent love for their fatherland. Patriotism is everything when it comes to building a virile nation. Any nation that desires to work must think of a way to get its citizens to love their country and work for her success. The elders of Israel understood this principle and did everything ranging from the ridiculous to the incredible just to instil this high sense of patriotism in their citizens. It became a religion and offenders were punished severely for utterances or actions that negated Israel’s supremacy. To make it more formidable, they attached everything about them to a god they conceived and made very powerful.

Every child already had the principles the elders designed from a very tender age. It was a matter of life and death because someone could easily lose his or her life for taking a wrong step.

Nigerian leaders must borrow a leaf from the Israeli example. A situation where our school curriculum is not fashioned to serve the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians is a very bad sign that we are not ready for nationhood. What nation will be content knowing that its history is not taught in its schools? Only an unserious nation like Nigeria surely. Our children should be taught about things that should make them proud of their country. They should learn about their past governors in such a way that they can decipher the heroes from the villains. By the time leaders realize that posterity has a way of knowing about their deeds, they will sit up. So far, Nigeria has not done much in the area of inspiring her citizens. The leaders do not take the country seriously. They promote personal interests at the expense of the common good. Even the issue of teaching the children patriotism is something Nigerian leaders cannot understand. If they did, they would ensure that all their children would be educated at home since patriotism can only be taught at home. How can you be teaching a child in America how to love Nigeria? He will learn to love America instead, and see it as home.   

In conclusion, if there is any land that flows with milk and honey, it must be Nigeria. We have very many mineral resources, all in abundance. We have abundant rainfall, fertile soil, rich forests with very valuable plants. We also have abundant human resources. Unfortunately, the absence of patriotism makes it impossible for these abundant resources to benefit us as a people. On the other hand, patriotism has turned the desert land of Israel into a desirable land.  If anyone wishes to save Nigeria from self destruction, such a person must find a way to convince Nigeria’s leaders to devise strategies to inculcate patriotism into our children from the nursery school to the university. That is the only formula that will work out the miracle that this country desperately needs.

NNENNA Ihebom