naftush- thank you for telling us about the kunterus.
R”elijahu Kitov (orignal name Tikushinsky, I think) wrote a marvelous sefer (Hatodoah) and understood that the medinah had its wonderful aspects and its dark components. He was drummed out of the chareidi world in those days because of what he wrote.
Incidentally, R” Shlomo Zevin zz’l ,who wrote the seminal sefer “Hamoadim behalocho” writes (under the heading, the churban,under “The fast days”): “it is logical,that with the freeing of the towns of jehudah from the rule of the Goyim and the establishment of the medinat israel-“Ashreinu Shezuchino lekach”- the din of tearing one’s clothing on these towns has lapsed.”
So, many gedolim saw the establishments of the medinah as a sign from HKBH-0 as indeed it is.