Unfortunately, a lot of people share [this] simplistic view

B"H

One of my friends alerts me to blog entries I should be commenting on. This is a comment on a blog entry called Quo Vadis, Israel? by Dana J. Tuszke: (the italicized parts below are quotes from her blog entry)

I have a lot to say about your original post and, while I read a number of the comments, I didn't read them all, so if I repeat anything that has been said before, please excuse me.

I can only hope that your purpose in writing this was to learn more about the subject. I hope the comments you have received have helped in this regard and I hope I can add to your education on this subject.

First of all, I'd like to suggest you read my blog "Israel and its place in the world" for some more insights. I do have a bit of a background. I have family in Israel (I've been to Israel myself 4 times, once for 9 months of a 1 year program, the rest for family celebrations). I learned quite a bit of Jewish History in my years in Yeshiva (Jewish Day School, not after school Hebrew School) and I learn more by working with my tutees. So, perhaps, I have a bit more understanding of the subject.

"I do remember learning about the Holy Land in catechism class, but only as it pertained to the Roman-Catholic faith, the Bible, or Jesus Christ himself."

As a Roman Catholic, I doubt you could possibly understand what Israel means to the heart and soul of the Jewish people. I won't even attempt to explain it in this short (?!?!) forum.

"I once asked a teacher why there were so many conflicts in the Middle East, why people were always fighting with each other, but I never received an answer that made any sense. My questions were often answered with generalizations or personal assumptions."

Sigh. This is a problem. If I were to try to explain the roots of this issue it would sound paranoid. I would suggest you read Brigitte Gabriel's book "Because They Hate". While it's not a Jewish perspective on the issue, it gives you an idea of what happens when open-minded people let the Islamists move in.

"'For Jews and non-Jews alike," Nennhaus writes, "the State of Israel has become the source of disappointment and concern. The world has witnessed the never-ending tragedy that has befallen the Holy Land with its wars, bombings and intifadas, and the United States, in spite of its unmatched influence, has been unable to resolve the crisis.'"

I'm quite surprised that Israel is a source of disappointment. To me, the only disappointment I have with Israel is its government's inability to see the true threat and protect its citizens (especially those in Sderot, but I digress). The wars, bombings and intifadas are caused, quite simply, by the Islamists' aversion to a Jewish presence in a place they consider theirs. Israel, BTW, is a bit smaller than New Jersey and has a population density of over 700 people per square mile (this is a far higher population density than Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia and far less land and even the smallest of these four). Israel is anything but a disappointment to Jews living there, the technology companies who have branches there, the cell phone customers all over the world (the technology for cell phones was developed in Israel, which probably explains the high per capita cell phone use in Israel).

I can't understand how anyone could be disappointed with Israel -- the people who have lived in Israel have taken a place that was desolate and turned into a garden spot. They took a colony and turned it into a country. They took a place living under despots and dictators and created a democracy. They took a spot in the third world and created a modern country based on freedom, liberty and equality for all. They took a piece of real estate (much of which was paid for by Jewish agencies and private Jews) and turned it into a haven not only for oppressed Jews (eg Soviet Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Yemenite Jews, etc.) but also for oppressed non-Jews (eg Vietnamese boat people, members of the Baha'i faith, etc.). How can anyone be disappointed with that?

"The author believes that peace in Israel cannot be achieved if things stay as they are and always have been, and offers that the solution may lie in relocating the State of Israel to a geographic region where there is no hostility."

Interesting idea, but hardly new. When Theodore Herzl, the father of Zionism, first thought about what would erase anti-Semitism in the world (he had just been witness to one of the most anti-Semitic happenings in his generation, the Dreyfus Affair -- and the people yelled "kill the Jews" -- not "kill the traitor" or "kill the Jew" singular, but "kill the Jews") he thought of having the Jews settle Uganda. That really didn't fly. Zionism is centered in Zion, another name for Israel. Israel is the center of our lives, the center of our relationship with G-d. Any other place is just like living in a dormitory -- it's nice, but it's not home.

"I wonder how this would work? Would it solve the many conflicts that arise between Israelis and Palestinians? Where would the State of Israel relocate? Should the United States end the war in Iraq and assist the Israelis instead?"

By the way, it wouldn't work too well. For 2000 or so year, Jews have lived mostly outside of Israel (there has always been a Jewish presence in Israel since the time of Joshua, somewhere in the neighborhood of 3000 years ago). And we've been kicked out of more countries than I care to list. Each country complained about our presence. Each country, like the world currently, blamed us for all their ills. So finally we decided it's time for us to have our own country again, with G-d's help. So now, these same people (all right, the descendants of these same people) who were for so many centuries, upset that we didn't have our own country, are now upset that we DO have our own country. When you realize that nothing you do pleases others, you realize it's time to please yourself.

I also have a problem with all the people who either say that Israel is the whole problem or that both sides are equally responsible. Think about this truism -- if the Arabs were to put down their weapons there would be no more war; if Israelis put down their weapons, there would be no more Israel.

Israel has spent the past 60 years (and then some) trying to make peace, trying to live in peace, making concessions, defending itself from enemies. When Israel had Gaza, it was a beautiful community. Now it's little more than a launching pad for missiles heading for Sderot or other populated areas. Why are we so anxious to repeat this mistake with Judea and Samaria (aka "the West Bank")?

Unlike the Palestinian Authority (which has shown beyond a reasonable doubt that it doesn't deserve its own country), Israel accepts people of all ethnicities, religions, national origins, races, sexual orientation, etc. Jews have been kicked out of every area given to the Palestinian Authority but Israel doesn't kick out anyone. The existing Palestinian "refugees" left their homes voluntarily at the request of the enemies of Israel. Israel has never forcibly displaced any population (except its own, as in Gaza and the Sinai).

From my perspective, the only solution is for Israel to defend itself, its citizens and its guests (whether they be tourists or people from other countries in Israel to earn a living). Unless the Palestinian Authority, whether it's run by Hamas or Fata, has something to lose, peace will never happen.

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The Fault lies not in our stars.......

B"H

I got a comment to the blog entry about Sheryl Crow's song that I felt the need to address. It's not that this comment (which was submitted anonymously) surprised me. It's not that this comment is unusual. It's just because it is so common and so often expressed and it shows a total lack of understanding of the situation that I felt I needed to comment on it.

Imagine you're in 5th grade. You're a small boy but you've been learning karate since you were 5 and you're pretty good at it. While you're not exactly a black belt, you are certainly capable of defending yourself. A larger boy comes over to you and tells you that you have to do his homework for him or he'll "beat you up". You know you can defend yourself against him, but you were taught that peace is more important, so you do his homework for him.

After a month of doing your own homework and his homework as well, he comes over to you again and tells you that if you don't give him your lunch money, in addition to doing his homework, he and his friends (who are standing in the background watching this exchange) will "beat you up". You decide that you don't want to start a fight, so you give him your lunch money.

After about a month of doing his homework and giving him your lunch money, he comes over and tells you that he's going to "beat you up" anyway. So he starts to hit you. You block his shots. He keeps trying to hit you, you keep blocking his shots. Finally, you decide that if you land one good shot maybe he will stop trying to hit you, stop taking your lunch money and stop having you do his homework. So you land one good karate kick.

Suddenly, you are surrounded by his friends, several teachers who were watching the entire scene and other students, all yelling at you and calling you the aggressor. All you did was defend yourself, but you are the one being blamed. You did everything you could to avoid the fight. But every time you gave in, the bully wanted more. And you're being blamed.

This is what Israel goes through every day. We've been helping the Palestinians in every way possible (giving them jobs, medical care, food, humanitarian aid, etc.) and yet, they don't want peace with us. You can't make someone want peace. And the Palestinian Authority is currently getting everything it wants without having to live in peace, without making even the smallest concession. Why would they want to negotiate? Why would they want to live in peace?

I would also like to ask the anonymous comment maker this: Do you have the slightest idea how small Israel is in comparison the Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, just to mention a few? Do you have any idea what the population density is in Israel vs. the above mentioned countries? And, by the way, do you also happen to know that in Israel, people of all ethnicities, religions, national origins and sexual orientations live together (Haifa, Israel is the center of the Baha'i faith, for one thing) -- this is not true of Arab/Muslim countries (and, in order for the Palestinians to move into Gaza, all Jews were forced to leave -- no Arabs were forced to leave Israel -- the ones who left in 1948 did so voluntarily)?

When one side has made all the concessions (and is still willing to make more concessions) while the other side has made no concessions are is unwilling to make any in the future it is really difficult to say that there is equal culpability in the hostilities. When one side continues to attack the civilians on the other side while the other side goes out of its way to avoid civilian casualties it is unfair to say that there is equal culpability in the hostilities. Israel has been more than forthcoming and more than willing to make peace. The Palestinians have not. It may take two to tango but it takes only one to attack. The Christian concept of "turning the other cheek" may occasionally work on a personal basis, but Israel's run out of "cheeks". It is clear from their behavior which side wants peace and which side only wants the other in pieces.

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Carter and Arafat

B"H

I don't usually comment directly on news articles, but this one just couldn't go without comment.

Jimmy Carter, the ex-president who saw a UFO and attacked a killer rabbit and lusted in his heart and wrote a book that used out and out lies to paint a very positive picture of the Arab world and a very negative picture (patently false though it may be) of Israel, is at it again. He stopped to put a wreath on the gave of Yassar Arafat. Carter called the godfather of terrorism "... a peacemaker..." Well I guess Arafat is a peacemaker -- look at how many people are currently resting in peace thanks to him and his thugs.

The article also said that he is "eager to hear viewpoints" about peace and the peace process. "Instead of talking, he's doing a lot of listening," said [Carter's trip director Rick] Jasculca. (I quoted this directly from the article Jimmy Carter Lays A Wreath at Arafat's Tomb by Julie Stahl from Newsmax.com) Somehow, I have a feeling that the only listening the ex-president and current liar, Israel-basher and bigoted Jew-hater will be doing is to people who agree with him and hate and blame Israel as much as he does.


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Sheryl Crow and the "Children of Abraham"

B"H

I recently became aware of a song that Sheryl Crow sings called Out Of Our Heads. This song has the words Children of Abraham in it. It basically calls for peace and puts an equal responsibility for this peace on all the Children of Abraham -- Jews, Muslims and Christians. This is a very lovely sentiment and I don't fault Ms. Crow for her words. Except......

Except that it presupposes that each side is equally responsible for the state of hostility that exists. Except that it assumes that equal concession from each party will resolve the issue. Except that it espouses a position that each side has something to lose by not making peace.

Except that, because of the way people look at things, the term Children of Abraham is generally seen as referring to Jews and people who hear this song might interpret it as meaning that Israel is the recalcitrant party, despite unilateral concessions (like handing over the keys to the Gaza Strip to the terrorists who lob bombs on the city of Sderot like they're playing some bizarre and ultra violent PS3 game and planning further "pullouts" from the "West Bank", also known as Judea and Samaria), despite Israeli care in avoiding civilian casualties while Hamas and Fatah target civilians, despite Palestinian racism, despite the adage that "if the Arabs would put down their weapons there would be no more war; if Israelis would put down their weapons there would be no more Israel." Israel has everything to gain from peace; Hamas and Fata have nothing to gain. The world is on their side and by conceding even a millimeter brings them no closer to their goal -- the total destruction of the State of Israel.

I think part of the problem is that, political correctness to the contrary notwithstanding, most people would seem to be happier if we, as Jews, would just disappear from this planet. Come on, all you closet anti-Semites out there, you know it's true. You know you are just picking on Israel because it's more politically correct to hate Israel and criticize Israel for their stubborn desire to survive than it is to say that you hate Jews.

On my cafe press site I have a way to link to other cafe press Jewish designs. This past week I discovered that there is a design on cafe press that is composed of a Jewish star with a "not" sign (circle with a line diagonally through it) on it. This upset me, despite the attempt at political correctness by the owner of this site (he said words to the affect that you should hate the religion but love the people -- pardon me, but that's a boatload of c***) to lessen his hatred and prejudice. (Had he said he was anti-G-d, that wouldn't have bothered me so much because G-d doesn't need people to believe in Him/Her -- and G-d can protect Him/Herself -- but by spreading hatred, this man could cause people to kill people.)

So back to Ms. Crow the crooner. I understand her sentiment and, to be honest, I wish it were that easy (actually, if it were that easy we'd already have peace). But over the past 60 years (and earlier), Israel has done just about everything it could for peace, but no one's joining the "party". Even our so called "friends" spread anti-Jewish sentiment. Radio Jordan, the English language radio station of Jordan that I listened to in the mid 1980s when I was in Israel, refers to Israel as the "Zionist Entity". And they're supposed to be our friend. With friends like them, well, we certainly don't need enemies (even without friends like that, we don't need enemies, but we have plenty of them and no real way to make them friends).

Ms. Crow, I agree with your desire for peace (as in the opposite of war, the opposite of missiles falling daily on the inhabitants of Sderot, the opposite of people coming into our schools and murdering our students for the crime of being Jewish). I'm just not so naive to believe that my desire will cause it to happen.

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