This Blog Post Brought to You by Anonymous

I have tried to be honest with you, my readers. If I have an opinion on something, I make it known. I do my best not to hold back and keep myself from self editing. I know that some people will agree and I am fully aware that some people will disagree but I still put my name on the post.

Lately, I have received a few anonymous comments opposing my point of view. That’s fine. I welcome opinions from all sides. However, if you are going to disagree, sign your name!

I stand by my convictions so please stand by yours.

If you made an anonymous comment on this blog, I ask you to resubmit your comment and standing behind your words by submitting your name. Until then those comments will remain unpublished (but they may become fodder for future posts). Speaking of blog fodder…

I am now going to take this opportunity to reply an anonymous comment I received yesterday in response to my last post about President Obama’s Middle East speech titled “Can I Fill Out My 2012 Absentee Ballot Now?” Here is the exact comment that was submitted: “Really....chill out 3 major religions view "Israel" as religiously important to them. Lets all get along.”

I will begin by addressing the last part of the comment as I try to get Rodney King’s voice out of my head. Israel would like to have the option of “getting along” but no one else has been willing to do so. Israel has tried, most recently in 1979, 1993, and 1994, but without long term success. The insults and accusations continued and the rockets and mortals resumed not long after peace had been declared. It would be nice if we could all get along but both sides have to uphold that principle in order for that to be possible.

Israel has maintained a position of peace and has only taking action when necessary. Yes, I am referring to recent events such as The Second Lebanon War, Operation Cast Lead, and the taking of the Mavi Marmara. In all these instances, Israel was provoked and forced to take action.

Now it is time for the second and most obvious portion of the comment. I can’t refute that Israel is religiously important to three major religions. Israel acknowledges the importance of the land to many people, not just Jews, which is why Israel guarantees freedom of religion. The Israel Ministry of Foriegn Affairs provides a succinct summary which outlines this essential freedom:   

"The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (1948) guarantees freedom of religion for all. Each religious community is free, by law and in practice, to exercise its faith, to observe its holidays and weekly day of rest, and to administer its internal affairs. Each has its own religious council and courts, recognized by law and with jurisdiction over all religious affairs and matters of personal status such as marriage and divorce. Each has its own unique places of worship, with traditional rituals and special architectural features developed over the centuries."

The current problems of religious coexistance are not ones that can be blamed on Israel. Intolerance lies in those who refuse to accept the importance of sites to other religions and fail to respect the integrity of people of other faiths. Think about these two questions for a moment. What would happen if I walked on to the Temple Mount wearing my kippah? Who is throwing stones at people praying at the Kotel?

Of course, there are many instances of individuals of one faith attacking those of another faith. This happens all over the world not just in Israel. But when large groups, movements, organizations rally against “non believers” it is something that must be stopped. Unfortunately, this is a difficult task as Israel grants its citizens freedom of religion.

Finally, “chilling out” is not an option. Egypt is a mess and has now opened up the Suez Canal so that arms shipments can more easily make their way to a nuclear Iran. They have also eased their blockade of Gaza allowing weapons and militants to filter in. This is why Israel should have never given up the Sinai in 1979.

Of course, there are also leaders in the region (Erdogan of Turkey, Ahmadinejad of Iran, and Assad of Syria) who, just like the terrorist groups (Hamas and Hezbollah in particular), believe that Israel is evil and should be wiped off the map. Oh, and please take note that Fatah and Hamas announced a new partnership earlier this month. But I’m sure all these leaders are peace loving people who want to co-exist with everyone, at least all those that they don’t want driven into the sea.

When an entire region is against you, you don’t have the option of chilling out.

Never Settle for Less!

International reactions to the heinous murder of a holy family in Itamar have been, for the most part, respectful but, if one reads the comments and reactions to the various articles, you can almost feel the hate transcend the screen and grab you by the throat. And the words that leave me gasping for air the longest are the disgraceful ramblings from other Jews.

Additional news out of Israel from Monday (new settlement construction in the west bank) and Tuesday (the interception of an arms shipment from Iran and Syria intended to arm Hamas in Gaza), has further demonstrated the disgusting lack of unity for our state, our home, and the legal and justified actions of our leaders. The accusations being bandied about such as “illegitimate” settlements and that they “should arm themeslves in case of any Israeli aggression” are not solely those of radical goyim. It makes me sick to have to write this but I have encountered numerous Jews who have supported those statements and some who even use them to launch into anti-Israel tirades (Thomas Friedman recently used the crisis in Egypt in the same manner). 

Why? Why do Jews insist on fighting against their own people? Why is there no connection to the land of Israel, to our home? Why is it always seen as Israel’s fault? Why are the people who give their lives in defense of our land disrespected? Why are victims of murder seen as the aggressors?

I can’t say that I have the answers to these questions but I can surmise a possible theory behind this thinking. I believe that there are three main factors feeding into the Jewish psyche that lead to such distorted and dysfunctional views and beliefs.   

·         Lack of Jewish knowledge and upbringing is the primary culprit. Without the foundation of heritage, tradition, and faith it is impossible to connect with something, someplace that you know little about. This also prevents the spark of desire to see our home and breathe the holy air that can feed ones passion to protect our place in this world and our homeland.

·         Selfishness is quickly breaking down the fibers that knit our community together. Everyone is focused on what is best for them, not everyone. They view others in this world, especially other Jews as hostile because they don’t subscribe to the same views, beliefs, and practices. They will question anything you say that they don’t agree with but will not allow you to reciprocate the query.

·         And where do they get these views? The media. This wouldn’t be so bad if it was unbiased but, to the dismay of all of us that try to find the facts and explore topics from multiple angles before forming an opinion, modern media is slightly west of the far left. Ironically, during an age when one can rapidly research any topic on line and find views from all sides, people take the media at face value more often than not (take a look at the comments section on most articles about Israel).

Yes, I realize that this is a very simplistic summary but I think it touches on the major points of contention which are feeding into the toxic views of Israel spreading within the Jewish community. These views continue to eat away at the public opinion slowly sinking the public stance beyond the point of return. Right now, the hope remains that things will change, that we, those who stand with Israel, will be able to reverse the insanity. However, the questions remain: How do we accomplish this? How can we change the Jewish world?