Just about 2,000 years ago Romans occupied the Holy Land.

Because they feared the Jews might revolt, they decided to build a fortification for the King in case he had to flee Jerusalem.

They chose to build at Masada, a rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea.

On the top of the flat plateau they built a wall around the perimeter, with many towers. Inside the wall they built a palace for the King, and storehouses, a barracks, an armory for weapons, and a cistern to collect rainwater.

In about 66AD there was fighting in Jerusalem, the Temple was destroyed, and a great many Jews fled the city. One group went to Masada and fought at Masada. They won. And they lived there in peace until 72AD, when the Romans decided to lay seige against them.

For many months the Jews were up on the plateau, the Romans far below on the land, and they all made their plans.

The Romans decided to build a ramp up the side of the mountain. The Jews watched.

In the spring, the Romans breached the walls of Masada, expecting to kill all of the men while taking the women and children as slaves.

That was not to be.

The Jews has burned all of the buildings on the mountaintop.

And the Romans found no living beings at Masada.

No one knows for sure, but from certain stories passed down it is believed that when they knew it was hopeless, the Jewish men had killed the women and the children, then killed eachother until there was only one man left to kill himself.

The memory of Masada is important to Israelis.

It seems Israel is facing another time of decision.

Iran's quest for nuclear weapons, missiles, in fact, is a real threat to the survival of the Jewish people, not unlike Masada.

At the moment, it seems Israel has only two choices. They can strike and destroy the nuclear power plants in Iran, or they can wait for Iran to launch a nuclear missile at them.

If  they wait? Can they stop a missile in the air? Do they have the technology? An anti-missile missile?

What would be the result of Israel striking down a nuclear missile in the air? Radiation over Iraq and Jordan? Radiation in the atmosphere to spread for hundreds of miles? Maybe thousands?

What we can be sure of is that Israel will not wait to be bombed off the face of the earth.

Again and again Israel has awed the world with their courage and their daring. It comes from their determination to survive.

The world waits, doing nothing.

Iran is working frantically to complete a nuclear missile.

Be sure Israel is not doing nothing, nor are they simply waiting. They are preparing. Not one plan, but many plans.

It's a matter of life and death for Israel, and they consider all scenarios, all options, all reactions to an assault.

The Jews of Israel know they have nowhere to go. They would not be welcomed anywhere. Not even in America. And they know that from experience, when the world turned their backs on the Jews after World War II.

Israel must win any war launched against them.

There have been four full-scale wars against Israel since the United Nations granted Israel statehood.

The first was right after Israel became a state, in 1948. Five Arab/Muslim nations attacked Israel and no one believed Israel would survive such odds.

Israel surprised the world.

Then again, in 1956, there was the Sinai War. In 1967 was the 6-Day War. And in 1973 was the Yom Kippur War. Israel won every one of those wars. They have to win.

Since 1973 there have been quite a few battles. Israel has not always seemed to be the winner, but Israel achieved its objectives. The world looks through a different prism and doesn't even realize Israel won all they wanted to win.

No one knows whether or not Israel has nuclear weapons.

The only thing we can be sure of is that Israel will do everything in its power to protect its people.

But if it ever happened that Israel could not survive, that the Jewish people were to be conquered and tortured and killed, the world should know about Masada. There will be no Holy Land without the Jewish people.