Deep down it shows just how insecure they are about their limited vision of Israel's purpose and its place in the world. That is why even they are so subdued. But there may be even deeper reasons for the lack of celebration among the religious-conservative ideologues who direct the fortunes of today's Israel. Argument, vigorous debate, is a national Israeli passion. In recent years, though, the national debate has turned ugly.
Deep division is now the abiding characteristic of Israeli society.
And that is hard for the dominant Right to swallow. Jewish unity is more than a political objective for them. It is at the heart of their view. There is, one senses, one further reason for the absence of true exuberance. At 50, Israel seems a society at odds not only with the outside world but increasingly with itself.