I like to think of myself as American and Israeli, although I have to admit that 3 years during middle age does not really make me culturally Israeli. The following are my reflections and what I notice now that I am back in the States for an undetermined period of time.
I am back in Atlanta in the USA in order to get my new company, Hygen-Eco Systems, going. Hygen-Eco is providing green energy-efficient green products to businesses in the USA. Products are primarily lighting improvements, high-speed jet hand dryers, smart power strips, and solar water heating systems. We will also soon distribute motion sensors for lighting and other no-touch high-efficiency restroom devices. I have arrived in Atlanta after three years in Israel. It was a hard move for me as I love both Israel and Atlanta. I was unable to enter into a career that I wanted there. I will see if I will stay here or eventually run the company from abroad.
I see the cultural differences in so many ways. I have not used a dishwasher, clothes dryer, nor owned a car in three years. I am used to having to turn on the water heater 30 minutes before I shower. I now see that we really don’t need dishwashers. We put in big pots and pans and run the dishwasher when we could just as easily spend an additional two minutes on these items and put them in the cabinets.
I have notices new lingo in the language used over and over again like, “At the end of the day…”, when people are talking about business situations. I hear the same stupid political phrases like, “the American people”, “disproportionate response”, and “collective punishment”. All of these phrases should be thrown out. We know Americans means humans* and only the team that scores disproportionately wins. Otherwise, it’s a tie. One could say that Israel’s target assassinations of Hamas leaders are in order to avoid the dreaded collective punishment. Are sanctions against Iraq not collective punishment? Is boycotting Arizona’s products not collective punishment? Is any war not collective punishment? These are over-used inappropriate terms. Drop ‘em. Thank G-d Bush is gone and we are not referring to everyone who does not approve of US tactics as “terrorists”.
While Europeans criticize Americans as superficial and insincere in their politeness, I see it as an effort to act out of kindness and compassion. There is definitely pressure here to behave in certain fashions where Israel is more open to showing your authentic ugly side as well as your kind side. I also immediately felt the racial tension in the USA upon my arrival at the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson. It is different than the Arab/Jewish tension in Israel. Whites over-compensate to be superficially “friendly” to poorer black workers making minimum wage that may appear to have a subtle hostility.
I remember laughing at myself because of my American side getting offended by expecting my time to be respected. Israelis can be very spontaneous and don’t like to commit to time schedules. The American side schedules ahead while Israelis like flexibility. Americans are offended by both a last minute cancellation and a last minute invitation. Israelis don’t get that and will invite you to their home for dinner 30 minutes before it is served. You can call someone the first time and be on a date in 30 minutes. Americans want you to think that others will want our company and will have planned far in advance. I got over that in Israel when, on many Friday afternoons at 6:30, I got a call to come to a family’s home for Shabbat dinner. I learned to appreciate the invitation and to forget the guy in my head saying, “did someone else cancel?” as I was rushing out the door.
FOOD:
I miss the Israeli food, their simple, fresh vegetables, and the moderation of consumption. I find myself eating more junk here and more volume as well. Junk food advertising is tremendous and meetings with friends are always around a meal. In Israel, it is usually just a coffee.
The last time I was in Atlanta, I went with my close friend there, Hults, to a health food store in order for him to restock. I was looking forward to seeing something healthy for a change. Health Food was printed on the façade of the building. Upon entering, I could not find a piece of food in the store. There was a large variety of “energy bars” and hundreds of jars of various powders. It was as if we were on a different planet where organic foods could not grow and concentrated powders had to be brought in. Somehow, in American culture, we have come to believe that science can out-health nature. We can dry it out, mix it with preservatives, some sort of sugar, and it will be healthier than we can get from nature. Everyone is eating protein powder as if bulking up with gymnasium-built muscles is healthy. Yet, most of us eat meat and get our protein naturally. In our new obesity problem where we either vigilantly count calories or insist on an all-u-can-eat buffet, can’t we get enough protein?
Except for the super-religious in Israel where big meals are quite ceremonial, obesity is not a major problem. In Tel Aviv, people are thin and fit. You can pick out the male American tourists as they are artificially bulked up from the gym and still trying to lose the tire around the waist.
While we used to forage and hunt for food, we now sit on our tuchuses all day in front of a computer and pay to be able to exercize at the gym. While we used to walk to visit friends and to find food, we sit in our automobiles and at a computer. Now that I am in a spread-out city, I have to drive instead of walk. An hour of running or the gym is not enough to keep my body toned and ready. For three years, I walked 20 minutes to go anywhere, even to catch a bus. I would also run for exercize. Think of all the time during the day and night that you are in your car. I walked about the same amount of time daily and felt so healthy.
Although they call it junk food, the junk food in Israel still contains a lot of vegetables. Health standards are not what they are in the States as salads and pickled veggies all sit out in the open for all to cough, sneeze and sweat on. Falafel and schwarma are the hamburgers of Israel. However, they almost always come with a choice of vegetables as a side. These open air buffets contains free salads of eggplant, onions, pickles, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, olives, carrots, all kinds of peppers, tehini, and hummus. Compare this to fries, milkshakes, chocolate chip cookies and such in the USA.
These are just my first few thoughts that I notice after returning to the USA. It’s good to be back in the USA. I feel at home in either country.
Randy
*Although Canada and Mexico are both North Americans and Central and South America are American people as well.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Is It Just Semantics?
ISRAELI PEACE SOLDIERS ATTACKED
June 1, 2010
Israeli Peace Soldiers were attacked while boarding a flotilla of ships bound for Gaza after repeatedly warning the ships not to enter the waters of Israel or Gaza. The ships were informed that they were welcomed to land at a port in Southern Israel to unload what they claimed to be humanitarian aid for Gaza. They were guaranteed that, if their cargo was indeed humanitarian, they could witness the unloading of the goods and the transportation of such goods to Gaza by land from Israel. The ships, manned by hundreds of international political activists, mainly from Muslim countries, refused the invitation and insisted on their intention to land and unload in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Peace Soldiers, in order to keep the peace with the terrorist-ruled Gaza Strip by keeping arms from entering into the strip, boarded the seven ships in the flotilla under the cover of darkness. Six of the seven ships were boarded without incident by the Israeli Peace Solders. However, upon boarding the seventh ship, the solders, landing on the ships with paintball guns in order to preserve order, were attacked with real guns, knives, metal bars, and clubs by dozens of the crew and political activists. Solders were shot, stabbed, beaten, and some were thrown from the deck of the ship. In defense against marauders, the Peace Soldiers, while communicating that they were under fire and attack, were forced to switch to live ammunition. When it was over, nine of those that attacked the soldiers were killed and seven soldiers were wounded. Eventually, the Israeli peace soldiers were able to rally to gain control of the vessel and peacefully bring it to the Israeli port of Ashkelon.
After thousands of rockets fired at Israeli civilian targets from Gaza over a 3-year period and the invasion and kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, Israel attacked the Hamas regime 2 ½ years ago. The attack against Hamas was relatively successful causing a dramatic drop in rocket attacks. In order to prevent more violence, Israel has blockaded Gaza from receiving weapons. All supplies must enter into Gaza by land. Israel has chosen to pressure Hamas to renounce violence and release the hostage, Gilad Shalit, by limiting some luxury goods from entering Gaza instead of resorting to violence. Food, necessities, and medical supplies are allowed to cross the border freely. Israel and Hamas are still legally in a state of armed conflict.
Middle Eastern experts have stated that, much like suicide bombing terrorists, organizations sponsoring the political activists were successful in bringing the world’s attention to Israel’s defensive blockade of Gaza. Led by a united group of Muslim countries, The United Nations has yet to act against North Korea’s sinking of South Korean ship killing 46 sailors but has issued a swift condemnation against Israel’s boarding of the political activist flotilla.
Meanwhile, the Hamas regime in Gaza has allowed the execution of 4 women who were raped in Gaza City. Such executions were deemed Honor Killings. These are the 9th and 20th known such killings this year. Additionally, one 9 year old and one 14 year old child were sold as slaves in Gaza as a settlement for a gambling debt. The 14 year old was later negotiated to be the 3rd wife of a mid-level Hamas member.*
______________________________________________________________________________
*OK, the last paragraph was bullshit. I have read so many news bogus news reports demonizing Israel and Jews for drinking blood, torturing children, etc., that I thought I would show how easy it is to get people to wonder: (“Really? That’s terrible!”)
June 1, 2010
Israeli Peace Soldiers were attacked while boarding a flotilla of ships bound for Gaza after repeatedly warning the ships not to enter the waters of Israel or Gaza. The ships were informed that they were welcomed to land at a port in Southern Israel to unload what they claimed to be humanitarian aid for Gaza. They were guaranteed that, if their cargo was indeed humanitarian, they could witness the unloading of the goods and the transportation of such goods to Gaza by land from Israel. The ships, manned by hundreds of international political activists, mainly from Muslim countries, refused the invitation and insisted on their intention to land and unload in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Peace Soldiers, in order to keep the peace with the terrorist-ruled Gaza Strip by keeping arms from entering into the strip, boarded the seven ships in the flotilla under the cover of darkness. Six of the seven ships were boarded without incident by the Israeli Peace Solders. However, upon boarding the seventh ship, the solders, landing on the ships with paintball guns in order to preserve order, were attacked with real guns, knives, metal bars, and clubs by dozens of the crew and political activists. Solders were shot, stabbed, beaten, and some were thrown from the deck of the ship. In defense against marauders, the Peace Soldiers, while communicating that they were under fire and attack, were forced to switch to live ammunition. When it was over, nine of those that attacked the soldiers were killed and seven soldiers were wounded. Eventually, the Israeli peace soldiers were able to rally to gain control of the vessel and peacefully bring it to the Israeli port of Ashkelon.
After thousands of rockets fired at Israeli civilian targets from Gaza over a 3-year period and the invasion and kidnapping of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, Israel attacked the Hamas regime 2 ½ years ago. The attack against Hamas was relatively successful causing a dramatic drop in rocket attacks. In order to prevent more violence, Israel has blockaded Gaza from receiving weapons. All supplies must enter into Gaza by land. Israel has chosen to pressure Hamas to renounce violence and release the hostage, Gilad Shalit, by limiting some luxury goods from entering Gaza instead of resorting to violence. Food, necessities, and medical supplies are allowed to cross the border freely. Israel and Hamas are still legally in a state of armed conflict.
Middle Eastern experts have stated that, much like suicide bombing terrorists, organizations sponsoring the political activists were successful in bringing the world’s attention to Israel’s defensive blockade of Gaza. Led by a united group of Muslim countries, The United Nations has yet to act against North Korea’s sinking of South Korean ship killing 46 sailors but has issued a swift condemnation against Israel’s boarding of the political activist flotilla.
Meanwhile, the Hamas regime in Gaza has allowed the execution of 4 women who were raped in Gaza City. Such executions were deemed Honor Killings. These are the 9th and 20th known such killings this year. Additionally, one 9 year old and one 14 year old child were sold as slaves in Gaza as a settlement for a gambling debt. The 14 year old was later negotiated to be the 3rd wife of a mid-level Hamas member.*
______________________________________________________________________________
*OK, the last paragraph was bullshit. I have read so many news bogus news reports demonizing Israel and Jews for drinking blood, torturing children, etc., that I thought I would show how easy it is to get people to wonder: (“Really? That’s terrible!”)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
My first days back in Israel in my new home in Jerusalem (ירושליים)
The earth has revolved many times since I have spilled thoughts on the blog. The attack angle of the sun has shifted one way and begun to shift back. It’s time to start:
I am sitting in my apartment in Jerusalem (a 2 1/2 month lease) in the neighborhood of Rechavia around the corner from the Prime Minister and the Presidents houses. I spent 45 days in the USA until last week when I returned to Israel.
Beforehand, I stayed in my bohemian bungalow in Tel Aviv close to the beach in a trendy fashionable neighborhood with my dog, Casha. The reason for the move is to enroll in a 2-year tour guide course in English. It is intensive and comprehensive. I also needed a break from the monotony of temporary although too long of a retirement in the beach city of Tel Aviv. Mostly, as I have not had full time employment in some time now, I must find a way to support myself in Israel. That necessity will take precedence over the tour guide course. Thus, I only know that the next two months of my life will be in Israel. I love living in Israel but must get my career back on track. While we all long for extended vacations and early retirement, I long to get back into the game and compete. I have been doing some consulting for real estate and some non-real estate projects for other companies. However, this has been on a part-time basis. I have a new company that I am starting that, will success, will require me to spend/live much more in the USA.
Jerusalem sits on a major earthquake prone fault-line at the intersection of the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. The tectonic plates have already ripped Africa and much of Europe away and we are still moving. It is one hour from Tel Aviv, a humid city on the Mediterranean. It is in the mountains, 2577 feet above sea level, and some 30 minutes from the Dead Sea which sits 3865 feet beneath the city. I find it spectacularly more beautiful than Tel Aviv. Like Washington D.C., this capital city has beautiful parks and plazas with a plethora of mixed historical monuments at every step. The city is in the midst of installing a light rail line through the city. However, excavations continue to uncover precious artifacts along the entire line, delaying the development. This is a waste of time and money for my many commercial real estate friends around the world but a core moral value for me and my liberal friends and family. Of course, this exact exercise of demolition and reconstruction has been the norm for this city in the exact same spots for several thousands of years. My next door neighbor, by the way, is dead. He rests in his tomb encased in a stone building surrounded by small gardens with a pyramid cresting the top. He is from a wealthy family from the Maccabean times of around 300 BCE. Casha and I stroll around his yard every day..........trying not to pee on him.
Jerusalem has become more densely populated with religious Jews over the last 10 years. The more secular have tended to leave for Tel Aviv and less tense environments. You feel it: Tension, depth, passion, spirituality, intensity. It's like nowhere else. Last Sunday I was able to join an all-day tour of flora and fauna with another class studying to be tour guides. I was up at 5:00 and returned home at 7:30 PM. The class was in English and there were Orthodox Jews, Evangelical Christians from around the world, and Christian and Muslim Arabs. This group gets together three times a week to tour and study. I felt the different passions toward the land from the different groups. While the Jews cherished the land and the lengths with which the country preserves it, the Arabs mourn as they vines and vegetation that has fought back to cover the few remaining stone walls of what were destroyed villages of recent wars. This destruction and reconstruction has been the norm in this land for millennia.
A friend from Tel Aviv called me the other day to invite me to participate in a tradition of Shiva Brachot (Seven Blessings) here in Jerusalem. After a wedding, religious Jews have a dinner each night with groups of people to bless their union. This was a young couple that was married the night before. They needed at least 10 men to have a minion (women don't count toward a minion) to enjoy a meal at a restaurant, say blessings, sing, etc. I really enjoyed the experience. The lovely young couple met 4 months earlier and was about 20 years old. I was told that the bride has special powers during these times to give blessings to others (i.e. ask G-d to grant wishes). The national sport of Israel is matchmaking. So, as some of the women were thinking of possible matches for me, I was asked if I minded if the woman was one to cover her hair, if I observed Shabbat, etc. This is a different culture, of course, but I like it. The people so far are warm and inviting. Last night I was walking the dog and was pulled to a table in a small café by a 52 year-old woman who had me join her for dinner. It ended up with a 2-hour tour around Jerusalem. I learned a lot. My American side was saying, "What does she want?" and "Why is she so kind to me?" It would not have happened in America.
More immediately, I am hoping to know this city that is the obsession of millions around the world. Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, Al Quds. Call it your name of choice. It is united capital city of Israel. It is also a land that most of the world wants to divide to make the most important parts the capital of a new state, Palestine. Just yesterday, the world press obsessed about a new “settlement” in East Jerusalem announced during the visit of US Vice-President Joe Biden. The world is in an uproar about this. To me, this is like saying that Atlanta is building a new upscale settlement in East Point. There are many unsold “settlements” in Mid-Town in Atlanta, the united capital of Georgia. I am all for Arabs moving into Jewish areas and Jews into Arab areas. Jerusalem is one city with equal rights for all. Let’s mix up the neighborhoods. If religious Jews want to live in a mainly Arab area, the government will probably be more likely to improve the infrastructure of the area. I am for it. We will see what happens.
רנדי
I am sitting in my apartment in Jerusalem (a 2 1/2 month lease) in the neighborhood of Rechavia around the corner from the Prime Minister and the Presidents houses. I spent 45 days in the USA until last week when I returned to Israel.
Beforehand, I stayed in my bohemian bungalow in Tel Aviv close to the beach in a trendy fashionable neighborhood with my dog, Casha. The reason for the move is to enroll in a 2-year tour guide course in English. It is intensive and comprehensive. I also needed a break from the monotony of temporary although too long of a retirement in the beach city of Tel Aviv. Mostly, as I have not had full time employment in some time now, I must find a way to support myself in Israel. That necessity will take precedence over the tour guide course. Thus, I only know that the next two months of my life will be in Israel. I love living in Israel but must get my career back on track. While we all long for extended vacations and early retirement, I long to get back into the game and compete. I have been doing some consulting for real estate and some non-real estate projects for other companies. However, this has been on a part-time basis. I have a new company that I am starting that, will success, will require me to spend/live much more in the USA.
Jerusalem sits on a major earthquake prone fault-line at the intersection of the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. The tectonic plates have already ripped Africa and much of Europe away and we are still moving. It is one hour from Tel Aviv, a humid city on the Mediterranean. It is in the mountains, 2577 feet above sea level, and some 30 minutes from the Dead Sea which sits 3865 feet beneath the city. I find it spectacularly more beautiful than Tel Aviv. Like Washington D.C., this capital city has beautiful parks and plazas with a plethora of mixed historical monuments at every step. The city is in the midst of installing a light rail line through the city. However, excavations continue to uncover precious artifacts along the entire line, delaying the development. This is a waste of time and money for my many commercial real estate friends around the world but a core moral value for me and my liberal friends and family. Of course, this exact exercise of demolition and reconstruction has been the norm for this city in the exact same spots for several thousands of years. My next door neighbor, by the way, is dead. He rests in his tomb encased in a stone building surrounded by small gardens with a pyramid cresting the top. He is from a wealthy family from the Maccabean times of around 300 BCE. Casha and I stroll around his yard every day..........trying not to pee on him.
Jerusalem has become more densely populated with religious Jews over the last 10 years. The more secular have tended to leave for Tel Aviv and less tense environments. You feel it: Tension, depth, passion, spirituality, intensity. It's like nowhere else. Last Sunday I was able to join an all-day tour of flora and fauna with another class studying to be tour guides. I was up at 5:00 and returned home at 7:30 PM. The class was in English and there were Orthodox Jews, Evangelical Christians from around the world, and Christian and Muslim Arabs. This group gets together three times a week to tour and study. I felt the different passions toward the land from the different groups. While the Jews cherished the land and the lengths with which the country preserves it, the Arabs mourn as they vines and vegetation that has fought back to cover the few remaining stone walls of what were destroyed villages of recent wars. This destruction and reconstruction has been the norm in this land for millennia.
A friend from Tel Aviv called me the other day to invite me to participate in a tradition of Shiva Brachot (Seven Blessings) here in Jerusalem. After a wedding, religious Jews have a dinner each night with groups of people to bless their union. This was a young couple that was married the night before. They needed at least 10 men to have a minion (women don't count toward a minion) to enjoy a meal at a restaurant, say blessings, sing, etc. I really enjoyed the experience. The lovely young couple met 4 months earlier and was about 20 years old. I was told that the bride has special powers during these times to give blessings to others (i.e. ask G-d to grant wishes). The national sport of Israel is matchmaking. So, as some of the women were thinking of possible matches for me, I was asked if I minded if the woman was one to cover her hair, if I observed Shabbat, etc. This is a different culture, of course, but I like it. The people so far are warm and inviting. Last night I was walking the dog and was pulled to a table in a small café by a 52 year-old woman who had me join her for dinner. It ended up with a 2-hour tour around Jerusalem. I learned a lot. My American side was saying, "What does she want?" and "Why is she so kind to me?" It would not have happened in America.
More immediately, I am hoping to know this city that is the obsession of millions around the world. Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, Al Quds. Call it your name of choice. It is united capital city of Israel. It is also a land that most of the world wants to divide to make the most important parts the capital of a new state, Palestine. Just yesterday, the world press obsessed about a new “settlement” in East Jerusalem announced during the visit of US Vice-President Joe Biden. The world is in an uproar about this. To me, this is like saying that Atlanta is building a new upscale settlement in East Point. There are many unsold “settlements” in Mid-Town in Atlanta, the united capital of Georgia. I am all for Arabs moving into Jewish areas and Jews into Arab areas. Jerusalem is one city with equal rights for all. Let’s mix up the neighborhoods. If religious Jews want to live in a mainly Arab area, the government will probably be more likely to improve the infrastructure of the area. I am for it. We will see what happens.
רנדי
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Isreal is a Nazi, Pedaphile, and Texan State. Really?...
I travelled with my friend, Dani from Barcelona a couple of weeks ago to Jordan for a few days. Great trip in a really beautiful country with kind people. On our first day, we met a Canadian intellectual rapper Named Professor D (www.dopepoets.com) that was travelling around the Middle East doing shows and financing it by CD sales. He was a bright, creative, articulate liberal intellectual coming from the far left spectrum. My kind of guy. With his dreadlocks past his tuches, he is headed to Northwestern on a fellowship for his PHD. We shared world visions and, like our brother leftists, dared to dream of peace and tolerance and misdirections of today’s governments of the world. It was refreshing after staying so long in a bee-bopping city such as Tel Aviv that is more focused on fun than spirituality or social structures. D had concerts in Nablus, Jenin, and Nazareth, and was into diving away from tourist spots into the street cultures. It reminded me of my South American backpacking adventures. I really bonded with him though we bored Dani to death in our excited discussions and shared insights. He is a rapper and, as I am no hip hop fan, he moved me with his surprising talent as he stood on several former Roman theatres and rapped freestyle while his travel buddy played the beat box with his hands over his mouth. It sounded amazing in that ancient environment.
We separated ways at the end of the day but I happened to run into him in Tel Aviv after my Hebrew class the other day while I was eating with Dani and another friend. Bulked up D and I decided to hang out on the beach for a while and talk about the world and its future.
Now, I knew that, as a far left-winger, he would be critical on Israel. Who is not to some degree? I wanted to talk about how the far-left and the far-right are equally obsessively hateful of Israel and often ignore the abundance of repressions of other countries. D’s main problem was that it is a Jewish State and non-Jews cannot immigrate as easily as Jews. He says that is racist. I explained that Jews are not a race as how can an Ethiopian and a blonde Finn be from the same race. He explained that "race" doesn’t really exist and that it is simply a term used for groupings of people that often group together with a common interest. I asked him why Jews are not “Groupist” or bigoted or prejudiced. I explained that “racist” is an explosive word that likens to the slavery days or days during the US civil rights struggles. He would continue to use the word and he took it up a notch when he said that Israel is like the Nazis.
“Nazis?”, I said. “How can you compare Israel to the systematic slavery, mass-murder as an industry and an army bent on conquering the world and murdering all other races? Is this just because Israel wants to give a homeland to the Jews?”
He said, “I am just comparing. I am not saying they are doing the things the Nazis did. The Jews just think they are superior to others like the Nazis did. They are the Chosen People, right? Chosen by G-d. Doesn’t that say they think they are superior like the Nazis did?”
I asked him to check with a rabbi to hear it from an authority that “What religion does not think it is right and others are wrong? Most will say that Jews are chosen to live by a higher moral authority because of their covenant to their G-d. It is something to strive for. I asked him to use a somewhat less offensive word to use as a comparison like, “Texans”. What religion does not think it is true and others are false?
I figured he, like other far-left or far-righters picked Nazis just to find the ugliest criminals. I decided to help him with his inflammatory choice of words to help demonize Israel. Some of these have actually been used before by various groups over the years. Overusing the word "Nazi" as a comparison deminishes the crimes of those attrocious systematic cold murderers. It also serves to ease the guilt of those world that stood by or assisted in the slaughter if Israel is enslaving, and attempting to conquer and murder all other races.
Here are some fun ways to trash Israel if you hate her. If you throw enough of these out often enough, some conspiracists might think there has to be something true about them.
Let’s pretend Israel is:
Pedophile: Israel is a country of pedophiles. You see, in pedophilia, children get sodomised. The Palestinian children likened to getting sodomised by the the Zionists. Occupation is like getting f-cked up the ass.
Racist. That is, it is easier for the Jewish race to immigrate - even for those that convert into the race. OK, Jews are a nation and a religion, not a race. But there is no bad word, “religionist”. OK, if you are a Muslim and one of you grandparents was Jewish, you can come in too.
Nazi: Israel is a Nazi State. OK, they don’t do anything like the Nazi’s did but it gets people’s attention. They did live and die in camps run by the Nazis. Maybe some ideology rubbed off. Like the Nazi’s, they think their race is superior. Yeah, that’s it. Nazis.
Superiority: Jews think they are superior. After all, they claim they are the chosen people by G-d. I don’t know if they think they were chosen to be painters or doctors but they must think they are superior.
Thieves. Israel is a country of thieves. They stole land from the Palestinian people. OK, there was never a country called Palestine and most of what was referred to as Palestine is now Jordan and ruled by a non-Palestinian King but that’s not what we are talking about. There were Jews living in the area the Romans conquered from the Jews and called Palestine but this is the Middle East and it should now be ruled by Muslims.
Slavery. Israel is a country with slavery. They have allowed thousands of African refugees in who work for slave wages. OK, minimum wage of about US$5/hour. How much can you buy with that?
“Zionist”, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist, Zionist. If we can use this word enough to make it look bad, we can slant the thinking of the world like “Liberal” was used during the Bush administration and “Communist” during the Reagan years. This word to give Jews a safe-homeland after millennia of persecution gets so many people fired up.
Rapists: Israel is a rapist country. OK. They never physically raped anyone. But, as rapists like to get off by forcing their way into their victims, Israel has forced its way into homes of some of the leaders of the Hamas, uninvited.
Gay: Israel is a Gay country. Gay ( (גאיmeans “proud” in Hebrew. Thus, Israel must me proud to be Gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Imperialist: Like the Nazi’s, British, Americans, French, English, Spanish, Russians, Mongols, Romans, the Israel wants to take over the world, pillage their resources, and send them back to Jerusalem. They are starting with the West Bank and have already added East Jerusalem as part of their capital. The Arabs that expelled the other Jews that lived there until 1947 are now voting Israeli citizens that can no longer be a part of the Jordanian Kingdom. Nothing like a benevolent dictator. After being attacked, Israel conquered parts of Egypt, Lebanon, and Gaza. What?! They gave it all back? OK, but it looked like they were going to build an empire. Never mind.
Terrorists: OK, they don’t go after random unarmed civilians like Hamas, or the PLO, or Hezbollah. But, like Bush taught us, you are allowed to call anyone you don’t like a terrorist.
Murderers: Israel has purposely murdered some of the people who had planned and participated in blowing up buses and cafes in Tel Aviv.
Christ-Killers: Jews said something like,” Let his blood be on my head and the heads of my children”. Anyway, whatever asshole it was that people think said this, got a lot of publicity. OK, so the Pope said in 1964 that the Jews were not responsible for the Romans killing Jesus. Anyway, whatever asshole it was that people think said this, got a lot of publicity. This is known as Deicide.
Apartheid: Israel favors Settlers in the West Bank over Arabs living in the area. The Arabs can’t move as easily as the Settlers. I know the Palestinians govern themselves and the Arabs are not Israelis. In South Africa, blacks and whites were citizens but blacks were forbidden to go to white areas. Arabs in Israel can travel and live anywhere. The West Bank settlements do cause an inconvenience as they are not really Israel proper and Palestinians cannot enter.
Prejudice: Israel saves Jews from oppressive regimes and allows them to immigrate when forced out of other countries. Why don’t they let other refugees in? OK, Israel is the size of New Jersey (Jew Nersey?) so there is little room. Arab states don’t want to share the oil wealth that the dictators keep. So, these “Superior” Jews should take in everyone. They ARE the chosen people.
Vampires: They drink the blood of Non-Jews: Not really but again, it sounds sick.
Florida Gators fans: They move to Florida to retire from New York, right? Some of ‘em gotta be Gators fans.
The most Evil Empire of all time: OK, except for all the rest. Evil: Good word to describe someone you don’t like.
Enough of these and people may think there is some truth to it.
D’s suggestion was to unilaterally tear down the security barrier to the West Bank, give them all Israeli passports, and let them live wherever they want.
I asked him why he thought the world was so obsessed with Israel when there are so many nations doing hideous acts against their own citizens. He agreed that there are at LEAST ten countries with more egregious crimes than the ones Israel is accused of. However, he said that he thought the world is obsessed because all of today’s great crimes were being done in Israel, even thought Israel is not the most egregious of any of them. Mass-murder, imperialism, and… he couldn’t remember the other one.
He admits that the world holds Israel to a much higher standard than other countries. I stated that that is OK as we will be a light unto the nations. I explained that no one cared when Jordon conquered UN controlled Jerusalem and occupied, it for 20 years, destroyed and looted many Jewish treasures, and did not allow Jews to enter to pray. Suddenly, Israel is the culprit after ensuring that all religions are free to express and worship safely in a well-maintained city.
In the conversation, we were at least able to solve the Middle East crisis. He admitted that a one-state solution was not the only way. Here is the solution we came up with (without a drop of alcohol):
Two states. Jewish Settlers will be Jewish Palestinians paying taxes in Palestine but having two passports. They will ensure good relations with Israel (at least if the country becomes a democracy). Israel will allow some Palestinians to move into Israel proper if the homes of their ancestors are still unoccupied. There are a few villages that are still abandoned. Other Palestinians will be compensated if they can prove they owned property and show its boundaries. The countries in the Middle East that forced 700,000 Jews out since 1948 will use the value of the Jewish homes taken as part of the compensation that Israel is giving.
Jerusalem will be Israel’s capital and Palestinians will have some sort of special privileges for policing and accessing certain sites.
He was OK with this. However, his main beef was Israel’s immigration policy favoring Jews. Although I explained that it is easier to convert to Orthodox Jewish and become Israeli than it is to become an American citizen, he didn’t like that he would have to become a Jew.
He accepted that we can have a certain number of more years when Jews will continue to be favored. After all, Israel was to be a safe haven for Jews. Since Western Europe has been rid of almost all of its Jews, Eastern Europe has freed those that knew they were Jews and wanted to go, Arab States expelled theirs, and American Jews face no imminent pogroms, most Jews that wanted to emigrate to Israel have done so. I agreed that after such a date, Jews would face the same standards as other religions to immigrate.
So, here is our peace agreement that satisfies the far left.
D does not like that Israel is a homeland for the Jews unless it can be a homeland for everyone else. He also does not say he is an anarchist per se. Making a home for the people that have been persecuted as a nation for millennia in a land where they have always lived and in a land that was governed by them for hundreds of years does not make someone likened to a Nazi. All other religions are respected full and all citizens, Muslim, Drus, Christian, and Bha'i, have equal rights under the law and vote in democratic elections. Israel does have problems as does do the United States and every other country. There are many fighting for improvements and the press is free to harshly criticize everything in the government.
In the last century, the world sat by and often helped murder the Jews in WWII. 700,000 Jews were forced from their homes in the Arab world and fled to Israel after 1948. The USSR did not allow Jews to participate in any religious or cultural traditions or rituals, thus, breeding them away from Judaism. Israel was attacked by neighboring armies many times in the past 60 years, often by countries that were founded around the same time she was. Terror attacks have persisted since foreign militaries know that a conventional war would fail.
So, it is understandable that Israel and her Jewish citizens should feel the need to stop being passively led to the slaughter. They have chosen a peace through superior military dissuasion. Israel, as the only democracy in the Middle East, already has a higher moral ground with just that piece. Insinuating that she should trust her neighbors to join and contribute to a Jewish nation when there has been such hostility, is naïve. Israel was founded by refugees. Israel has contributed to the infrastructure of the Palestinians land along with many other nations. Unfortunately, most of the funds were squandered and moved to Swiss banks for a wealthy few.
I, like most Israelis, would give a lot for peace and friendship with the Palestinians and neighboring Arab states. However, Israel has learned that a unilateral donation by Israel will not reduce international hatred of the Jewish state. We must have negotiated agreements to ensure that the Jews will have a safe homeland when the next violent pogroms begin.
I like the hip hop artist, Professor D (soon to be PHD D), his music, and I like that his songs reflect the oppression of smaller countries by capitalist countries and corporations. Criticism is welcomed in any democracy but calling people you don't agree with Nazis makes you like Bush calling everyone he doesn't like, terrorists.
Randy
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Embracing the Potential Jews by Choice
In Israel, I have met several non-Jews who are interested in exploring Judaism only to be discouraged by the local religious authority. Statistics point out that American Jews marry someone who is not Jewish 47% of the time. Some convert, some don’t. Some choose to raise the children with dual faiths and to “let the child decide”. Jews are a dwindling minority in the States. This is a reality of the Jewish communities and must be addressed. Tradition (not Jewish law) will have rabbis attempt to shun or discourage potential converts. Aggressive prevention does not work and only makes intermarrieds feel shamed and pushed away. The feelings of sadness and having a defector from the tribe must be transformed into embracing a potential Jew who has married into the family.
Prosthelytizing, evangelism, marketing... We should expose Judaism to the public as a valid option for spiritual fulfillment. Too often, our Jewish humor crosses the line from modesty to humility to self-disdain. Judaism is too demanding. “We look different, Jews are too weak. Israel is too strong…” We must start with an air of confidence. If we cannot be confident in today’s society, we likely will never be. Judaism is a religion of action. To fulfill our mission of being a light unto the nations, Judaism should be gift to the world, part of tikkun olam. To accomplish this, we must abandon our medieval ghetto outlook on life. Jewish history did not begin in the 17th century with the beginnings of Chassidism. Ritual observance, social interaction, and liturgy have evolved over time and should continue to evolve.
In the past, most people in this country followed the faith and cultural identity of their parents. Now, religious and ethnic loyalties are more often a matter of choice. The switching of religions is commonplace now. Jews may choose to be Christian or Buddhist and must therefore, now choose to be Jews. Judaism must become attractive to born Jews so that they do not decide to leave and to non-Jews so that they will choose to join. We must welcome all who enter the shul and facilitate their participation in Judaism. We know how Jews by Choice embrace the culture, religion, traditions, and rituals. Jews who were not born Jewish may be the best way to motivate the born Jew to actually become involved in Jewish life.
This is not to say that there should not be rituals, studying, and commitment to those that wish to pursue the Jewish indoctrinization. I explain that Judaism is more of a tribe or nation that is much like the Cherokee nation. One cannot pitch a tent next to the teepees and say that they are a Cherokee. They have to prove their commitment and loyalty. They may have to kill a bear, do work detail, and show their knowledge of their customs. They may even need to do some sort of bodily mutilation, pearcing, tattooing, etc.
Survival and circling the wagons is not growth. As a dwindling minority, we must look toward embracing the potential convert and showing the value of Judaism as a deeply fulfilling way of life. The goal is to obtain more Jews that are more committed, more observant, and more highly identified. Judaism is a worthwhile option. Imagine 36 million Jews on the planet, most of whom are committed to fulfilling the mitzvot; most of whom were not born Jewish and transformed their identity to commit to living a Jewish life.
Prosthelytizing, evangelism, marketing... We should expose Judaism to the public as a valid option for spiritual fulfillment. Too often, our Jewish humor crosses the line from modesty to humility to self-disdain. Judaism is too demanding. “We look different, Jews are too weak. Israel is too strong…” We must start with an air of confidence. If we cannot be confident in today’s society, we likely will never be. Judaism is a religion of action. To fulfill our mission of being a light unto the nations, Judaism should be gift to the world, part of tikkun olam. To accomplish this, we must abandon our medieval ghetto outlook on life. Jewish history did not begin in the 17th century with the beginnings of Chassidism. Ritual observance, social interaction, and liturgy have evolved over time and should continue to evolve.
In the past, most people in this country followed the faith and cultural identity of their parents. Now, religious and ethnic loyalties are more often a matter of choice. The switching of religions is commonplace now. Jews may choose to be Christian or Buddhist and must therefore, now choose to be Jews. Judaism must become attractive to born Jews so that they do not decide to leave and to non-Jews so that they will choose to join. We must welcome all who enter the shul and facilitate their participation in Judaism. We know how Jews by Choice embrace the culture, religion, traditions, and rituals. Jews who were not born Jewish may be the best way to motivate the born Jew to actually become involved in Jewish life.
This is not to say that there should not be rituals, studying, and commitment to those that wish to pursue the Jewish indoctrinization. I explain that Judaism is more of a tribe or nation that is much like the Cherokee nation. One cannot pitch a tent next to the teepees and say that they are a Cherokee. They have to prove their commitment and loyalty. They may have to kill a bear, do work detail, and show their knowledge of their customs. They may even need to do some sort of bodily mutilation, pearcing, tattooing, etc.
Survival and circling the wagons is not growth. As a dwindling minority, we must look toward embracing the potential convert and showing the value of Judaism as a deeply fulfilling way of life. The goal is to obtain more Jews that are more committed, more observant, and more highly identified. Judaism is a worthwhile option. Imagine 36 million Jews on the planet, most of whom are committed to fulfilling the mitzvot; most of whom were not born Jewish and transformed their identity to commit to living a Jewish life.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Terminal
The following could be chalked up to a case of pre-geriatric cerebral flatulence. regardless, I am reminded of how I should have easily known better.
Since December, I have been taking Hebrew classes for 5 hours a day and five days per week. For Passover, we have two weeks off from school. I didn’t want to sit around for two weeks so decided to try to find a travel buddy to take en inexpensive trip somewhere. My Israeli friend, Miri, had somewhat of a similar itch. I wanted to go to India while she wanted Italy. We both don’t eat bread during the week of Passover. So, when I explained that we would not be able to enjoy the Italian bread, pizza, or pasta while in Italy, she agreed there might be a better time for that trip. We looked at an Israeli website for last minute trips and found a cheap all-in trip to a supposedly 5-Star resort on the Black Sea in Bulgaria. Food was included as was the airfare. I have had limited exposure to Eastern Europe and I really wanted to see some of the towns and villages.
Miri called the travel company to determine if we needed a visa to enter the country. We were informed that Israeli citizens would not need visas. As I was packing my bag, I visioned how we would rent a car and take many day trips from the resort town and return in the evenings. I always want to have my USA passport with me in case it is needed but for some reason, couldn’t find it as I was rushing to meet Miri to go to the airport. I brought my temporary Israeli passport instead. We were asked to arrive three hours before departure in Israel. I assumed the security could be the tightest in the world and that we would become chummy with the touchy-feely airport security. I prefer the generous body searches by hot Israeli girls instead of the burly Russian guys. Never happens that way.
The early arrival to the airport gave Miri a chance to shop and shop and sample fragrances and cosmetics at the Duty Free stores. All went smoothly as we checked in at the counter for our two-hour flight to Varna, Bulgaria, on the Black Sea. Our documents were checked and I was able to land an emergency exit row for my long legs. Our flight was delayed a couple of hours and we arrived around 10:00 PM. I assumed they combined two flights that were scheduled instead of burning fuel in two planes.
We waited in line for our documents to be checked in Bulgaria. Miri cruised through and saw our guide and bus waiting to take us to the resort. When I handed my travel document, the Border Policeman said, “Do you have an American Passport?” I said, “It’s in Tel Aviv but I have this one”. As I am a new immigrant to Israel, they require you to live in the country for at least one year prior to gaining an Israeli passport. You get something called a Teudat Me-Avar. It says in English, “Travel Document in Lieu of Passport”. I was naively under the impression that this was a temporary passport and that it would be treated as such. Instead, I was informed that this document needed a visa to enter the country. I knew there might be a few more questions but that, eventually, they would let me get on the bus and go to the resort. I stepped aside as others came through. Miri waited on the other side and retrieved our baggage. As they closed down the line, the travel guide stayed with me to translate. He told me that I was not able to enter the country that night and I would have to sleep at the airport. He said that I would have to speak with the senior officer the next day but that I would have to leave the country on the first available flight back to Israel. Miri had read about women trafficking in Bulgaria and was afraid of taking a cab so late at night and of staying alone in a hotel. She wanted to stay with me overnight in the airport. After my insisting, she finally left and was given a ride there by the guide.
This is a small airport. There is a duty-free area, a café, and a snack bar with chips and junk food. No beds and it is pretty cold outside. Will there be heat in here? People are wearing heavy coats. I was told that people would come to fly early in the morning and that the cafes would then be opened. OK, I can rough it. After all, I’ve done my share of camping in Israel and this was at least inside. I wandered upstairs to a café area and found a couple of narrow Formica-topped tables that I could pull together to stay off of the floor. The cold metal chairs were too angled to be comfortable. I bundled up in all of my warm clothes and brushed my teeth in the bathroom. After pulling the tables behind a temporary divider, I lay on top of a pair of jeans to soften the hard Formica table, used my backpack as a pillow, and threw a pair of clean underwear over my eyes to block out the light. Not much sleep here but I’m fantasizing of an adventure where I am in solitary confinement before the morning torture starts. I really don’t sleep but try to rest knowing the next day will be adventurous. Miri calls me several times to from her hotel. She is nervous and chatty and I remind her that using our Israeli cell phones from Bulgaria is very expensive. We should use them as little as possible and will have to use them a lot following day. As I had expected to turn off my cell for a week, I had not brought my charger.
I remember the person arriving to open the nearby café at 4:00 AM and I how good and relaxing the music was. There must have been a 5:30 flight because it became much colder in my semi-hidden spot near the café. People would open the doors to smoke outside and let the freezing air in. The following morning, we met several other Border Police and awaited the senior officer. We called the American Embassy in the capital of Sophia and the Israeli Embassy. The woman at US consular services said they had to interview persons who lost their passports in person. I could not travel to Sophia because it was a domestic flight. They had no other consulate. The Deputy Chief of Bulgarian Border Police arrived and said the airline had a responsibility to ensure that its passengers had the appropriate documentation to enter the country of destination. The next flight back to Tel Aviv was Thursday and I would have to stay until then unless I could get a hard copy of my American passport. This was Monday morning and Passover begins on Wednesday at sundown.
Still not losing hope…
Did they want a bribe, was there someone I could apologize to, charm, pressure? The Deputy Chief of Border Police once came to me and said they would try to make and exception and issue a visa from the airport. However, it would cost me 120 Euros. Fine. He said there was a chance the request could be denied by the higher ups but that he would recommend it. I was fine with that and even a bit giddy. I spread my Hebrew books out on a table at the café and studied Hebrew and a few words in Bulgarian so that I could say, “good morning” to the Border Police as they passed by. A few hours passed and Miri had made her way back to the airport. She said she had no intention of staying by herself and that, if I had to return to Israel, she would too. She has 10 brothers and sisters and she was feeling a little guilty for missing the Seder.
I started calling friends in Tel Aviv to see if someone could get into my apartment, find my US passport, and ship it to me… somehow. One friend found my hidden key but later told me that I had hidden the wrong key. I called my Landlord whom I knew had a key. He went by and looked where I told him the passport should be and could not find it. He then had to leave and go to work. I was so looking forward to the visa that would be given soon. After a couple of hours, the Deputy Chief approached me and told me the request was turned down. They had to go by the book. I would be in the airport until Thursday. The woman in charge of consular services for US citizens appeared willing to help at first. We suggested filming me with the security officers and sending it via Skype. The Deputy Head of the Border Police said he would try to let us use his computer to do this. He told me I would be a liability sleeping in his airport and that it would be better if I left. He left again for a couple of hours and returned to tell me that again, the higher-ups don’t want him involved in helping me get a visa. Thursday…
I later found that there was a business lounge with nicer chairs than in the general boarding area. I entered to ask, what else?: “May I sleep on these?” There was even internet service there. Nearer to 5:00 PM, I met a couple of guys waiting for a flight. I had been asking if anyone had a Samsung phone charger. One of these guys was from Colombia. I told him my story in Spanish and how I could have filmed myself with my phone and sent it from the business lounge computer to the US Embassy in Sophia so that they could interview me and issue a passport that could somehow be couriered to the airport where I was now residing. I just didn’t have a way to get the film from my camera to the computer. The Colombian quickly handed me a zip drive and showed me how to plug the memory chip of my phone into the zip drive that would then neatly fit into any port of a computer – the business lounge computer! I could then send it to the Embassy in Sophia and they could interview me and issue a new passport. Eureka!
It was 5:10 PM and I knew the Embassy was closing. I had an emergency number to the woman in charge of consular services. She never thought I would actually be able to get her a film as she could not use Skype. When I told her I was sending her a film that she had agreed to use, she changed her mind. She told me I would have to stay in the airport. Meanwhile, I called my Landlord again to ask him to look elsewhere in the apartment. He said he was at work, the key was at his house, and couldn’t get there again until late at night. He works nearby and angrily agreed to go by again. He insisted that I put him in touch with the local official in Bulgaria. He said he knew the head of Border Control in Israel. I had a good relation going with the Border Police and I didn’t want an angry pushy Israeli making it any worse. Plus, the Deputy Chief was obviously not the decision maker as reported to the capital. My Landlord called me in a fury from my apartment saying he didn’t care if I slept in the airport for a week. He came and could not find my passport. I had to tell him there usually were no policemen around for him to speak with as most of the time, I was just waiting. I later sent him an SMS to ask his Israeli contact to contact the head of Border Police in Sophia but he never did. I had my landlord leave a key outside of my apartment so another friend, Eva, from Hungary, could try to find the passport. She looked so hard and combed the apartment. She went back again to dig through books to see if I had hidden it somewhere. Nothing. Eva was so sweet and tried so hard but came up with nothing. I was starting to think I would get a lot of Hebrew studying done until Thursday. But, Passover was approaching, Miri had 10 brothers and sisters, some of whom had come from abroad for Passover, I wanted her to get back for the Seder.
The Border Police found a flight that would get me back to Tel Aviv on Tuesday afternoon but I would have to pay for it. It was 250 Euros and it went through Hungary. It left at 5:30 AM on Tuesday. I would have to wait until around 4:00 AM, when the gate agent arrived, to check if I could get through the Budapest airport on my travel document. Would not be forced to leave and could have stayed until Thursday and flown for free. But, with all other options exhausted, I chose to fly back to Tel Aviv without ever entering Bulgaria. A few hours on the Formica and a trip for Miri to get her suitcase from the hotel, and we were ready to go at 3:30 AM. We had a 2-hour layover in Budapest and arrived in the afternoon in Tel Aviv.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The New York Times Publishes Op Ed from Moammar Qadaffi
I was reading the New York Times online the other day when I came across an Op Ed by none other than the benevolent dictator, Col. Qadaffi of Libya. He writes what appears on the surface to be a somewhat logical argument that the only solution for peace in the Middle East is to destroy Israel’s existence in its present form and to unite West Bank, Gaza, and Israel unite to become one country, called “Israstine”. Many readers posted replies of elated agreement. Unfortunately, his twisted rhetoric is mostly based on his and the Arab world opinion without factual back-up but with several half-truths. He attempts to soften the reader by beginning each paragraph with an admission of Israel’s democracy and fair treatment of Israeli Arabs and that the Palestinians left Israel in 1948 on their own accord despite the Jews’ invitations to stay and to form an integral part of the new country. One should note that this goal of destroying Israel demographically to restore the entire Middle East to a Muslim majority has been the goal of the Arab world since Israel’s foundation and would destroy the State of Israel as a Jewish homeland and, most likely, as a first world democracy.
Here is a better solution for the 7 million Muslims, Jews, Drus, Christians, B'hais, etc. as well as the descendants of the 700,000 Muslims and Christians that left in 1948. Israel and Palestine will be two closely allied countries that share tourism and allow visitors from both sides cross easily to visit touristic sites, relatives, friends, and to work. The Jews in the West Bank will be tax-paying Palestinian citizens and will strengthen the economic and strategic ties with Israel much like the Israeli Arabs are an integral part of Israel. Palestinians can visit and bring tour groups into the Old City of Jerusalem and Israeli groups can visit Jericho and other important Jewish sites and eat at the fish restaurants on the beautiful Mediterranean beaches of Gaza. Archeology buffs can visit the excavated historical buildings of Gaza that date back over 3,000 years. Educated Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Palestinians will be a source of highly educated labor for international corporations that now employ thousands of Israelis. Palestinians will be a preferred labor pool in Israel instead of the Asian and African migrants now working in Israeli factories and hotels.
Qadaffi does not mention that over 700,000 Jews were forced to flee Arab states after 1948 when their Arab population attacked their fellow Jewish citizens, burned schools and synagogues after Israel survived the attacks by the Arab nations. Many of these Jews had their homes in these countries for thousands of years, although they usually 2nd class citizens with fewer rights than the Muslim majority. In Qaddafi’s country alone, hundreds of Jews were murdered in Tripoli in 1945, before Israel’s foundation. When the Great Leader came to power in 1968, he confiscated all Jewish property and declared all debts to Jews forgiven. Most of these thousands of Jewish citizens fled with no compensation for their homes and were absorbed by Israel and given citizenship. Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, all share similar stories. The Jews lived in tents and whatever structure would hold them in Israel until the country could find homes and work for them. They were resourceful and knew they had no choice and nowhere else to go. Libya and the rest of the Middle East never compensated these citizens that often fled for their lives. The Arab states could use the money owed to their Jewish citizens to encourage the Palestinians to invest in their country and to change the seething entitled victim culture that is pervasive in the West Bank and Gaza.
Of the 700,000 Arabs that left the recently formed Israel in 1948, only those older than their mid-70's would be able to say they grew up in what is Israel. Of those, few of them would have had ownership to property. Changing the government of the Palestinians to be an Israeli/Palestinian, Islamic, or even a secular government would not move the Palestinians from their current homes because the villages and towns their ancestors inhabited are now fully occupied homes to Israeli Arabs and Jews. Current residents have lived in these areas now for generations and many are, themselves, ancestors of refugees. Few that remain in Palestine ever lived in Israel. Thus, if one is against Zionism because it allows Jews that have never lived in Israel to move there to immigrate, then one must also oppose Palestinians’ Right of Return as they are not “returning”. Most have never lived there. The possibility of those still living returning is waning as the Palestinians have no uniting leader to negotiate with Israel.
Palestinian extremists have proudly acclaimed that they are patient and can outlast the Jews in Israel with their sporadic terrorism in order to overthrow Israel. Sadly for them, time is working against them. Their constant state of war and terrorism has caused Israel to defend herself by constructing fences and walls and to send troops into outposts in areas designated to be the Palestinian State. These outposts later became some of the settlements that have grown to 250,000 people. These people can be the Palestinian Jews that will bring lead Palestine to a regional alliance with Israel.
Eighty percent of what was historic Palestine is now the West Bank, Gaza and Jordan. Israel is less than 1% of the land size of the Middle East. Yet, these Arab states have allowed the Palestinian Arabs to fester in these refugee camps for 60 years and have obsessed with the 1% that is not Muslim dominated. Many of those that fled attacked Israel and none of their leaders have acknowledged Israel’s right to exist. Israel has paid to build much of the infrastructure of the West Bank and Gaza and billions of aid has been squandered by Arafat and corrupt leaders of these people. The Palestinians and virtually all of the Middle East (except for Israel, Egypt, and Turkey) have officially been in a state of war against Israel since her foundation. The British and French that captured the area from the Turks that occupied it for 350 years gave most of Palestine to Jordan and some to Syria. Lebanon also was able to become a State. Jews were forced out of these areas, including communities in the West Bank while all parties were jockeying to create new countries. The tiny area that is now Israel was mainly primitive undeveloped land. Palestinians can build a similar country with the help of the global activists that support it. There are enough parties willing to help.
The benevolent dictator points out that in Israel, all religions are accepted and participate in the Israeli democratic processes. The Colonel tells us how the Arab population that did not abandon Israel before it was attacked after declaring itself an independent state, is still an important part of the Israeli democratic society. While I am against the hard core religious Zionists that want all of historical Israel to be part of the Jewish State and have, thus, created settlements on empty hilltops n the West Bank, a new “Palestine” could be a great ally to Israel and Israel could use its strong military to protect its neighbor. The Jewish population, now known as Settlers, will be tax-paying Palestinians and will maintain strong ties and alliances with the Israeli government to ensure a strong alliance militarily and economically.
The victim mentality breeds anger, resentment, and hatred. It is also a convenient way to avoid responsibility. Billions have been given to the rulers of “Palestine” to mostly be squandered on weapons and offshore private bank accounts. Israel has contributed huge financial investment in Palestinian infrastructure as well. Qadaffi is right that people should not have to live in something resembling refugee camps. The poverty will be eliminated in these territories when a reasonable regime can unite the people to do something similar to what Israel has done: build a thriving economy in what was formerly a backward seldom visited desert. They have a willing ally in Israel and, supposedly, in other Arab states.
Peace and diplomacy between the countries will allow a great flow of workers and tourists to go between the countries for work and travel. Palestinians can visit the cities that where their ancestors lived as can Israelis in the towns of Judea and Samaria (The West Bank) which will then be known as the State of Palestine. The Jews in Palestine and the Arabs in Israel will help ensure strong relations and ties.
The Colonel argues that a Palestinian State next to Israel would be a great security hazard to Israel because one of the thinnest points in the country would only be about 10 miles wide. He is right that Israel is a tiny land, less than 1% of the Middle East. If it were breached in a war by the seething nation of Palestine, it would cut the Israel in half. He assumes that, the new Palestinian state would be an enemy to Israel but that these same people will be peaceful citizens in Isratine. This is understood as the vast majority of Palestinians are less than 25 years old and study in schools that preach hatred and martyrdom against those that are not Muslim. Somehow, Qaddafi tells us all will be OK if they can move to the urban Israeli cities mentioned: Haifa, Akko, and Jaffa.
Palestine has wonderful resources and history in their current lands and can develop these to build a thriving economy alongside Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Jordan is mainly populated by Palestinians although they have no representation in the government and Israel has over a million Palestinian Muslims. These allies will certainly help trade and tourism in the new State. Gaza City is an ancient city dating back to before ancient Israel was established. The archeology is spectacular, although is is still underground. It has beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean and a port. It borders Egypt and Israel. The West Bank is home to many great and ancient cities such as Jericho as well as archeological spectacles, the Jordan River, deserts, and mountains. Like Alaska, Gaza is not contiguous but it allows Palestinians give its future citizens beaches, a deep history and architecture.
While, in the late 1990’s, it looked like there would be peace. Israel opened her borders to thousands of workers that came over every day to work. These workers have been replaced by Eastern migrant workers and African refugees being given asylum. At Camp David, Arafat was offered unlimited access to holy sites in Jerusalem and 95% of the West Bank that, until Israel’s occupation, was occupied by Jordan. Arafat left the negotiations to start the last Intifada, killing many hundreds of civilians in Israel. This provoked Israel to close her borders in defense and scrutinize every suicide bomber risk causing economic disaster for Palestinian non-militants and eventually, to construct a huge fence and wall to stop the terrorists from circumventing border crossings. It once looked like the two economies would work well together. However, they have been forcibly divorced.
Suddenly throwing together two peoples that have deep resentment toward each other from generations of war is a burning powder keg. Millions of Jews that have escaped persecution in the Soviet Union, Germany, and the Middle East and have landed in a tiny safe haven where they can openly pray and live their culture, is a worthy cause. Jordan occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem until 1967 and Eqypt occupied Gaza. Jordan was the largest portion of Palestine but we never hear cries to let the West Bank Palestinians into Jordan to create a democracy from the existing monarchy.
Two states, two close allies. Thousands of tourists will be coming to the nature, historical and archeological sites, religious holy sites, and beaches of Palestine. The mixtures of the Middle Eastern foods and the European foods brought by the European Israelis. A Jewish country, restored in some of the ancient land with Jerusalem as its capital and where all religions are respected and encouraged. A Club Med in Gaza, ancient Jericho partially restored, Ramallah a thriving banking/hi-tech town. Gaza City with gorgeous mosques calling the believers to prayer five times per day. Religious Jewish Palestinians helping build a progressive economy. Arab Israelis continuing to play important roles in the Parliament and political arena in Israel. Arab dictators will have trouble keeping the spotlight off of their persecutions and crackdowns on opposition.
Sorry, Mr. Qadaffi but, once there is actually an alliance with Israel and her next door neighbor, Palestine, eyes will turn to you and your taxation without representation and oppression of minorities. Democracy and entrepreneurship can be contagious. It will be dangerous to you and the rest of the kings and dictators in the Middle East.
Here is a better solution for the 7 million Muslims, Jews, Drus, Christians, B'hais, etc. as well as the descendants of the 700,000 Muslims and Christians that left in 1948. Israel and Palestine will be two closely allied countries that share tourism and allow visitors from both sides cross easily to visit touristic sites, relatives, friends, and to work. The Jews in the West Bank will be tax-paying Palestinian citizens and will strengthen the economic and strategic ties with Israel much like the Israeli Arabs are an integral part of Israel. Palestinians can visit and bring tour groups into the Old City of Jerusalem and Israeli groups can visit Jericho and other important Jewish sites and eat at the fish restaurants on the beautiful Mediterranean beaches of Gaza. Archeology buffs can visit the excavated historical buildings of Gaza that date back over 3,000 years. Educated Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Palestinians will be a source of highly educated labor for international corporations that now employ thousands of Israelis. Palestinians will be a preferred labor pool in Israel instead of the Asian and African migrants now working in Israeli factories and hotels.
Qadaffi does not mention that over 700,000 Jews were forced to flee Arab states after 1948 when their Arab population attacked their fellow Jewish citizens, burned schools and synagogues after Israel survived the attacks by the Arab nations. Many of these Jews had their homes in these countries for thousands of years, although they usually 2nd class citizens with fewer rights than the Muslim majority. In Qaddafi’s country alone, hundreds of Jews were murdered in Tripoli in 1945, before Israel’s foundation. When the Great Leader came to power in 1968, he confiscated all Jewish property and declared all debts to Jews forgiven. Most of these thousands of Jewish citizens fled with no compensation for their homes and were absorbed by Israel and given citizenship. Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, all share similar stories. The Jews lived in tents and whatever structure would hold them in Israel until the country could find homes and work for them. They were resourceful and knew they had no choice and nowhere else to go. Libya and the rest of the Middle East never compensated these citizens that often fled for their lives. The Arab states could use the money owed to their Jewish citizens to encourage the Palestinians to invest in their country and to change the seething entitled victim culture that is pervasive in the West Bank and Gaza.
Of the 700,000 Arabs that left the recently formed Israel in 1948, only those older than their mid-70's would be able to say they grew up in what is Israel. Of those, few of them would have had ownership to property. Changing the government of the Palestinians to be an Israeli/Palestinian, Islamic, or even a secular government would not move the Palestinians from their current homes because the villages and towns their ancestors inhabited are now fully occupied homes to Israeli Arabs and Jews. Current residents have lived in these areas now for generations and many are, themselves, ancestors of refugees. Few that remain in Palestine ever lived in Israel. Thus, if one is against Zionism because it allows Jews that have never lived in Israel to move there to immigrate, then one must also oppose Palestinians’ Right of Return as they are not “returning”. Most have never lived there. The possibility of those still living returning is waning as the Palestinians have no uniting leader to negotiate with Israel.
Palestinian extremists have proudly acclaimed that they are patient and can outlast the Jews in Israel with their sporadic terrorism in order to overthrow Israel. Sadly for them, time is working against them. Their constant state of war and terrorism has caused Israel to defend herself by constructing fences and walls and to send troops into outposts in areas designated to be the Palestinian State. These outposts later became some of the settlements that have grown to 250,000 people. These people can be the Palestinian Jews that will bring lead Palestine to a regional alliance with Israel.
Eighty percent of what was historic Palestine is now the West Bank, Gaza and Jordan. Israel is less than 1% of the land size of the Middle East. Yet, these Arab states have allowed the Palestinian Arabs to fester in these refugee camps for 60 years and have obsessed with the 1% that is not Muslim dominated. Many of those that fled attacked Israel and none of their leaders have acknowledged Israel’s right to exist. Israel has paid to build much of the infrastructure of the West Bank and Gaza and billions of aid has been squandered by Arafat and corrupt leaders of these people. The Palestinians and virtually all of the Middle East (except for Israel, Egypt, and Turkey) have officially been in a state of war against Israel since her foundation. The British and French that captured the area from the Turks that occupied it for 350 years gave most of Palestine to Jordan and some to Syria. Lebanon also was able to become a State. Jews were forced out of these areas, including communities in the West Bank while all parties were jockeying to create new countries. The tiny area that is now Israel was mainly primitive undeveloped land. Palestinians can build a similar country with the help of the global activists that support it. There are enough parties willing to help.
The benevolent dictator points out that in Israel, all religions are accepted and participate in the Israeli democratic processes. The Colonel tells us how the Arab population that did not abandon Israel before it was attacked after declaring itself an independent state, is still an important part of the Israeli democratic society. While I am against the hard core religious Zionists that want all of historical Israel to be part of the Jewish State and have, thus, created settlements on empty hilltops n the West Bank, a new “Palestine” could be a great ally to Israel and Israel could use its strong military to protect its neighbor. The Jewish population, now known as Settlers, will be tax-paying Palestinians and will maintain strong ties and alliances with the Israeli government to ensure a strong alliance militarily and economically.
The victim mentality breeds anger, resentment, and hatred. It is also a convenient way to avoid responsibility. Billions have been given to the rulers of “Palestine” to mostly be squandered on weapons and offshore private bank accounts. Israel has contributed huge financial investment in Palestinian infrastructure as well. Qadaffi is right that people should not have to live in something resembling refugee camps. The poverty will be eliminated in these territories when a reasonable regime can unite the people to do something similar to what Israel has done: build a thriving economy in what was formerly a backward seldom visited desert. They have a willing ally in Israel and, supposedly, in other Arab states.
Peace and diplomacy between the countries will allow a great flow of workers and tourists to go between the countries for work and travel. Palestinians can visit the cities that where their ancestors lived as can Israelis in the towns of Judea and Samaria (The West Bank) which will then be known as the State of Palestine. The Jews in Palestine and the Arabs in Israel will help ensure strong relations and ties.
The Colonel argues that a Palestinian State next to Israel would be a great security hazard to Israel because one of the thinnest points in the country would only be about 10 miles wide. He is right that Israel is a tiny land, less than 1% of the Middle East. If it were breached in a war by the seething nation of Palestine, it would cut the Israel in half. He assumes that, the new Palestinian state would be an enemy to Israel but that these same people will be peaceful citizens in Isratine. This is understood as the vast majority of Palestinians are less than 25 years old and study in schools that preach hatred and martyrdom against those that are not Muslim. Somehow, Qaddafi tells us all will be OK if they can move to the urban Israeli cities mentioned: Haifa, Akko, and Jaffa.
Palestine has wonderful resources and history in their current lands and can develop these to build a thriving economy alongside Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Jordan is mainly populated by Palestinians although they have no representation in the government and Israel has over a million Palestinian Muslims. These allies will certainly help trade and tourism in the new State. Gaza City is an ancient city dating back to before ancient Israel was established. The archeology is spectacular, although is is still underground. It has beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean and a port. It borders Egypt and Israel. The West Bank is home to many great and ancient cities such as Jericho as well as archeological spectacles, the Jordan River, deserts, and mountains. Like Alaska, Gaza is not contiguous but it allows Palestinians give its future citizens beaches, a deep history and architecture.
While, in the late 1990’s, it looked like there would be peace. Israel opened her borders to thousands of workers that came over every day to work. These workers have been replaced by Eastern migrant workers and African refugees being given asylum. At Camp David, Arafat was offered unlimited access to holy sites in Jerusalem and 95% of the West Bank that, until Israel’s occupation, was occupied by Jordan. Arafat left the negotiations to start the last Intifada, killing many hundreds of civilians in Israel. This provoked Israel to close her borders in defense and scrutinize every suicide bomber risk causing economic disaster for Palestinian non-militants and eventually, to construct a huge fence and wall to stop the terrorists from circumventing border crossings. It once looked like the two economies would work well together. However, they have been forcibly divorced.
Suddenly throwing together two peoples that have deep resentment toward each other from generations of war is a burning powder keg. Millions of Jews that have escaped persecution in the Soviet Union, Germany, and the Middle East and have landed in a tiny safe haven where they can openly pray and live their culture, is a worthy cause. Jordan occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem until 1967 and Eqypt occupied Gaza. Jordan was the largest portion of Palestine but we never hear cries to let the West Bank Palestinians into Jordan to create a democracy from the existing monarchy.
Two states, two close allies. Thousands of tourists will be coming to the nature, historical and archeological sites, religious holy sites, and beaches of Palestine. The mixtures of the Middle Eastern foods and the European foods brought by the European Israelis. A Jewish country, restored in some of the ancient land with Jerusalem as its capital and where all religions are respected and encouraged. A Club Med in Gaza, ancient Jericho partially restored, Ramallah a thriving banking/hi-tech town. Gaza City with gorgeous mosques calling the believers to prayer five times per day. Religious Jewish Palestinians helping build a progressive economy. Arab Israelis continuing to play important roles in the Parliament and political arena in Israel. Arab dictators will have trouble keeping the spotlight off of their persecutions and crackdowns on opposition.
Sorry, Mr. Qadaffi but, once there is actually an alliance with Israel and her next door neighbor, Palestine, eyes will turn to you and your taxation without representation and oppression of minorities. Democracy and entrepreneurship can be contagious. It will be dangerous to you and the rest of the kings and dictators in the Middle East.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
War in Gaza and in Southern Israel
I have always been against invasions. I was firmly against Ronald Reagan’s war on Nicaragua and against Daniel Ortega’s Sandinistas. I was against both Iraq wars. I remember UN Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix saying that he needed more time to search the country for nuclear weapons and that there was no sign of weapons of mass destruction. But, most leaders from both parties in the US agreed that we needed to go in. I had visited Israel weeks before the US went into Iraq where a university professor addressed us and predicted what would happen if Saddam Hussein were to be toppled. He predicted chaos between the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis in the region and the strengthening of Iran. I was against going in.
The media is focusing on reported civilian deaths due to Israeli bombing and building raids. The following statistics are easily verifiable in the internet. One can see the horrible carnage and civilian casualties left by the massive bombing.
1) The number reported killed was between 469 and 486, of which 411 were civilians and 58 military. 5,027 people were listed as injured and 45,132 as "bombed out".
OK, these statistics are from the British and Allied bombings of Cologne, Germany during WWII. Was the Arab world up in arms and burning British flags? This was the Britain who was occupying much of the Middle East. They had already given most of Palestine to Trans Jordan but they still occupied much of the rest.
2) How about NATO attacks during the Clinton administration in 1999 in Yugoslavia? Yugoslavia claimed that NATO attacks caused between 1,200 and 5,700 civilian casualties. NATO acknowledged killing at most 1,500 civilians. Were there angry protests against NATO?
3) The 2008 numbers in Afghanistan are not in yet but in 2007, a minimum of 1,633 Afghan civilians were killed in fighting related to the armed conflict. Of those, at least 950 died during attacks by the various insurgent forces, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda. At least 434 civilians died during US or NATO attacks in 2007-321 killed by airstrikes, and 113 by US or NATO ground fire. Another 57 civilians were killed in crossfire, and 192 died under unclear circumstances. Are Gazans worth more than Afghanis? Where are the protests in Western Europe and around the world?
4) Only a few months ago: August 9, 2008 TBLISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Russian forces launched an airstrike against a military airfield near the Tbilisi International Airport early Sunday, despite international calls for Russia to stand down from the escalating conflict, Georgian officials told CNN.
As many as 2,000 people had been killed in the capital of separatist Georgian province South Ossetia, according to a Russian ambassador. 40 were military.
"The city of Tskhinvali no longer exists. There is nothing left. It was wiped out by the Georgian military," the Russian news agency Interfax said, quoting the Russian ambassador to Georgia, Vyacheslav Kovalenko.
5) OK, here we are: Palestinian leadership claims that 20,000 Palestinians have been killed although it is generally believed that the number is closer to 3,400 Palestinians killed. Of course, this was the country of Jordan killing the Palestinians in 1971, not the Israelis. You see, Jordan occupied the West Bank and West Jerusalem from 1948 until 1967. Prior to that, this entire region was occupied by the Ottomans for about 400 years. Were there world wide protests?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_September_in_Jordan
War is always hideous. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed in Darfur in Sudan and that goes on. Hundreds of thousands were already dead over a couple of years before anyone noticed. Yet, now, Israel is the center of attention by the media after being continually attacked by rockets and missiles. Is this not holding Israel to a higher standard? I don’t mind the world holding Israel to a higher standard than, say, all of the African nations, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and many others. There is much room to grow, for sure.
There are always innocent victims in times of war. I am against this war. War is hell and should be avoided at all costs. I have seen legal protests in Israel by Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs against Israel’s bombing in Gaza. The Arab world and much of the rest of the world condemns Israel for the attacks in Gaza. There are many demonstrations in Western Europe and the Middle East against Israel’s actions. Many Israelis are actively against it. Some of my Israeli Jewish friends were intentionally arrested for blocking traffic with a protest against Israel’s bombing of Gaza. This is a country founded in Socialist values that had to give some power to the ultra-religious in order to hold the country together. The vast majority wants peace and, I believe, would go to immense efforts and sacrifices to help the Palestinians build a developed country. Some of my friends have brothers and significant others who are being sent into Gaza in this war.
Hamas must cease its terrorist tactics and realize that, in order to give its people peace, it must allow its neighbor, Israel, to live in peace. Hamas does not need to justify attacking Gaza by relentlessly firing rockets at random civilians. While police protect Arab and Jewish protestors in Israel, Hamas wants to install Sharia law in Gaza with punishments such as crucifixion, whipping, severing a hand of anyone caught stealing, and death to anyone who “hurts Palestinian morale”. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1229868840606&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. Hamas was elected into power partly because the former ruling group, Fatah, was seen as corrupt and did smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars of aid of the area and to European banks. Hamas has a political wing, a military/terrorist wing, and a religious wing that performs social services. I see that people wanted to put into power those that would give them schools and social services and have the courage to stick their finger in Israel’s eye every chance they get.
Some of my Israeli and American friends on the left wing (my side of the room) believe Hamas’ complaint that medical aid, food supplies and other supplies were not being allowed into Gaza. Thus, it was understandable that Hamas was furious. Many called the situation a “siege”. While there were significant delays indeed, hundreds of trucks were allowed in. The delays were caused by Israel’s need to search shipments for arms being smuggled into Gaza that would later be used to kill Israelis. Most goods had to pass through Israel and were thus searched and therefore, delayed. Israel has succeeded in the past in the seizure of massive arms shipments off the coast of Gaza http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jan/05/news/mn-20458 and has thus, continued to check sea shipments as well.
Hamas further complains of a lack of medical supplies, food, and other necessities that they claim are prevented from entering by Israel. Perhaps Israel did play games in restricting supplies in order to do what?: Stop the Hamas from firing missiles. Yet, Hamas smuggled in rockets, explosives, and missiles from Iran in lieu of smuggling in the medical supplies.
I, too, am delayed and searched when I enter nearly any building or restaurant in Israel. There are often lines, inconvenient delays, and guards sifting through my personal items and frisking me when entering every building. These are inconvenient precautions to prevent terrorists from attacking and I am grateful for them. Shipments to Gaza have and continue to go through, albeit with inconvenient and sometimes serious delays. All of this because and only because of the elected government that is a radical Islamic group that trains its children to hate and seek joy in martyrdom. Israelis want peace, not blood or genocide. No one in the media claims Israel wants more than that in Gaza.
I am a liberal but also a Zionist (Rush Limbaugh demonized the first word and radical Islam demonized the second). That is, I believe people should be able to live in peace in Israel. I believe Jews and non-Jewish Israelis should live in Israel as equals. Drus, Muslims, Christians, Baha’is should all get exactly equal benefits from the government. All should have to or be able to serve in the army in some way, too. There is a division in the people of Israel regarding war with Gaza. No one likes to hear of the civilian casualties. Yet, I know of no one cheering to the horror in Gaza. Everyone I know would like for Gazans and Palestinians to invest their international aid in their economy and give their people a happy and secure life versus teaching their children to hate and to feel victimized. While Israel does have some responsibility for their situation, so does much of the Middle East who won’t allow them to immigrate or won’t share their oil money to get their economy going.
Israel has her crazies, for sure. There are wonderful generous brilliant people here. There are also some radical Zionists that want Jews to rule all of biblical Israel (including the West Bank but not Gaza). Israel seems to have most of the crazies held back and the country seems to be headed in the right direction. Israel forcibly removed ALL of those settlers from Gaza. Those that were there were given an economic incentive to build homes on sand dunes and start a life there in what I deem sort of an imperialist way. This wrong is over and all settlers are gone along with the solders that protected them from attacks by militant Palestinians.
There was no Israeli presence in Gaza during the past few years. The Gazans voted Hamas into power even though they probably would have taken it by force, anyway. Hamas, a terrorist organization that openly wants to destroy Israel, has vowed never to allow Israel to exist. That is, they admit that the killing of random unarmed civilians is a justified target. This fits my definition of terrorism.
Hamas declared the ceasefire over on December 19, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7791100.stm and immediately began firing hundreds of rockets into Israel at random targets in nearby cities.
“Over 800 Palestinians and only 10 Israeli killed. That’s disproportionate.” If the number of those killed were even, would that justify Israel’s incursion into Gaza? Perhaps should Israel cease the sirens warning of incoming rockets, send the 50% of the populations back home that have had to flee Sderot over the past eight years, keep people in their homes and on the streets instead of living in cramped underground bomb shelters, allow children to go back to school after not being out for months due to the attacks, we could get the Israeli body count closer to proportion. This is as ridiculous argument. The goal of a war is to win. It helps if battles go disproportionately your way.
A government’s first duty is to protect its citizens. What would you do in Israel’s situation? In 2,000, under President Clinton’s leadership, 95% of the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem were offered to the Palestinians. They ceased negotiations and started a war with terrorist tactics. Their economy was rapidly expanding and their GDP was 400% of what it is today.
Let us pretend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5eKXOBf5_w
I think that Israel is finally doing a good PR campaign on this war. Residents were sometimes warned that their building was to be destroyed because it was a site for warehousing arms. Leaflets were dropped with a telephone number Gazans could call to reveal missile launch sites and to help end the incursion. Israel is allowing medical and food supplies into Gaza during its campaign. This is a similar tactic used by the U.S. in her invasion of Baghdad.
There is a plethora of propaganda on the internet for and against Israel. Israel has, indeed, made grave mistakes in giving into her radical Zionistic citizens that believe that all of historical Israel should be returned to the Jews per G-d’s will. I believe this minority will not be appeased in the long run. I am here to make a stand for a free country that is open to all and treats all as equals. It is a majority Jewish state and, if that is what the majority wants, I am OK with maintaining the Jewish essence of the country, provided others citizens are given equal benefits.
A history of the conflict:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCqeIZxrpo&feature=related
Civilian deaths are minimized given the circumstances in this war. Israel claims she is not trying to overthrow the elected Hamas from power, even though Hamas’s primary goal is to overthrow Israel. Israelis are agonizing over this and don’t want their children having to go into the army and kill or see death. Hamas declared the ceasefire over and began shelling nearby towns with hundreds of rockets, missiles, and mortars. Israel’s claim is to remove their ability to attack the Israeli people. After all, that is the primary purpose of a government. I am against this war. There are horrible instances of carnage on innocents in every war, especially those in urban environments. I so want for Hamas to agree to stop its bombing and terrorism and for Israel to agree to pull most of its settlers out of the West Bank. These can be done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGgBjZTsPaw
The Gazans do not deserve to die. 18 to 20-year old Israelis do not deserve to have to kill in a war and live maimed or with PTSD for the rest of their lives. Gaza only needs a charismatic leader who will not follow the radical Islamic belief that these lands are only for Arabs. Gandhi, MLK, and Nelson Mandela were all unstoppable in their lifetimes in bringing about peaceful change. Terrorism doesn’t bring more sympathy than Israeli tanks fighting against slingshot toting teens. We all know that, if there is to be peace here, it will be in a two-state solution. Let it go, Hamas. Find another tactic. You will and should lose this one. Spare your people and the Israelis that want you to have a good life. You have refused to stop aggressively trying to kill random civilians. Israel will let you govern if you will just let them live. Must you kill your own as well as theirs for this mission? We will overcome the bitter Israeli hard liners and give your people a country and an opportunity for a helpful neighbor. We will help you rebuild and begin to thrive.
Former Prime Minister, Golda Meir is often quoted as stating:
"We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us”
Randy
The media is focusing on reported civilian deaths due to Israeli bombing and building raids. The following statistics are easily verifiable in the internet. One can see the horrible carnage and civilian casualties left by the massive bombing.
1) The number reported killed was between 469 and 486, of which 411 were civilians and 58 military. 5,027 people were listed as injured and 45,132 as "bombed out".
OK, these statistics are from the British and Allied bombings of Cologne, Germany during WWII. Was the Arab world up in arms and burning British flags? This was the Britain who was occupying much of the Middle East. They had already given most of Palestine to Trans Jordan but they still occupied much of the rest.
2) How about NATO attacks during the Clinton administration in 1999 in Yugoslavia? Yugoslavia claimed that NATO attacks caused between 1,200 and 5,700 civilian casualties. NATO acknowledged killing at most 1,500 civilians. Were there angry protests against NATO?
3) The 2008 numbers in Afghanistan are not in yet but in 2007, a minimum of 1,633 Afghan civilians were killed in fighting related to the armed conflict. Of those, at least 950 died during attacks by the various insurgent forces, including the Taliban and al-Qaeda. At least 434 civilians died during US or NATO attacks in 2007-321 killed by airstrikes, and 113 by US or NATO ground fire. Another 57 civilians were killed in crossfire, and 192 died under unclear circumstances. Are Gazans worth more than Afghanis? Where are the protests in Western Europe and around the world?
4) Only a few months ago: August 9, 2008 TBLISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Russian forces launched an airstrike against a military airfield near the Tbilisi International Airport early Sunday, despite international calls for Russia to stand down from the escalating conflict, Georgian officials told CNN.
As many as 2,000 people had been killed in the capital of separatist Georgian province South Ossetia, according to a Russian ambassador. 40 were military.
"The city of Tskhinvali no longer exists. There is nothing left. It was wiped out by the Georgian military," the Russian news agency Interfax said, quoting the Russian ambassador to Georgia, Vyacheslav Kovalenko.
5) OK, here we are: Palestinian leadership claims that 20,000 Palestinians have been killed although it is generally believed that the number is closer to 3,400 Palestinians killed. Of course, this was the country of Jordan killing the Palestinians in 1971, not the Israelis. You see, Jordan occupied the West Bank and West Jerusalem from 1948 until 1967. Prior to that, this entire region was occupied by the Ottomans for about 400 years. Were there world wide protests?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_September_in_Jordan
War is always hideous. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed in Darfur in Sudan and that goes on. Hundreds of thousands were already dead over a couple of years before anyone noticed. Yet, now, Israel is the center of attention by the media after being continually attacked by rockets and missiles. Is this not holding Israel to a higher standard? I don’t mind the world holding Israel to a higher standard than, say, all of the African nations, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and many others. There is much room to grow, for sure.
There are always innocent victims in times of war. I am against this war. War is hell and should be avoided at all costs. I have seen legal protests in Israel by Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs against Israel’s bombing in Gaza. The Arab world and much of the rest of the world condemns Israel for the attacks in Gaza. There are many demonstrations in Western Europe and the Middle East against Israel’s actions. Many Israelis are actively against it. Some of my Israeli Jewish friends were intentionally arrested for blocking traffic with a protest against Israel’s bombing of Gaza. This is a country founded in Socialist values that had to give some power to the ultra-religious in order to hold the country together. The vast majority wants peace and, I believe, would go to immense efforts and sacrifices to help the Palestinians build a developed country. Some of my friends have brothers and significant others who are being sent into Gaza in this war.
Hamas must cease its terrorist tactics and realize that, in order to give its people peace, it must allow its neighbor, Israel, to live in peace. Hamas does not need to justify attacking Gaza by relentlessly firing rockets at random civilians. While police protect Arab and Jewish protestors in Israel, Hamas wants to install Sharia law in Gaza with punishments such as crucifixion, whipping, severing a hand of anyone caught stealing, and death to anyone who “hurts Palestinian morale”. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1229868840606&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. Hamas was elected into power partly because the former ruling group, Fatah, was seen as corrupt and did smuggle hundreds of millions of dollars of aid of the area and to European banks. Hamas has a political wing, a military/terrorist wing, and a religious wing that performs social services. I see that people wanted to put into power those that would give them schools and social services and have the courage to stick their finger in Israel’s eye every chance they get.
Some of my Israeli and American friends on the left wing (my side of the room) believe Hamas’ complaint that medical aid, food supplies and other supplies were not being allowed into Gaza. Thus, it was understandable that Hamas was furious. Many called the situation a “siege”. While there were significant delays indeed, hundreds of trucks were allowed in. The delays were caused by Israel’s need to search shipments for arms being smuggled into Gaza that would later be used to kill Israelis. Most goods had to pass through Israel and were thus searched and therefore, delayed. Israel has succeeded in the past in the seizure of massive arms shipments off the coast of Gaza http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jan/05/news/mn-20458 and has thus, continued to check sea shipments as well.
Hamas further complains of a lack of medical supplies, food, and other necessities that they claim are prevented from entering by Israel. Perhaps Israel did play games in restricting supplies in order to do what?: Stop the Hamas from firing missiles. Yet, Hamas smuggled in rockets, explosives, and missiles from Iran in lieu of smuggling in the medical supplies.
I, too, am delayed and searched when I enter nearly any building or restaurant in Israel. There are often lines, inconvenient delays, and guards sifting through my personal items and frisking me when entering every building. These are inconvenient precautions to prevent terrorists from attacking and I am grateful for them. Shipments to Gaza have and continue to go through, albeit with inconvenient and sometimes serious delays. All of this because and only because of the elected government that is a radical Islamic group that trains its children to hate and seek joy in martyrdom. Israelis want peace, not blood or genocide. No one in the media claims Israel wants more than that in Gaza.
I am a liberal but also a Zionist (Rush Limbaugh demonized the first word and radical Islam demonized the second). That is, I believe people should be able to live in peace in Israel. I believe Jews and non-Jewish Israelis should live in Israel as equals. Drus, Muslims, Christians, Baha’is should all get exactly equal benefits from the government. All should have to or be able to serve in the army in some way, too. There is a division in the people of Israel regarding war with Gaza. No one likes to hear of the civilian casualties. Yet, I know of no one cheering to the horror in Gaza. Everyone I know would like for Gazans and Palestinians to invest their international aid in their economy and give their people a happy and secure life versus teaching their children to hate and to feel victimized. While Israel does have some responsibility for their situation, so does much of the Middle East who won’t allow them to immigrate or won’t share their oil money to get their economy going.
Israel has her crazies, for sure. There are wonderful generous brilliant people here. There are also some radical Zionists that want Jews to rule all of biblical Israel (including the West Bank but not Gaza). Israel seems to have most of the crazies held back and the country seems to be headed in the right direction. Israel forcibly removed ALL of those settlers from Gaza. Those that were there were given an economic incentive to build homes on sand dunes and start a life there in what I deem sort of an imperialist way. This wrong is over and all settlers are gone along with the solders that protected them from attacks by militant Palestinians.
There was no Israeli presence in Gaza during the past few years. The Gazans voted Hamas into power even though they probably would have taken it by force, anyway. Hamas, a terrorist organization that openly wants to destroy Israel, has vowed never to allow Israel to exist. That is, they admit that the killing of random unarmed civilians is a justified target. This fits my definition of terrorism.
Hamas declared the ceasefire over on December 19, 2008 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7791100.stm and immediately began firing hundreds of rockets into Israel at random targets in nearby cities.
“Over 800 Palestinians and only 10 Israeli killed. That’s disproportionate.” If the number of those killed were even, would that justify Israel’s incursion into Gaza? Perhaps should Israel cease the sirens warning of incoming rockets, send the 50% of the populations back home that have had to flee Sderot over the past eight years, keep people in their homes and on the streets instead of living in cramped underground bomb shelters, allow children to go back to school after not being out for months due to the attacks, we could get the Israeli body count closer to proportion. This is as ridiculous argument. The goal of a war is to win. It helps if battles go disproportionately your way.
A government’s first duty is to protect its citizens. What would you do in Israel’s situation? In 2,000, under President Clinton’s leadership, 95% of the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem were offered to the Palestinians. They ceased negotiations and started a war with terrorist tactics. Their economy was rapidly expanding and their GDP was 400% of what it is today.
Let us pretend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5eKXOBf5_w
I think that Israel is finally doing a good PR campaign on this war. Residents were sometimes warned that their building was to be destroyed because it was a site for warehousing arms. Leaflets were dropped with a telephone number Gazans could call to reveal missile launch sites and to help end the incursion. Israel is allowing medical and food supplies into Gaza during its campaign. This is a similar tactic used by the U.S. in her invasion of Baghdad.
There is a plethora of propaganda on the internet for and against Israel. Israel has, indeed, made grave mistakes in giving into her radical Zionistic citizens that believe that all of historical Israel should be returned to the Jews per G-d’s will. I believe this minority will not be appeased in the long run. I am here to make a stand for a free country that is open to all and treats all as equals. It is a majority Jewish state and, if that is what the majority wants, I am OK with maintaining the Jewish essence of the country, provided others citizens are given equal benefits.
A history of the conflict:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCqeIZxrpo&feature=related
Civilian deaths are minimized given the circumstances in this war. Israel claims she is not trying to overthrow the elected Hamas from power, even though Hamas’s primary goal is to overthrow Israel. Israelis are agonizing over this and don’t want their children having to go into the army and kill or see death. Hamas declared the ceasefire over and began shelling nearby towns with hundreds of rockets, missiles, and mortars. Israel’s claim is to remove their ability to attack the Israeli people. After all, that is the primary purpose of a government. I am against this war. There are horrible instances of carnage on innocents in every war, especially those in urban environments. I so want for Hamas to agree to stop its bombing and terrorism and for Israel to agree to pull most of its settlers out of the West Bank. These can be done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGgBjZTsPaw
The Gazans do not deserve to die. 18 to 20-year old Israelis do not deserve to have to kill in a war and live maimed or with PTSD for the rest of their lives. Gaza only needs a charismatic leader who will not follow the radical Islamic belief that these lands are only for Arabs. Gandhi, MLK, and Nelson Mandela were all unstoppable in their lifetimes in bringing about peaceful change. Terrorism doesn’t bring more sympathy than Israeli tanks fighting against slingshot toting teens. We all know that, if there is to be peace here, it will be in a two-state solution. Let it go, Hamas. Find another tactic. You will and should lose this one. Spare your people and the Israelis that want you to have a good life. You have refused to stop aggressively trying to kill random civilians. Israel will let you govern if you will just let them live. Must you kill your own as well as theirs for this mission? We will overcome the bitter Israeli hard liners and give your people a country and an opportunity for a helpful neighbor. We will help you rebuild and begin to thrive.
Former Prime Minister, Golda Meir is often quoted as stating:
"We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us”
Randy
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Coming out of Winter Solstice or Going Deeper
I have always dreamed of writing a novel. Historical fiction has always pulled me a la Ken Follet. Yet, for the past several years, I have thought my first would a futuristic fiction dealing in the theme of a pogrom in the United States. I have always thought that there will be a backlash against the Jews in America, albeit not necessarily in this century. Throughout the ages, from Egypt to the USSR, members of Jewish communities have worked and risen to the top of their countries’ leadership bureaucracy only to fall hard and be persecuted as an entire people and to be forced to leave the country and re-disperse around the globe. Last night I sat next to the mother of Chava (Doron’s sister-in-law) at a family Chanukah Shabbat dinner. She is an 86 year old Holocaust survivor from Germany who twice came to Palestine on the ship, Exodus. The first time, the ship and all of its passengers were fired upon by the British and had to return with all of the passengers to Germany. After surviving the Nazi work camps, she survived the DP camps to return on the ship two years later.
It could happen in America. I have heard the latent undertones during the good times such as: “You Jewish people cling together. Do you think you are better than we are? You think you’re the chosen ones, right? Why don’t you want to marry non-Jews? Isn’t that bigoted? Isn’t love more important? You can raise your kids with two religions and let them choose? Didn’t your people say, ‘Let Christ’s blood be on our head and on the head of our children’s?’?”
Why would we think things will change now? I wrote my notes a few years ago that the following events in my fiction novel will occur simultaneously:
1. There is a new President of the United States who turns out to be anti-Israel despite campaign speeches implying otherwise.
2. There is a single or group of prominent Jews that are single-handedly responsible for sending the U.S. into a depression by doing a dastardly illegal act. The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls from over 16,000 to below 2,000.
3. The new Greater Depression shows that Jews are still disproportionately wealthier than the rest of the US.
4. The US ceases military aid to Israel, if not partially, due to the fact that the funds just aren’t there.
5. The US builds stronger ties to a virulently anti-Israel state in the Middle East due, perhaps in part, to the US addition to oil imports.
6. Israel shuns the US to side with a rival world power such as China.
7. Israel commits a flagrant military massacre of innocents causing horrible international disdain.
8. There is a new Pope that comes to power and rebukes the ruling of the Second Vatican Council that ruled that the Jews were not responsible for the death of Jesus. Thus, Jews are again culpable of Deicide.
9. Several Jewish American mafia-types are uncovered and revealed to have deep ties into various industries.
10. There is a renewal of interest and publication of the famous Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.
11. Conspiracy theories abound, with the culprit being those that still have some relative wealth after the economic collapse.
12. Companies look deeply into their dealings with companies and organizations where there are leaders with Jewish sounding names.
Tonight, I attended a film showing of my friend, Shai Pollock’s new documentary, Refugees, at the Tel Aviv Cinemateque. I was thrilled to see all of the volunteers and leader of activists with whom I had worked. It was supposedly International Migrants’ Day and there were performers, music, and dancing by the various refugees and migrant workers here. This took place in outside in the plaza in front of the Cinemateque. As I approached, I wondered why there were 150 policemen in the plaza but so few refugees. Did the cops scare them off out of fear of being detained again and finally deported? I asked a policeman and he said they were there because of the “situation”. I said, “What situation”. He answered, “The situation with Gaza”. I had read that there was an attack that had killed more than 140 people this morning. I wondered why they thought Hamas might attack African refugees at a movie theatre. I was later informed that there would be a huge protest against Israel attacking Gaza. The body count had reached 200 and the Anarchists and other left-wing groups were organizing a protest and a march to the office of the Minister of Defense.
It was a bazaar scene. On one side of this small plaza, there was dancing and singing with children performing, Colombian and African bands playing, and a festive atmosphere. Simultaneously and clearly planned on a moment’s notice, there were, perhaps, over a thousand protesters against Israel’s attack on Gaza. Hundreds of rockets had fallen on southern Israel per day over the last week causing minimal damage due to their inaccuracy. Then, Israel’s reprisal this morning seemed to be to hit a Hamas-run police swearing-in ceremony killing hundreds instantly. Israeli (Jewish) attendees in Tel Aviv would normally have been from the same groups: proponents for refugee and migrant worker solidarity and people against attacks on Gaza. While the anarchists wanted an angry, perhaps morbid evening after the huge body count, few really interfered with the festive migrant festival. The same activists wanted joy for the migrant workers and anger for the war the government was raging in Gaza.
Shai had done another documentary on Israel’s building of the security barrier separating The West Bank from Israel proper. Olive trees were uprooted in places costing despair among the Palestinians. It was a far-left film demonizing Israel and its soldiers who were pelted with stones and answered back with tear gas and rubber bullets. I assumed this film might also demonize the government but, as I have been deeply involved with the refugee issue, I found the documentary well-done and accurate. Israel’s government is torn between
1) being a country founded by refugees and giving asylum and
2) creating a tiny Jewish state where millions of Muslims would love to seek haven from their terrible Africa home countries.
There was a time when Shai filmed a Knesset debate on the status of the asylum-seeking Africans and a couple of members of the audience at the movie shouted back at the screen with opposing views. Illegal African immigrants is a hot issue here.
I keep wondering about my book when I read today's news.
1. There is a new President-Elect of the USA: Barak Hussein Obama, a seemingly new kind of President under enormous pressure to change US policies.
2. Today, Israel killed over 200 people. Many of course, must have been bystanders in Gaza.
3. Lehman Brothers went under and up sprang a fictitious new story spread claiming $400 billion was sent to Israel right before it went under. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1028069.html.
4. Bernie “The Jew” Madoff made-off with over $50 billion in his illegal Ponzi scheme sending investors and non-profits into bankruptcy.
5. The US national debt, in the trillions, will likely lead our country’s Ponzi scheme to collapse, causing us to re-evaluate our spending.
6. Did the Jews really get warned about 911 and tell 400 workers to stay home from the WTC?
7. Did Israel’s nuclear testing in the Indian Ocean really cause the Tsunami?
8. How well does America’s condition fit into the Jews’ plans of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion? Will it be republished and analyzed as Henry Ford did in the 1930’s?
9. Are the Jews really Americans or are they loyal spies for Israel (These rich Jews who sent us all into poverty while maintaining their lavish lifestyles and keeping it only among themselves.)
10. How is Pope Benedict feeling?
Would you read this fiction? I don’t like the way the news stories are heading. Will this blog entry come up in Google searches for anti-semitic searches or for those seeking fuel for their blame for their current economic condition? In a time with two wars raging and on the brink of a depression, the brush is dry and could easily combust. Will conspiracy fiction be written and accepted as fact such as the “Protocols”? With huge unemployment and people with too much down time on their hands, will people seek a group to demonize and blame for their problems?
We are in one of the darkest eras of America’s history. December hosts the darkest days and winter solstice. From now on, the days grow lighter until June. Let us hope the darkest, coldest days have passed us by and the new gradual illumination of the northern hemisphere will bring peace and compassion around this planet.
Randy
It could happen in America. I have heard the latent undertones during the good times such as: “You Jewish people cling together. Do you think you are better than we are? You think you’re the chosen ones, right? Why don’t you want to marry non-Jews? Isn’t that bigoted? Isn’t love more important? You can raise your kids with two religions and let them choose? Didn’t your people say, ‘Let Christ’s blood be on our head and on the head of our children’s?’?”
Why would we think things will change now? I wrote my notes a few years ago that the following events in my fiction novel will occur simultaneously:
1. There is a new President of the United States who turns out to be anti-Israel despite campaign speeches implying otherwise.
2. There is a single or group of prominent Jews that are single-handedly responsible for sending the U.S. into a depression by doing a dastardly illegal act. The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls from over 16,000 to below 2,000.
3. The new Greater Depression shows that Jews are still disproportionately wealthier than the rest of the US.
4. The US ceases military aid to Israel, if not partially, due to the fact that the funds just aren’t there.
5. The US builds stronger ties to a virulently anti-Israel state in the Middle East due, perhaps in part, to the US addition to oil imports.
6. Israel shuns the US to side with a rival world power such as China.
7. Israel commits a flagrant military massacre of innocents causing horrible international disdain.
8. There is a new Pope that comes to power and rebukes the ruling of the Second Vatican Council that ruled that the Jews were not responsible for the death of Jesus. Thus, Jews are again culpable of Deicide.
9. Several Jewish American mafia-types are uncovered and revealed to have deep ties into various industries.
10. There is a renewal of interest and publication of the famous Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.
11. Conspiracy theories abound, with the culprit being those that still have some relative wealth after the economic collapse.
12. Companies look deeply into their dealings with companies and organizations where there are leaders with Jewish sounding names.
Tonight, I attended a film showing of my friend, Shai Pollock’s new documentary, Refugees, at the Tel Aviv Cinemateque. I was thrilled to see all of the volunteers and leader of activists with whom I had worked. It was supposedly International Migrants’ Day and there were performers, music, and dancing by the various refugees and migrant workers here. This took place in outside in the plaza in front of the Cinemateque. As I approached, I wondered why there were 150 policemen in the plaza but so few refugees. Did the cops scare them off out of fear of being detained again and finally deported? I asked a policeman and he said they were there because of the “situation”. I said, “What situation”. He answered, “The situation with Gaza”. I had read that there was an attack that had killed more than 140 people this morning. I wondered why they thought Hamas might attack African refugees at a movie theatre. I was later informed that there would be a huge protest against Israel attacking Gaza. The body count had reached 200 and the Anarchists and other left-wing groups were organizing a protest and a march to the office of the Minister of Defense.
It was a bazaar scene. On one side of this small plaza, there was dancing and singing with children performing, Colombian and African bands playing, and a festive atmosphere. Simultaneously and clearly planned on a moment’s notice, there were, perhaps, over a thousand protesters against Israel’s attack on Gaza. Hundreds of rockets had fallen on southern Israel per day over the last week causing minimal damage due to their inaccuracy. Then, Israel’s reprisal this morning seemed to be to hit a Hamas-run police swearing-in ceremony killing hundreds instantly. Israeli (Jewish) attendees in Tel Aviv would normally have been from the same groups: proponents for refugee and migrant worker solidarity and people against attacks on Gaza. While the anarchists wanted an angry, perhaps morbid evening after the huge body count, few really interfered with the festive migrant festival. The same activists wanted joy for the migrant workers and anger for the war the government was raging in Gaza.
Shai had done another documentary on Israel’s building of the security barrier separating The West Bank from Israel proper. Olive trees were uprooted in places costing despair among the Palestinians. It was a far-left film demonizing Israel and its soldiers who were pelted with stones and answered back with tear gas and rubber bullets. I assumed this film might also demonize the government but, as I have been deeply involved with the refugee issue, I found the documentary well-done and accurate. Israel’s government is torn between
1) being a country founded by refugees and giving asylum and
2) creating a tiny Jewish state where millions of Muslims would love to seek haven from their terrible Africa home countries.
There was a time when Shai filmed a Knesset debate on the status of the asylum-seeking Africans and a couple of members of the audience at the movie shouted back at the screen with opposing views. Illegal African immigrants is a hot issue here.
I keep wondering about my book when I read today's news.
1. There is a new President-Elect of the USA: Barak Hussein Obama, a seemingly new kind of President under enormous pressure to change US policies.
2. Today, Israel killed over 200 people. Many of course, must have been bystanders in Gaza.
3. Lehman Brothers went under and up sprang a fictitious new story spread claiming $400 billion was sent to Israel right before it went under. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1028069.html.
4. Bernie “The Jew” Madoff made-off with over $50 billion in his illegal Ponzi scheme sending investors and non-profits into bankruptcy.
5. The US national debt, in the trillions, will likely lead our country’s Ponzi scheme to collapse, causing us to re-evaluate our spending.
6. Did the Jews really get warned about 911 and tell 400 workers to stay home from the WTC?
7. Did Israel’s nuclear testing in the Indian Ocean really cause the Tsunami?
8. How well does America’s condition fit into the Jews’ plans of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion? Will it be republished and analyzed as Henry Ford did in the 1930’s?
9. Are the Jews really Americans or are they loyal spies for Israel (These rich Jews who sent us all into poverty while maintaining their lavish lifestyles and keeping it only among themselves.)
10. How is Pope Benedict feeling?
Would you read this fiction? I don’t like the way the news stories are heading. Will this blog entry come up in Google searches for anti-semitic searches or for those seeking fuel for their blame for their current economic condition? In a time with two wars raging and on the brink of a depression, the brush is dry and could easily combust. Will conspiracy fiction be written and accepted as fact such as the “Protocols”? With huge unemployment and people with too much down time on their hands, will people seek a group to demonize and blame for their problems?
We are in one of the darkest eras of America’s history. December hosts the darkest days and winter solstice. From now on, the days grow lighter until June. Let us hope the darkest, coldest days have passed us by and the new gradual illumination of the northern hemisphere will bring peace and compassion around this planet.
Randy
Saturday, December 13, 2008
My friend, Doron
The economic crisis has hit my industry of real estate and I am no longer a salaried employee. In these times, I so greatly appreciate those that have stood for me and inspired me to move forward.
I love Israelis and my friend, Doron. I am so often impressed by their sincerity and compassion. I am new here and have had several friends and their families try to adopt me. I have not had a Jewish or national holiday (and there are so many) pass without being invited to the home of someone’s family to a huge dinner.
Being in a new country and culture with no long-term friends or solid support group with a new language and no job can be understated as challenging. There are drastic swings of emotions from tear-drawing joy to depression where I want to curl up in a corner and go to sleep. Shabbat is a time when all Israelis gather with their families for dinner. That is when I feel the most alone. Yet, there have been many times, when the spontaneous Israeli will call me at 7:00 on Friday to invite me to a family dinner. I am so moved by this because I am usually the only non-family member present at such a dinner. This is part of the spontaneity of the Israeli.
People really want to help the person who is alone, here. Once, in my search to get involved with the refugee crisis in Israel, I was told to call Doron Dexer, who is involved with many volunteer organizations and fundraising. He immediately took me from the café where we met to his apartment to meet his new wife, Gafnit, and to have dinner. He has not let me get away, since. Doron works for a high-tech company in Israel doing some geeky thing that I don’t understand. He has three much older brothers and a big sister, all of whom have children, many of them grown and in the army. I have been to all of these relatives’ homes at lease 10 times for family holiday get-togethers. His parents are diseased but the family is close and loving. I have really been made to feel a part of it. They are all fairly well-off for Israeli standards with beautiful homes, some out in the country-side with rolling hills behind then where you hear the jackals at night. I am touched by the genuine warmth of the family and how they accept me.
They all speak perfect English but, at the house, the conversations are always in Hebrew. This has been a new challenge for me in my life. For once, I have to sit quietly and observe the activity around me. You see, I cannot follow 3rd party conversations in Hebrew for long, especially when various people chime in. I try to pick out words but inevitably end up spacing out and watching the body language. My head tires out quickly after doing so many mental sprints of recalling Hebrew verb conjugation at full speed. After a while, I become frustrated, give up, and tell myself to go to a happy place in my head. I am sure these people assume I am an introverted quiet person. If I didn’t have a shirt, I’m sure I would have my naval picked clean as I sit and stare around at the busy people chatting up a storm. I am welcomed into the family, but I have no idea what the people are saying. Thus, it is impossible to dive into a conversation unless I force them to translate. Then, they do so and take off in another direction in the conversation. Yes, I took an intensive 5 ½ month course but, unless you speak directly to me and slowly, I won’t be able to follow you for long. This is a serious test for an extroverted narcissist to sink into the background and just observe. I am still waiting for that “Aha!” moment when I will understand what people are saying. I can usually wade my way through a Hebrew conversation if the other party has patience. But listening to a group of Israelis at full speed is exhausting and, contrary to intuition, does not help me learn.
Doron has also brought me into his circle of friends that he has known since he was a child. His family grew up on a kibbutz on the Jordanian border. I visited the kibbutz with him once where I could see the Jordanian watchtowers peering over the fence that separates the countries. The kids there slept in barracks away from their parents. This practice is no longer occurring as socialism has given way to more capitalistic tendencies and families what to remain more nuclear. The kids grew close and developed friendships with kids from other kibbutzim at school. I have not met a friend or family member of Doron's whom I have not really liked. I have attended many celebrations and bar b cues with these friends and their spouses, all in their early 30’s. It is where I sit back, feast, and try to force myself to sometimes zone back in. There are often groups of 10 men that grew up together and their wives. One can feel the closeness and trust of the bond. Growing up in a kibbutz socialist atmosphere and serving in military units are ways to building lifelong relationships. The country is physically very small so it is easy to maintain contact. Occasionally and usually at the beginning of the night, someone will approach me and ask me a question, usually in English. At first, I try to answer in Hebrew. But, as I have to think of a verb I have never spoken before and conjugate it in the right time frame, it demands a lot of patience. Most people just want to make it easy on me and the conversations inevitably turns to English. While they enjoy practicing their English, it is mentally more demanding and the group inevitably and of course, as they should, returns to only Hebrew. Many still live on kibbutzim today and enjoy very modest homes with spectacular lush green surroundings.
The kibbutzim have been shrinking over the past few years. Capitalism as seen through the internet high-tech revolution has seduced the socialists into working 12 hour days in an office setting and away from the farm. The kibbutz can hire migrant workers from the Philippines and Africa to do the manual labor much like Americans hire the Mexicans. It's too bad the conflict with the Palestinians keeps them from getting these jobs as they can't get into the country. Palestinian Arabs also don't generally do these jobs as they also enjoy a higher standard of living.
Doron is one of my hero’s. He is representative of what I love of the Israeli people. His heart is enormous and he always speaks out of compassion. I only assume he cannot wait to become a father. I see this as he puts the hands of his baby nephews and nieces in his mouth and slurps on their necks as a loving uncle. He fulfills his self-set policy to always stop to help someone on the side of the road or highway or to pick up a hitchhiker. After one of the many European League TV soccer games that he invited me to see with him and his friends, we were returning to Tel Aviv from a kibbutz in the south when he saw a woman under her hood on the side of the highway. We waited with her for 2 ½ hours until the tow truck came at 3:30AM and I was asleep an hour later. I was late to my 8:00 AM Hebrew class.
Doron and his wife, Gafnit, have adopted me. Doron is like the Jewish mother I never had (nudnik). He seems to have the mission of getting me married off and getting me a job, any job. He calls me several times a week to tell me that he has sent off my resume to a new company. Who knows for what job? He has set me up with many blind dates and he nudges me to give them a chance after I explain that there is neither chemistry nor attraction. He calls me before and after the date when he knows the time. He pushes me to see where I am with a job search. You see, with the economic downturn, my company has lain off many, including me. I am now working part-time with them but only on a commission basis. My job is to find overseas real estate investments that they can syndicate out to Israeli investors. However, all are wary to invest in this unstable economy. Thus, I am freelancing with no salary and seeking my next opportunity. With the extra time, I am ramping up my Hebrew studies and getting more involved with the refugees, again. I am also considering taking a tour guide course to be a licensed tour guide in Israel. This is more out of my interest in the land than in the future career.
Thank you my friend, Doron. You push me to live a fulfilled life. You don't allow me to accept passivity and you make a huge difference in the world. We will be friends for life.
Randy
I love Israelis and my friend, Doron. I am so often impressed by their sincerity and compassion. I am new here and have had several friends and their families try to adopt me. I have not had a Jewish or national holiday (and there are so many) pass without being invited to the home of someone’s family to a huge dinner.
Being in a new country and culture with no long-term friends or solid support group with a new language and no job can be understated as challenging. There are drastic swings of emotions from tear-drawing joy to depression where I want to curl up in a corner and go to sleep. Shabbat is a time when all Israelis gather with their families for dinner. That is when I feel the most alone. Yet, there have been many times, when the spontaneous Israeli will call me at 7:00 on Friday to invite me to a family dinner. I am so moved by this because I am usually the only non-family member present at such a dinner. This is part of the spontaneity of the Israeli.
People really want to help the person who is alone, here. Once, in my search to get involved with the refugee crisis in Israel, I was told to call Doron Dexer, who is involved with many volunteer organizations and fundraising. He immediately took me from the café where we met to his apartment to meet his new wife, Gafnit, and to have dinner. He has not let me get away, since. Doron works for a high-tech company in Israel doing some geeky thing that I don’t understand. He has three much older brothers and a big sister, all of whom have children, many of them grown and in the army. I have been to all of these relatives’ homes at lease 10 times for family holiday get-togethers. His parents are diseased but the family is close and loving. I have really been made to feel a part of it. They are all fairly well-off for Israeli standards with beautiful homes, some out in the country-side with rolling hills behind then where you hear the jackals at night. I am touched by the genuine warmth of the family and how they accept me.
They all speak perfect English but, at the house, the conversations are always in Hebrew. This has been a new challenge for me in my life. For once, I have to sit quietly and observe the activity around me. You see, I cannot follow 3rd party conversations in Hebrew for long, especially when various people chime in. I try to pick out words but inevitably end up spacing out and watching the body language. My head tires out quickly after doing so many mental sprints of recalling Hebrew verb conjugation at full speed. After a while, I become frustrated, give up, and tell myself to go to a happy place in my head. I am sure these people assume I am an introverted quiet person. If I didn’t have a shirt, I’m sure I would have my naval picked clean as I sit and stare around at the busy people chatting up a storm. I am welcomed into the family, but I have no idea what the people are saying. Thus, it is impossible to dive into a conversation unless I force them to translate. Then, they do so and take off in another direction in the conversation. Yes, I took an intensive 5 ½ month course but, unless you speak directly to me and slowly, I won’t be able to follow you for long. This is a serious test for an extroverted narcissist to sink into the background and just observe. I am still waiting for that “Aha!” moment when I will understand what people are saying. I can usually wade my way through a Hebrew conversation if the other party has patience. But listening to a group of Israelis at full speed is exhausting and, contrary to intuition, does not help me learn.
Doron has also brought me into his circle of friends that he has known since he was a child. His family grew up on a kibbutz on the Jordanian border. I visited the kibbutz with him once where I could see the Jordanian watchtowers peering over the fence that separates the countries. The kids there slept in barracks away from their parents. This practice is no longer occurring as socialism has given way to more capitalistic tendencies and families what to remain more nuclear. The kids grew close and developed friendships with kids from other kibbutzim at school. I have not met a friend or family member of Doron's whom I have not really liked. I have attended many celebrations and bar b cues with these friends and their spouses, all in their early 30’s. It is where I sit back, feast, and try to force myself to sometimes zone back in. There are often groups of 10 men that grew up together and their wives. One can feel the closeness and trust of the bond. Growing up in a kibbutz socialist atmosphere and serving in military units are ways to building lifelong relationships. The country is physically very small so it is easy to maintain contact. Occasionally and usually at the beginning of the night, someone will approach me and ask me a question, usually in English. At first, I try to answer in Hebrew. But, as I have to think of a verb I have never spoken before and conjugate it in the right time frame, it demands a lot of patience. Most people just want to make it easy on me and the conversations inevitably turns to English. While they enjoy practicing their English, it is mentally more demanding and the group inevitably and of course, as they should, returns to only Hebrew. Many still live on kibbutzim today and enjoy very modest homes with spectacular lush green surroundings.
The kibbutzim have been shrinking over the past few years. Capitalism as seen through the internet high-tech revolution has seduced the socialists into working 12 hour days in an office setting and away from the farm. The kibbutz can hire migrant workers from the Philippines and Africa to do the manual labor much like Americans hire the Mexicans. It's too bad the conflict with the Palestinians keeps them from getting these jobs as they can't get into the country. Palestinian Arabs also don't generally do these jobs as they also enjoy a higher standard of living.
Doron is one of my hero’s. He is representative of what I love of the Israeli people. His heart is enormous and he always speaks out of compassion. I only assume he cannot wait to become a father. I see this as he puts the hands of his baby nephews and nieces in his mouth and slurps on their necks as a loving uncle. He fulfills his self-set policy to always stop to help someone on the side of the road or highway or to pick up a hitchhiker. After one of the many European League TV soccer games that he invited me to see with him and his friends, we were returning to Tel Aviv from a kibbutz in the south when he saw a woman under her hood on the side of the highway. We waited with her for 2 ½ hours until the tow truck came at 3:30AM and I was asleep an hour later. I was late to my 8:00 AM Hebrew class.
Doron and his wife, Gafnit, have adopted me. Doron is like the Jewish mother I never had (nudnik). He seems to have the mission of getting me married off and getting me a job, any job. He calls me several times a week to tell me that he has sent off my resume to a new company. Who knows for what job? He has set me up with many blind dates and he nudges me to give them a chance after I explain that there is neither chemistry nor attraction. He calls me before and after the date when he knows the time. He pushes me to see where I am with a job search. You see, with the economic downturn, my company has lain off many, including me. I am now working part-time with them but only on a commission basis. My job is to find overseas real estate investments that they can syndicate out to Israeli investors. However, all are wary to invest in this unstable economy. Thus, I am freelancing with no salary and seeking my next opportunity. With the extra time, I am ramping up my Hebrew studies and getting more involved with the refugees, again. I am also considering taking a tour guide course to be a licensed tour guide in Israel. This is more out of my interest in the land than in the future career.
Thank you my friend, Doron. You push me to live a fulfilled life. You don't allow me to accept passivity and you make a huge difference in the world. We will be friends for life.
Randy
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Shabbat in the Old City of Jerusalem
I have been wanting to get out of Tel Aviv for the last several weeks in order to explore other parts of this great country. The spontaneity of the Israelis is exciting but it cuts both ways. I have been invited to many Shabbat dinners at 7:30 PM on Friday nights. You can get set up on a blind date, talk to them for a few minutes, and have them agree to meet you in an hour. There is no, "let me check my schedule". Yet, you can have plans made days or a week in advance to go out of town or to do something one evening. While waiting for the person to meet you or while showering get get ready to go out, you find that the other person has decided not to participate. For those of us with limited support groups, this turns our weekends and evenings into reading or movie nights alone.
It is a national pastime of Israelis to set people up on dates (shudduch). After attending the Religious Zionist wedding a few weeks ago, a man at my table emailed me after thinking that he knew a woman that I should meet. He wrote that, however she might have already known me. She was Paula Levine that I had known since I was 15 years old in North Carolina through BBYO conventions. She and I had even dated a few times in 1991 in Atlanta . We were always friends. I had not seen her since 1992 when she moved away from Atlanta . She explained that she had become totally Frum (Ultra-Orthodox) and lives alone in the Old City of Jerusalem.
I was invited to Jerusalem by my friends Yohannes from Ethiopia and Alice from Lichtenstein, who run the African Refugee Development Center in Israel. They were having an Ethiopian party in their home in Jerusalem lat Friday night with food, drinks, and dancing. That was the main purpose of the trip: to see old friends with whom I had worked at the refugee shelters. Another Orthodox friend had recently called me to set me up with another woman in Jerusalem, Chana, who is also from the USA and had converted from Christianity to become Ultra-Orthodox. While talking with her, she explained to me that she has only three deal breakers: keeping kosher, observing Shabbat and all that that entails, and family purity. Family purity means no touching (even shaking hands) with men over the age of 9 besides your husband. That means that, if you are single, there is no pre-marital handshaking. Also, after marriage, the couple may not touch for the week after the wife's menstrual cycle or for one week afterward. One theory is that abstinence makes the sex with your ultimate partner that much more intense.
As I am adventurous, I decided to meet her. Fortunately, I told my future date that I was friends with Paula in the Old City. She told me that they knew each other and swapped dates from time to time: men with black hats, beards, peius, tsitsit, the works. I called Paula and told her that I was coming to Jerusalem, but that I would be returning to Tel Aviv during the night, thus, not observing Shabbat. She explained that she could easily find a bed for me to sleep in the Old City or anywhere in Jerusalem. She said it is a miztvah to welcome strangers into your home for Shabbat. I was hesitant and reminded her that, in my culture, we are not comfortable just staying with strangers and using them for a bed. After all, I was going to be busy every day. Somehow I got off of the phone before agreeing to stay overnight. Chana also told me she could easily find a place to sleep in Mea Shearim, the Hasidic quarter of Jerusalem. I didn't tell her that I am nervous just walking through that time-warp of a black and white ghostly neighborhood, much less having to sleep there.
Paula was having a group over to her apartment in the Old City for lunch on Shabbat and she wanted to see me. She called me again and told me that she had the perfect place for me to stay so that I could come to her lunch. She knew a couple in their 60's and the woman's 88 year-old father that had just made Aliyah from Los Angeles. They were wealthy and lived between the Old City and the site of the Ethiopian party. I took her up on it as it would be an adventure.
The plan worked out beautifully: I had the bus drop me off at the entrance to Jerusalem near Chana's apartment. She picked me up in her car at 3:30 and, after briefly dropping off my bag and getting a key to the home where I would sleep, we drove to her apartment for her to light Shabbat candles before sundown. We then walked an hour to Mea Shearim where she was having dinner with a Hasidic family. This spooky neighborhood where so many eccentric rituals and chants go on at all hours between the men only with the women covering their heads, elbows, and knees and, at best, peeking into the festivities through latticework. The men are all bearded and dressed in black similar to the 18th century polish aristocracy. They all walk the streets briskly like they must hurry to the next site of Torah study or be judged by their Creator. The crowded drabness and monochomatic color scheme further feels like either a voyage hundredsd of years back into history for or a Disney World ride. Yet, there is no eye contact or even nodding hello making you feel like you are invisible or a ghost, floating through a tense dream.
The conversation with Chana was intreaguing and refreshingly intellectual compared to the surface "have fun" culture of Tel Aviv. Chana explained how she came to Judaism from being the wife of a Mexican Minister. She used to be a successful reporter for the Washington Post among other peridicals and is now single in her late 30's. She said she was an ambitous career obsessed super-feminist. She is now anti-feminist and says she was wrong to try to compete in men's roles. She said that women have roles that are just as important if not more at the home, with the family, and with the community.
Somehow, I felt a familiarity with Chana, like I had met her before. She has also lived and travelled overseas in her life. It turns out that she spend a few weeks in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico at the same time that I was living there. This was back in 1990. I think we had known each other briefly then.
We strolled through the streets of Jerusalem as the sun sank and the Jerusalem stone buildings were illuminated to a glowing orange. You could occasionally see the green neon wrapped around the minnerettes bobbing out of the mosques down below in the valley of East Jerusalem. As we walked, cars on the roads dwindled to the occasional Arab taxi driver. Those disappeared as we approached Mea Shearim. As we strolled into the spooky monochromatic village, she invited me (again) to eat the Shabbat meal with the family she was visiting. I reitterated that I had promised my friends that I would not eat for two days before the Ethiopian feast. I did agree to step inside of the home she was visiting and say hello. The apartment was small with a long cloth covered card table taking up most of the living space. Who knows how many children lived there - perhaps more than half a dozen. The long and narrow room seemed even more foreboding with the hundreds of black leather-bound religeous and prayer books peering down and watching from all of the walls. The man of the house, with his long black beard, entered and sat at the head of the table to silently continue praying. He clearly had just come back from the Synagogue, perhaps one of the men with a brisk pace. The heavy set (assume pregnant) wife was in the tiny kitchen with a head scarf and there were several yeshiva students waiting around for instructions to sit, pray, or eat.
After excusing myself, I walked another 45 minutes along the exterior walls of the Old City, past Jaffa Gate, to the home where I was staying. I met Doris and her 88 year-old father Philip. They had just moved from Santa Monica a couple of weeks prior and told me I was their first non-family guest. Doris is personable and very chatty. She makes sure you know that she has a beautiful expensive home "on the water" in Santa Monica. She also wants to tell the stories of the art pieces of her home, her expensive buildout of the place, and her general financial successes. They have shipped one of two 40' containers of their stuff from the USA. The house is full and they have boxes piled floor to cieling in the garage. Her father, Phillip, was kind, sharp, modest, and warm. He retired from owning restaurants and he is happy to be in Israel. Doris' husband was in the USA and I didn't get to meet him. As I was leaving for the Ethiopian party, I invited the two of them. Doris accepted and we caught a ride to the party with my friend.
It was such a joy to see the young leaders with whom I had worked so closely with the refeugees. I realized I deeply missed doing something so fulfilling. There was wonderful food, beer, and, eventually dancing to Ethiopian and Israeli music until alte in the night. Doris lasted about an hour after telling everyone about her home "right on the water" in Santa Monica and took a cab home. Ethiopian former refugees (Christian) and mostly 20-something Israeli volunteers danced for a few hours.
The next day we were to walk the 1 1/2 mile to the Old City. Phillip, at 88 years old, had a leg cramp in the night so we took a cab. Doris made me promise that I would not reveal that we didn't walk on Shabbat and she mentioned our "walk to the Old City" (wink, wink) a few times at the meal. She knew the way through the winding streets to Paula's apartment in the Jewish Quarter near the Mt. of Olives. When we climbed the stairs to the top floor, we came into a magnificent mideavil room that was, technically, a studio plus a nice kitchen. The room had a timeless spectacular view from the enormous window overlooking the valley of East Jerusalem. The home in Mea Shearim had nothing on her in the way of religeous books and Jewish items used for rituals. Photos of Rabbi Schneerson and paintings of other assumed famous rabbi's adourned the walls. Various volumes of prayer books and judaica were abundant. She did manage to find a hidden album with photos of the two of us together in 1992.
There was another Ultra-Orthodox man who was once a famous Mexican non-Jewish actor along with his wife. There were several other single women and men. Women were very conservatively dressed and the men in black pants and white shirts. I sat next to a man about my age who was also single and from the USA. He had come from listening to a special rabbi speaking on the week's Torah portion. It was interesting to see how shabbat observance had become so central and cherished to the lives of all at the table. David would giggle every time a new course was served. He was so excited and grateful for the abundance of food. Each course fo a new kind of food received a blessing. He threw out a few dvar Torah stories that he had heard the rabbi say. Paula would scatter "Baruch HaShem"'s (roughly, "Blessed is his name") into most sentances and often talk about the omnipresence and generocity of G-d, the creator of all.
The meal was interrupted several times by children from Paula's neighbors bringing in leftover food for us to try. They were a large Ultra-Orthodox Brazilian family and, apparently, it is common to give neighbors samples of your cooking during Shabbat. Paula put together plates of sweet potato kugel for her neighbor's little girl to take back next door. It was a timeless event with no elecricity being spent, a view that could have been seen two hundred years ago, in an ancient walled city. This is their life.
Jerusalem has a heaviness about it. It is tense with it's Ultra-Orthadox, secular, media, Christians, and Muslims. There is an abundance of spirituality, intellect, and generocity. It is the holiest site to the Jews, one of the holiest to Christians, and the 3rd holiest to Muslims. It is one city, not execptionally large with the Palestinian Territories to the east, north, and south and Israel proper to the west. It sits at 2550 feet above sea level and is a 1 hour drive to the Mediterranean. To the east, immediately after Jerusalem, it is a steep downward drop to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea at 1,300 ft below the level of the Mediterranean. It snows in Jerusalem and is is only a short journey to the very dry and hot Negev Desert to the south. Of course, the stone where Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice, is the same stone where the Temple was build and was later the stone from which Muhammed flew to heavan on his horse. It is hilly, clear, and bright. It's heavy and some say, sad. This was a dip into the deeply spiritual Orthadox Jewish sector. What is next?
Randy
It is a national pastime of Israelis to set people up on dates (shudduch). After attending the Religious Zionist wedding a few weeks ago, a man at my table emailed me after thinking that he knew a woman that I should meet. He wrote that, however she might have already known me. She was Paula Levine that I had known since I was 15 years old in North Carolina through BBYO conventions. She and I had even dated a few times in 1991 in Atlanta . We were always friends. I had not seen her since 1992 when she moved away from Atlanta . She explained that she had become totally Frum (Ultra-Orthodox) and lives alone in the Old City of Jerusalem.
I was invited to Jerusalem by my friends Yohannes from Ethiopia and Alice from Lichtenstein, who run the African Refugee Development Center in Israel. They were having an Ethiopian party in their home in Jerusalem lat Friday night with food, drinks, and dancing. That was the main purpose of the trip: to see old friends with whom I had worked at the refugee shelters. Another Orthodox friend had recently called me to set me up with another woman in Jerusalem, Chana, who is also from the USA and had converted from Christianity to become Ultra-Orthodox. While talking with her, she explained to me that she has only three deal breakers: keeping kosher, observing Shabbat and all that that entails, and family purity. Family purity means no touching (even shaking hands) with men over the age of 9 besides your husband. That means that, if you are single, there is no pre-marital handshaking. Also, after marriage, the couple may not touch for the week after the wife's menstrual cycle or for one week afterward. One theory is that abstinence makes the sex with your ultimate partner that much more intense.
As I am adventurous, I decided to meet her. Fortunately, I told my future date that I was friends with Paula in the Old City. She told me that they knew each other and swapped dates from time to time: men with black hats, beards, peius, tsitsit, the works. I called Paula and told her that I was coming to Jerusalem, but that I would be returning to Tel Aviv during the night, thus, not observing Shabbat. She explained that she could easily find a bed for me to sleep in the Old City or anywhere in Jerusalem. She said it is a miztvah to welcome strangers into your home for Shabbat. I was hesitant and reminded her that, in my culture, we are not comfortable just staying with strangers and using them for a bed. After all, I was going to be busy every day. Somehow I got off of the phone before agreeing to stay overnight. Chana also told me she could easily find a place to sleep in Mea Shearim, the Hasidic quarter of Jerusalem. I didn't tell her that I am nervous just walking through that time-warp of a black and white ghostly neighborhood, much less having to sleep there.
Paula was having a group over to her apartment in the Old City for lunch on Shabbat and she wanted to see me. She called me again and told me that she had the perfect place for me to stay so that I could come to her lunch. She knew a couple in their 60's and the woman's 88 year-old father that had just made Aliyah from Los Angeles. They were wealthy and lived between the Old City and the site of the Ethiopian party. I took her up on it as it would be an adventure.
The plan worked out beautifully: I had the bus drop me off at the entrance to Jerusalem near Chana's apartment. She picked me up in her car at 3:30 and, after briefly dropping off my bag and getting a key to the home where I would sleep, we drove to her apartment for her to light Shabbat candles before sundown. We then walked an hour to Mea Shearim where she was having dinner with a Hasidic family. This spooky neighborhood where so many eccentric rituals and chants go on at all hours between the men only with the women covering their heads, elbows, and knees and, at best, peeking into the festivities through latticework. The men are all bearded and dressed in black similar to the 18th century polish aristocracy. They all walk the streets briskly like they must hurry to the next site of Torah study or be judged by their Creator. The crowded drabness and monochomatic color scheme further feels like either a voyage hundredsd of years back into history for or a Disney World ride. Yet, there is no eye contact or even nodding hello making you feel like you are invisible or a ghost, floating through a tense dream.
The conversation with Chana was intreaguing and refreshingly intellectual compared to the surface "have fun" culture of Tel Aviv. Chana explained how she came to Judaism from being the wife of a Mexican Minister. She used to be a successful reporter for the Washington Post among other peridicals and is now single in her late 30's. She said she was an ambitous career obsessed super-feminist. She is now anti-feminist and says she was wrong to try to compete in men's roles. She said that women have roles that are just as important if not more at the home, with the family, and with the community.
Somehow, I felt a familiarity with Chana, like I had met her before. She has also lived and travelled overseas in her life. It turns out that she spend a few weeks in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico at the same time that I was living there. This was back in 1990. I think we had known each other briefly then.
We strolled through the streets of Jerusalem as the sun sank and the Jerusalem stone buildings were illuminated to a glowing orange. You could occasionally see the green neon wrapped around the minnerettes bobbing out of the mosques down below in the valley of East Jerusalem. As we walked, cars on the roads dwindled to the occasional Arab taxi driver. Those disappeared as we approached Mea Shearim. As we strolled into the spooky monochromatic village, she invited me (again) to eat the Shabbat meal with the family she was visiting. I reitterated that I had promised my friends that I would not eat for two days before the Ethiopian feast. I did agree to step inside of the home she was visiting and say hello. The apartment was small with a long cloth covered card table taking up most of the living space. Who knows how many children lived there - perhaps more than half a dozen. The long and narrow room seemed even more foreboding with the hundreds of black leather-bound religeous and prayer books peering down and watching from all of the walls. The man of the house, with his long black beard, entered and sat at the head of the table to silently continue praying. He clearly had just come back from the Synagogue, perhaps one of the men with a brisk pace. The heavy set (assume pregnant) wife was in the tiny kitchen with a head scarf and there were several yeshiva students waiting around for instructions to sit, pray, or eat.
After excusing myself, I walked another 45 minutes along the exterior walls of the Old City, past Jaffa Gate, to the home where I was staying. I met Doris and her 88 year-old father Philip. They had just moved from Santa Monica a couple of weeks prior and told me I was their first non-family guest. Doris is personable and very chatty. She makes sure you know that she has a beautiful expensive home "on the water" in Santa Monica. She also wants to tell the stories of the art pieces of her home, her expensive buildout of the place, and her general financial successes. They have shipped one of two 40' containers of their stuff from the USA. The house is full and they have boxes piled floor to cieling in the garage. Her father, Phillip, was kind, sharp, modest, and warm. He retired from owning restaurants and he is happy to be in Israel. Doris' husband was in the USA and I didn't get to meet him. As I was leaving for the Ethiopian party, I invited the two of them. Doris accepted and we caught a ride to the party with my friend.
It was such a joy to see the young leaders with whom I had worked so closely with the refeugees. I realized I deeply missed doing something so fulfilling. There was wonderful food, beer, and, eventually dancing to Ethiopian and Israeli music until alte in the night. Doris lasted about an hour after telling everyone about her home "right on the water" in Santa Monica and took a cab home. Ethiopian former refugees (Christian) and mostly 20-something Israeli volunteers danced for a few hours.
The next day we were to walk the 1 1/2 mile to the Old City. Phillip, at 88 years old, had a leg cramp in the night so we took a cab. Doris made me promise that I would not reveal that we didn't walk on Shabbat and she mentioned our "walk to the Old City" (wink, wink) a few times at the meal. She knew the way through the winding streets to Paula's apartment in the Jewish Quarter near the Mt. of Olives. When we climbed the stairs to the top floor, we came into a magnificent mideavil room that was, technically, a studio plus a nice kitchen. The room had a timeless spectacular view from the enormous window overlooking the valley of East Jerusalem. The home in Mea Shearim had nothing on her in the way of religeous books and Jewish items used for rituals. Photos of Rabbi Schneerson and paintings of other assumed famous rabbi's adourned the walls. Various volumes of prayer books and judaica were abundant. She did manage to find a hidden album with photos of the two of us together in 1992.
There was another Ultra-Orthodox man who was once a famous Mexican non-Jewish actor along with his wife. There were several other single women and men. Women were very conservatively dressed and the men in black pants and white shirts. I sat next to a man about my age who was also single and from the USA. He had come from listening to a special rabbi speaking on the week's Torah portion. It was interesting to see how shabbat observance had become so central and cherished to the lives of all at the table. David would giggle every time a new course was served. He was so excited and grateful for the abundance of food. Each course fo a new kind of food received a blessing. He threw out a few dvar Torah stories that he had heard the rabbi say. Paula would scatter "Baruch HaShem"'s (roughly, "Blessed is his name") into most sentances and often talk about the omnipresence and generocity of G-d, the creator of all.
The meal was interrupted several times by children from Paula's neighbors bringing in leftover food for us to try. They were a large Ultra-Orthodox Brazilian family and, apparently, it is common to give neighbors samples of your cooking during Shabbat. Paula put together plates of sweet potato kugel for her neighbor's little girl to take back next door. It was a timeless event with no elecricity being spent, a view that could have been seen two hundred years ago, in an ancient walled city. This is their life.
Jerusalem has a heaviness about it. It is tense with it's Ultra-Orthadox, secular, media, Christians, and Muslims. There is an abundance of spirituality, intellect, and generocity. It is the holiest site to the Jews, one of the holiest to Christians, and the 3rd holiest to Muslims. It is one city, not execptionally large with the Palestinian Territories to the east, north, and south and Israel proper to the west. It sits at 2550 feet above sea level and is a 1 hour drive to the Mediterranean. To the east, immediately after Jerusalem, it is a steep downward drop to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea at 1,300 ft below the level of the Mediterranean. It snows in Jerusalem and is is only a short journey to the very dry and hot Negev Desert to the south. Of course, the stone where Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice, is the same stone where the Temple was build and was later the stone from which Muhammed flew to heavan on his horse. It is hilly, clear, and bright. It's heavy and some say, sad. This was a dip into the deeply spiritual Orthadox Jewish sector. What is next?
Randy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
