After terrorists killed my cousin Daniel Pearl, my family called for peace. But after the worldwide celebration of our people’s slaughter, my hope for peace is dead.
My company's silence has been deafening, and I'm both ashamed and infuriated.
Ukraine flags were everywhere. Not one for Israel.
We had an employee from the Israel office killed in the massacre. I don't know who, and I don't know what the company did for the family, because after one single email, there hasn't been another word.
They overhauled their entire corporation for George Floyd.
I'm a Minnesotan and I'm still not over my nearest metropolitan area being set on fire and turned into what looked like a war zone. Horrible murders happen every day, but normal people don't use that as an excuse to destroy whole neighborhoods.
What they did was an outrage, it was entirely about Trump's reelection campaign, and not only did they inflict violence for bad reasons, they fully believed themselves righteous and morally superior for doing it.
And I’m sorry for what happened to your husband. That’s horrible. Were they able to recover financially?
I don’t live in Minneapolis, but I did during law school, and I was familiar with several of the places that were destroyed. I still don’t like going to Minneapolis now. I make an exception for a couple of places, but most of the time, I don’t go any closer than the first-ring suburbs. (St. Louis Park has lovely shopping.)
Somewhat, but downtown is suffering. They had only reopened from Covid lockdowns two weeks before the riots, then they had to close for months for repairs. Insurance covered the damage, but then dropped them. They searched high and (very) low for a new policy and found one that was basically fire insurance, but only for an accidental fire. No coverage for civil unrest. Way higher deductible and premium. Thankfully, after a year of that they were able to find better insurance again. But people are 1) rightly scared or turned off of going downtown and 2) working from home, including city and county officials, which is aggravating. Just a few days ago, someone was killed and another wounded in the middle of the day a couple blocks away in a random act of aggression. Employees are nervous. We have very high taxes and our tax base is being pushed out. But not to worry, the governor has created a new task force to study the problem!
That does seem to be the elephant in the room that no one is willing to face: racial relations that are based on a permanent underclass whose smoldering resentment can burst like a volcano and as it did in Israel on Oct 7. Why couldn't it happen here in the U.S.? Well, is has in the George Floyd riots and destruction two years ago. Elevating a petty criminal to sainthood. (No ink for the fact that he had just strong armed a S. Asian convenience store owner and tried to pass off a counterfeit bill and that he was already high) .But you can't argue with people who have a rock ribbed propaganda scheme in their skull. Just like the israelis had to deal with last weekend. 2 state solution? Gaza is the result of that: a permanent underclass of uneducated, propagandized population with no future or skill set. My pt is that we're not so far from the same state of being and should take a long sober look at our own future w/ the same permanent underclass of hate. Start with law and order being enforced here in NYC.
All true and valid. I perceive it in slightly similar categories -- third world versus the first. There are 100,000 people who fail in life for every 1 that succeeds -- look at Africa, South and Central America, Arab Middle East pre-petrol (discovered and enabled by British, French and American know-how before expropriation). Blacks in the US identify with the third world and behave like embittered third world citizens so yes, NYC is now a very risky place because our fantasy of integration has failed.
I agree and now am having the nightmarish thought that what you were suggesting is accurate: integration was a fantasy. The whole civil rights movement was an error. And that we're paying a high price for slavery. A corollary is : I used to know a (very) mature woman Rodelle Valadi RIP on the UWS of Manhattan who would attend the Italian Cultural Center events here and who was very old school. She and her coterie would decamp afterwards at a local cafe and they would all chat. I would listen. So interesting. Rodelle was very attuned to 'fellow travelers' and needless to say she had no patience for anti-HUAC ("Mcarthy was right - there were Communists in the WH) voices. Now it seems like she was way ahead of her times. The seething hostility you encounter just walking down the street and the arrogance of the vibe which is like 'It's our turn and we want what you got and we're going to just steal it" Whoever thought that benighted individuals like that would have such self-endowed entitlement. 'course the problem is that they can't remotely achieve what the American century achieved and so are the announcement of the decline of a civilization. When the german barbarians replaced Rome they at least could achieve technological advances. Eventually. Not these folks. Marcus Garvey leased steam ships to bring back his people to Africa (unfortunately he ended up indicted for embezzlement) but it may not have been a bad idea - from his pt of view he felt his people would never get a fair shake here. Maybe he was right for all the wrong reasons. Jus' sayin'
I was living in Minneapolis that whole time. My wife and I are not over the fires either. I don’t know how to forgive the people who rolled into the madness. We left the city and are much happier. You’re not alone.
Who actually was George Floyd? A petty thief with a long and violent rapsheet who stuck a loaded gun into the belly of a pregnant woman and threatened to kill her. He died of a fentanyl overdose, courtesy of communist china, thru Mexico. Across our wide open borders. Thousands of Al Queda, Isis, Hezbollah, and Hamas fighters are flowing into the USA, thanks to the courtesy of the US Democrat Party and our feeble minded Potus. My question now, is how much money is Biden getting from Iran now? He is already taking money from Communist China, Ukraine. Russia, Kazakhstan, and Romania. Does anyone at all care anymore from our so called elites anymore?
Americans are slow to anger, and the most dangerous people on planet earth when they wake up from the stupor. Get ready.
Enclsosed is my email to the CEO of my company. Only response I have received is to be referred to a "teammate resolution manager":
I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but I wanted to touch base on what is on my mind. I have been trying to focus on assisting our clients with their investment and planning needs, but frankly, my mind and my heart are in Israel right now I have two nephews that are presently on the front. My sister, who lives in Israel attended a funeral for a soldier yesterday. The first of many.
It is now Thursday and I wonder why the bank has not made a single comment to their employees condemning the beheading of infants, the rape of women, the massacre of over a thousand innocent people and the kidnapping of hundreds more , including American citizens.
Over the past few years the bank was very quick to support BLM in the aftermath of the George Floyd incident. We sent millions of dollars to BLM, a group that has now come out in support of the Hamas savages. The bank has commented on Asian hate, commented on every marginalized group, yet has been disappointingly silent when it comes to Israel and Jews. The amount of online hate against Jews is at an all time high, there have been rally’s in NY, Australia, Los Angeles etc. where Hamas has been cheered on, Nazi Swastikas have been shown and the shouts of kill all Jews have been rampant. It is pretty clear to anyone paying attention, that this is not about land, it is not about peace. It is about wiping Israel off the map and killing all Jews. There is no nuance to it, this is a fight of good vs. evil.
And you have been silent. Jamie Dimon commented on Monday. Bill Ackman has publicly stated he will not hire any of the Harvard students that signed the letter blaming Israel for Hamas’ atrocities. Other banks have condemned Hamas, Professional sports leagues have condemned the atrocities. Yet this bank, the bank I work for, is silent. On Monday we commented on Indigenous Peoples Day. But nothing on the beheading of 40 babies in Israel or the slaughter of 260 young people celebrating life at a music festival. Girls were raped next to bodies and videos were sent to their parents. Yet you remain silent. Not only that, but the “humanitarian relief” notice that was sent out this morning mentions all groups that historically have been anti-Israel and have spread Palestinian propaganda. There would be no need for humanitarian relief if it was not for Hamas!
This should be easy. This is not nuanced. This is humanity against an enemy worst than ISIS. Will you remain silent?
Enclosed is a link to the Anti-Defamation League’s Pledge to Corporations to Fight Anti Semitism. Will you sign this?
I feel terrible for what you have suffered, Ilan. My condolences. I don't think you should be disillusioned by the failure of progressives (or anyone) to be swayed by arguments like the Jews lived in the Holy Land before the crusades, there are Jews of color, etc.
You should be disillusioned that when territorial conflicts are deep and unreconcilable, that there are peaceful and easy solutions. Greece and Turkey moved 1.5 million people in the 1920s to avoid further conflict. The issue here is Israel won the land in war but the UN and the West never let them do as a normal victor would, expelling people or taking other measures.
BTW the reason your rationalizations weren't going to win over progressive minds is that fundamentally Israelis have a per cap GDP above $50k and that Palestinians have a per cap GDP of less than $6k, and that fundamentally the driver of that was the role of successful Ashekenazi, mostly from east central europe, in founding Israel.
So the eventual outcome of all of this is not in question. But the fundamental nature of it is like US Westward expansion.
Those with nothing covet what others have built but, if given what others have built, quickly turn what others have built into something remarkably similar to the nothing they had originally.
When the Israeli's left Gaza 2005, they handed over to the Palestinians a thriving produce growing operation in the south. The Palestinians had chance to make a go of things if they got an act together.
Within months, the operation collapsed, the greenhouses broken and battered.
Is that the fault of the Israelis? A "progressive" would seem to think so.
At some point in all of this, the millions of people in Gaza need to make a serious effort at getting organized and functioning as any other 21st Century city needs to do.
What portion of the Palestinians not getting their act together is attributable to Israelis preferring for Hamas to exist and thrive? It's fairly well known within Israel that the Likud has in past desired Hamas to have a strong position as a counter to Fatah and to avoid a single strong Palestinian authority. Bibi has allowed and encouraged funding to Hamas (most recently from Qatar) to keep them in control. You probably only need half a billion or so of Qatar's $200B GDP to pretty much control Gaza. Of course, Hamas has other finance sources such as overseas emigrants and sympathizers, but in theory that portion would be similar to what PA receives. All's fair, to me, good move by Israel.
This is all generally paying off... Israel is not far from owning the West Bank. They have 750k settlers there now, with 2M palestinians. They have enough strength with the IDF focus there too to strongarm the locals, and have been doing so effectively this year. This isn't endgame for Palestine, but it's late middle game for sure and Israel looks extremely well-positioned.
There’s an old quote that says: If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before.
I actually know of a case where a drugged out person is returning to a house he used to own and bothering the current residents. He cites that because he used to live there, they should leave. It is a fact that he used to live there. That does not change that it is also a rationalization.
I disagree with his project, but I didn't disagree with the more sophisticated one we are discussing, just the author's jejune take on how to change progressive minds.
To make your analogy more relevant, the homeless guy was had violence visited upon him in every other house he tried to live in. The neighborhood came up with the solution that he could share their house, like they used to. Your friends refused, but the neighborhood insisted. He agreed to take the smaller, shitty room that no one wanted. He even paid for it. He fixed it up and they then said they wanted it, attacking him and trying to kill him. He fought back and won. They continued to attack him and he continued to defend himself. Now the analogy fits. If you don’t see that, you need to read some history books. Not opinion pieces, but history books.
What analogy? My point was about facts being rationalizations when used to rationalize something. The circumstances were a true event cited to make that point and chosen because there were interesting echoes, but not as an analogy.
Perhaps instead of giving up on your idealism, you need new ideals.
The hatred that so many feel for Israel and America doesn't stem from our failures, but from our successes. We are hated because we're good. Embrace that. Be proud of who you are instead of guiltily apologizing all the time. You'll find that a tremendous weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
Absolutely, all cultures are not equal and western culture, what's left of it, is far far superior to the Muslim/Arab culture in taking care of its people and improving the world. Leftist idiots hate it exactly for this reason, they can't claim the success as theirs because it's rooted in the good and religious nature that brought the enlightenment and freedom. Quite the opposite of their values.
Western culture inhabits the 21st Century while Muslim/Arab culture never climbed out of the 7th. To understand their motivations and worldview, you have to think in those times.
I would just add that if one has any doubt about the difference in cultures they should just pick up the Koran and Hadiths and read them cover to cover. And while doing so, keep in mind, that for Muslims, it is the LITERAL and INVIOLABLE word of god.
Just doing this will grant you tremendous amount of clarity as to why these things keep happening and the absolute disservice our lib opinion-makers and experts have done when making excuses for barbaric behavior.
You may be Jewish, but you seem to have misunderstood the Bible. Jews are such a tiny population precisely because they are not taught conquest of others.
Islam and Christianity did not grow exponentially because Arabs and Christians moved along, sat around campfires with locals and persuaded them of the beauty of their holy books. They spread by violence and conquest.
Thank you for your comments. You make a good point about Jews NOT having a big history of proselytizing . If you check out the book of Judges or Samuel you will find many accounts of God/Israel “ smiting” thousands of Philistines/Gentiles, etc. But my only point in bringing that up was to say that no world religion has been free of mass murder and vengeful acts. Unfortunately the founding of the state of Israel involved some killing and removing of people.
I despair of an answer but portraying all Arabs as evil and animals and all Jews as good and peace loving seems wrong to me. Netanyahu, in my opinion is a war criminal.
But you make a good point about self defense and being a Jew living among Arabs.
Many of my close Jewish friends, in Israel, are feeling such a deep frustration and anger that it is hard for them to put into words. All I can do at this point is offer my support in friendship. Advice at this point especially from a Canadian guy sheltered from birth is pretty tough. Forming a new set of ideals maybe even tougher right now.
That you lament far more the loss of your idealism rather than the loss of your family and friends neatly and succinctly demonstrates the problem with leftists/progressives like you everywhere: they are unable and/or unwilling to acknowledge reality which refutes their idealism. Your whole sense of worth and morality is tied to a world view that does not conform to reality. You held fast to that idealism until it became truly personal. Others don’t need reality to give them such a cold hard slap in the face.
My condolences to you on the loss of loved ones… saying good bye is very hard. As to the loss of your progressive idealism, I say, “Good riddance. Welcome to a new life of truth, and reality. You’ll become a better human being for it.”
The horrible events of last week appear to have opened the author's eyes to one part of the left's phony, twisted world - regarding Jews. I hope that the next step is for him is see the rest of their propaganda for what it is, and then figure out which group are really his allies.
I think he was just using poetic license. He didn’t really care more about his idealism than his family. He should be applauded for opening his eyes — I know some who still haven’t— not kicked when he’s down. This was a moving essay.
Wow. Holy Shit. What a story you have, and thank you for sharing it because I can't begin to imagine how awful it must be for you to have to witness this evil and have your ideals shattered and soaked in the blood of the innocent. I'm sorry, Ilan, that you had to find out the truth about progressive leftism this way. The most hateful groups in the world march around shouting "Hate has no place!" while supporting acts of hatred. Heart Breaking.
Terrible things happening in our World these days...and among the worst for me...but also among the few that I can do ANYTHING about...people in MY country [USA] chanting : "Gas the Jews"..."Kill the Jews"...those people do not belong in my country...how did they get here?...
If anybody had tried to convince me three years ago that the world would look the way that it does today - especially America - I would not have believed them. The differences in our society today are stunning in their scope. I think the content in this movie helps to explain some of this. (For perspective, I am a Libertarian, formerly liberal Republican/conservative Democrat - take your pick.)
This is a great series and the same documentation is availble about the capture of our goverment by many companies. So love of power, money and idealogy is taking over our world. Another great web site with truth is https://thehighwire.com/ You will find the common thread with all these brave truth tellers is a belief in God. That is why the culture keeps demonizing God and taking it out of our society. We are seeing the results of this. To answer those who say the old testiment is evil, you don't really understand it. Just like Hamas says we can do whatever evil they want, but you are evil if you retaliate, sometimes you have to fight back. Andrew Klavan has a thoughtful explanation of why the Jews - it is later in the episode, but worth watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1eHI_jewyc
People often forget what things were really like in this country in the run-up to WWII. My grandmother (I am half-Jewish on father's side) could not get work in New York City because she had a Jewish last name. She changed it from Seiden to Sedden and often told us growing up that her boss once found out about it and told her it was okay and that it could be their secret. That story has stuck with me my whole life as I pondered that question - why do people hate the Jews? A boyfriend of mine once asked me, "they must have done SOMETHING..."
In Germany, in the 1930s, Hitler's hatred of the Jews is what made him popular. His speeches were boring unless he brought up hatred against them. But it started long before that. It did not start with Hitler, obviously. Jews were demonized for (supposedly) not fighting in WWI which made them easy to dehumanize, demonize and hate.
I used to be a Democrat and stood on their side, united in hatred against Trump and his supporters. In 2020 a chill ran through me as I watched the bottomless rage spilling from my side aimed at one man and his supporters. So I changed that. I got to know them, to humanize them.
Now, I am shocked to see -- though I guess I should not be shocked -- how easily the new Left has slipped into dehumanization and hatred of Israelis now. They see it as "oppressed" and "oppressors" and in that designation, they believe, all is justified. We should be very afraid of where that is going. The Summer of 2020 is likely just a taste of what they will do if things don't go their way.
Thank you as always, Sasha, for your valuable insight.
I must say though that I am not the least bit surprised at the Left's now unbridled displays of rabid antisemitism. It has always been there, just kept slightly out of sight. Look back on how they have viewed the never ending effort to wipe out Israel and slaughter every Jew in it. They excuse the most barbarous acts against Israel, then immediately condemn any attempt she makes to defend herself and her citizens. They shed the most vacuous crocodile tears over the "suffering of the poor Palestinians" -- almost all of it a direct result of aggressions against Israel (its woman and children in particular) -- yet have done nothing to help ease that suffering. Palestinians are merely pawns. A contrived identity bestowed upon a group whose only purpose is to murder Jews. Palestinian Arab leadership doesn't care one shit for its own people any more than those on the Western Left do for them. It's all just bluster and faux compassion. Virtue signalling with a side of Attila the Hun.
There is no possibility of peace with a people who will only accept your death. Growing up as a Jew and learning the history of our people, we think we are just learning “history,” that’s it’s all in the past and the future will be different. For Jews, in every lifetime we are forced to repeat this madness, but the madness is not ours: it belongs to the rest of the world. Anyone who clings to some notion of “fairness” to a people raised on hate is living in a delusion. In the US, we’ve let foreign Arab donations to colleges and intersectionality marginalize our best snd brightest and we’ve let the world paint a false picture. The miseducation of our youth has been planned and executed and we must right that ship. That is a fight in this country that urgently needs to be won. Please join that fight.
A well written account on how an individual’s hope for a better world gets pummeled over time. Thank you. I ask my friends this: how many Jews were there in 1948 in the Arab/Berber/Persian countries surrounding Israel, and how many there are now? Forces a little self reflection with their “Free Palestine” crap. Oh and how many Jews were forced out of Arab countries in 1948 when the state of Israel was formed.
I'm thinking that many in the Arab world thought they were just rounding up the Jews in one place for round 2 of the Final Solution. They had a shock coming to them.
What baffles me is the Palestinians thinking that "this time it will be different".
Does anyone on the planet think that Hamas has a chance of defeating the Israeli Defense Forces? Does anyone on the planet not think that it is the scratching-out-a-life Palestinian is going to be better off in the weeks, months, and years ahead?
Each time the Palestinians, on occasion with the help of some of the surrounding Arab countries, have chosen the route of the rocket and mortar, they have found themselves faced with mega-quintuple braces of angry momma bears arrayed on all quarters and unwilling to spare the quarry the certainty of obliteration.
In a decade or so, unfortunately, a new generation of under-educated, unemployed young men will come of age in Gaza and may well just touch off the next round of this senseless slaughter. Their futures are being molded around the catafalques of dead fathers, uncles, and cousins.
The world needs to be fearful as to what comes next in this tragedy. Palestinian Authority leader Abbas is an octogenarian, and not in the best of health. The leadership of Hamas would seem to have lifespans measured in weeks or days.
Who is going arise out of the maelstrom to provide some semblance of political order in areas that are difficult, at best, to govern?
Palestininas in Gaza have been used as pawns in Iran's efforts to upend the Israel- Saudi Arabia normalization process. The Iranian effort has proved successful. Gaza will now pay the price.
In a sense, it is. But they haven't just been taught lies; they've also been converted to a violence-promoting ideology. That ideology has only been minimally violent up to now because they have been afraid of going to jail and losing their comfortable lifestyles.
But when they talk about "decolonizing" and shout "eat the rich," those aren't just overblown rhetoric. They actually intend to commit the promised violence when the opportunity comes.
Tragically, the world still holds Israel to a different scale. I too feel abandoned by my liberal Jewish friends who lectured me about “standing on the right side of history “ when Black Lives Matter became a new Jewish cause although anti Semitic at its core.
Now that BLM proudly supports the monsters of Hamas in Palestine, I will disassociate myself from these so called friends. Our son and daughter in law and five enthusiastic kids left Milwaukee because of anti semitism and now thrive in Jerusalem. They spend everyday doing what they can to help other Israelis who have lost their homes. Your cousin was a champion of mine. May you go from strength to strength. Am Yisroel Chai!
This is not an accurate statement. I have enormous problems with BLM (not the concept but the institution/ ideology) which were made manifold by the at once cruel and infantile recent musings of BLM Chicago. But we must be accurate to be better than the Left (or Right). BLM does not want "all white people dead" nor are they in anyway on par with ISIS despite their noxious politics.
You are a good man Ilan. There is no shame in seeking a more just and peaceful world. I am so very sorry the plight of you and your people was abandoned by those who claimed to stand for those very same ideals. They should be ashamed and you are right to be angry. We stand with you and Israel in your fight for justice, and we grieve the pain and suffering of the innocent in war.
I have a story about Leonard Cohen : Having been brought up in the post utopian socialism period after Woodstock I loved his songs like all of the vanguard of youth culture did. And (I'm not proud of this now: as an alienated member of that youth culture - the military had no appeal for me at all - representing a conformist kind of automaton culture- so I got a one-way ticket and with $250 in my pocket went to Europe to live in the Greek islands and see if anything could be gained from the 'old ways' still existing there. Nothing formal about this - I just left though I wasn't sure if I would ever return to the U.S. Ended up on Amorgos where my girlfriend joined me and we were basically the only foreigners on it that winter. She went back and as I was running out of funds I heard that in Israel you could volunteer on a kibbutz: they would feed you, clothe you, give you shelter in return for working on the kibbutz. So by chance, I ended up on Kibbutz Kissufim (right on the Gaza strip). As a 'serious' volunteer' I had only one day off a mo. and when I heard Leonard Cohen was giving a concert in Tel Aviv I made my way there, arrived early and when Leonard showed up hung out with him and his people. (not like here: everything was very open). As a kibbutznik on Gaza (& even though I had ditched going to Vietnam) I was a lot more militant than he was in my pt of view of defending Israel. That happens when you grow close to the people around you and they're threatened. When the enemy is just over the hill - it's a lot different from fighting 7K mi from home. (must add: I am now fascinated by our military's SF in Vietnam and can only say: one's pt of view can change w/ maturity). 'Don't trust anyone under thirty'. LOL.
Before you know it young people started jamming into the place and I found myself on the stage next to him. Leonard - 'Can you sing? Me - 'Not a note'. 'Play an instrument?' Me - 'only a little piano' L - 'Don't have that here. Well, you can hit a tambourine can't you? " And that's what I did. Until the security guards started dragging kids off the fragile basketball court floor and Leonard was ready to launch himself into the fray and mix it up with the guards. Really. I literally pulled him back. It was a famous incident and may be on you tube. But he returned to Israel soon after and showed up near the front line and played his acoustic guitar and sang for the troops. I like to think our interaction had an impact on him.
BTW. Since I worked in the 'reffet' - the cow barn and rose at 4:30AM there was a friendly soldier from the army who convinced me to ride along with him in a tank that dragged big wooden rollers behind it which would ignite an IED if it went over one. He taught me how to work the two clutches (not fire it) and we would take down a red flag to show the road had been cleared. No detonations for two mos. Then just before I left (a short time before the Yom Kippur war) two men from Tel Aviv in a VW bug were checking their fields on a neighboring kibbutz (Nirim? Nahal Oz?) were blown up. Tragic. I grew very close to my fellow kibbutzniks - they had a pioneering spirit that reminded me of what the homesteaders had out in the Western U.S. I'm waiting to hear if anyone from Kissufim suffered. Hope not. Cuts to the core when you know people who are in jeopardy.
Ayye. It hurts. Thank you for putting it into written word so well. Much gratitude and faith that kindess will not be lost on you in moments beyond this one - and touch deeper than idealism ever could.
Really thoughtful, very very American Jewish in thinking, and very deluded -- though it's nice that he recovered. The idea of a Palestinian "two state solution" has always been lunacy. West Bank should go to Jordan, Gaza to Egypt. But of courser those countries not only like the status quo because of the grief it causes, but they don't want Palestinians either.
Palestinians have become a death cult. To use a technical term, they are nuts. They raise their kids of intellectual gruel. They don't want a state, they want Israel. Otherwise they would not have trashed the 4 offers of a state -- pre-settlement offers.
War is war. They started it. America and Britain didn't clutch pearls when they bombed Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki to ashes. Why should Israel?
Why should Judea and Samaria go to Jordan? Jordan had it for only 19yrs. From time before and after those 19yrs it was Judea and Samaria, the reason we are now referred to as “Jews?” Why is ISRAEL the only country in the world who gets attacked and doesn’t get to the keep the land they win (or in this case, won BACK.) btw - Jordan was also created out of the mandate of palestine.. and should be the country of the Arabs of the supposed “2 states” from the mandate. Egypt never wanted Gaza - they were offered. Israel gave back the Sinai to Egypt (after winning it in a defensive war) in order to gain peace. There is always some double standard of what is expected from other countries versus what the world expects of Israel.
I wasn't addressing what is fair or sensible, I was addressing what makes sense, or would have before it gets worse.
I think the settlements are stupid -- not illegal -- stupid. Israel does not need them and it just gives Palestinians an excuse. I also think Israel's management of the negotiation game with Palestine is stupid -- they should set reasonable conditions for a state and then repeat them. We all know the Palestinians at this point are mroe of a death cult, but the idea is to call their bluff and shift the blame.
Jordan? It was not only part of the Mandate, but the Abdullah's are Saud immigrants who were given Jordan as a consolation prize when Saud family was given Saudi.
What it seems you fail to understand is that the “Palestinians” don’t need or want an excuse. They don’t care what rationalizations you provide or how you justify what they do - when people tell you who they are believe them. They believe in jihad, not peace. They were offered 90% of Judea and Samaria and they walked away without a counter proposal. Do you know why? Their counter proposal is “from the river to the sea.” Period. These are one for the original colonizers: their “religion” and politics tell them that it is a crime for them to ever give back any Islamic land. The ones who want peace would be peaceful, the ones who want jihad and wiping out all of Israel and its Jews, will stand for nothing less. Until the Arabs who are not citizens of Israel (Gaza and those in Palestinian run parts of Judea and Samaria renounce their leaders and want peace there will not be peace.) no more land for peace. They do not want peace and the want all of the land to which they have no right.
Who has a "right" to land is a separate issue. You are correct though that they were offered a large territory and rejected it. Were Jews not involved, the world would tell them to get lost. But Jews are involved so yes, everyone obsesses over West Bank (I don't buy the Judea Samaria world game and do not adhere to names from long ago) while China sits on Tibet and crushes their culture.
That's life. Isarel needs to do what it wants and quit taking moral lectures from the countries that carpet bombed Berlin, Frankfurt, Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Just a note: it was called “West Bank” for exactly 19yrs when Jordan captured it (all the while defiling and razing Jewish synagogues and replacing them with animal stables.) but I digress. For all of history prior to the 19yrs it was Judea and Samaria. When ISRAEL retook it, much of the Antisemitic world continued to call in West Bank (of the Jordan river) which further attempts to erase Jewish history from the area. Words matter.
My company's silence has been deafening, and I'm both ashamed and infuriated.
Ukraine flags were everywhere. Not one for Israel.
We had an employee from the Israel office killed in the massacre. I don't know who, and I don't know what the company did for the family, because after one single email, there hasn't been another word.
They overhauled their entire corporation for George Floyd.
We "overhauled" a whole nation for George Floyd!
I'm a Minnesotan and I'm still not over my nearest metropolitan area being set on fire and turned into what looked like a war zone. Horrible murders happen every day, but normal people don't use that as an excuse to destroy whole neighborhoods.
I'm sorry. I'm in Portland and my husband's workplace was horribly damaged and looted. Then they lost their insurance. It's hard to not be bitter.
You absolutely should be bitter.
What they did was an outrage, it was entirely about Trump's reelection campaign, and not only did they inflict violence for bad reasons, they fully believed themselves righteous and morally superior for doing it.
Because Democrats told them they were.
I was in Portland this summer. Going in, I thought the Fox News descriptions of the place were complete hyperbole. Boy was I wrong.
Zombie apocalypse
😢
And I’m sorry for what happened to your husband. That’s horrible. Were they able to recover financially?
I don’t live in Minneapolis, but I did during law school, and I was familiar with several of the places that were destroyed. I still don’t like going to Minneapolis now. I make an exception for a couple of places, but most of the time, I don’t go any closer than the first-ring suburbs. (St. Louis Park has lovely shopping.)
Somewhat, but downtown is suffering. They had only reopened from Covid lockdowns two weeks before the riots, then they had to close for months for repairs. Insurance covered the damage, but then dropped them. They searched high and (very) low for a new policy and found one that was basically fire insurance, but only for an accidental fire. No coverage for civil unrest. Way higher deductible and premium. Thankfully, after a year of that they were able to find better insurance again. But people are 1) rightly scared or turned off of going downtown and 2) working from home, including city and county officials, which is aggravating. Just a few days ago, someone was killed and another wounded in the middle of the day a couple blocks away in a random act of aggression. Employees are nervous. We have very high taxes and our tax base is being pushed out. But not to worry, the governor has created a new task force to study the problem!
Welcome to mini-Somalia.
That does seem to be the elephant in the room that no one is willing to face: racial relations that are based on a permanent underclass whose smoldering resentment can burst like a volcano and as it did in Israel on Oct 7. Why couldn't it happen here in the U.S.? Well, is has in the George Floyd riots and destruction two years ago. Elevating a petty criminal to sainthood. (No ink for the fact that he had just strong armed a S. Asian convenience store owner and tried to pass off a counterfeit bill and that he was already high) .But you can't argue with people who have a rock ribbed propaganda scheme in their skull. Just like the israelis had to deal with last weekend. 2 state solution? Gaza is the result of that: a permanent underclass of uneducated, propagandized population with no future or skill set. My pt is that we're not so far from the same state of being and should take a long sober look at our own future w/ the same permanent underclass of hate. Start with law and order being enforced here in NYC.
All true and valid. I perceive it in slightly similar categories -- third world versus the first. There are 100,000 people who fail in life for every 1 that succeeds -- look at Africa, South and Central America, Arab Middle East pre-petrol (discovered and enabled by British, French and American know-how before expropriation). Blacks in the US identify with the third world and behave like embittered third world citizens so yes, NYC is now a very risky place because our fantasy of integration has failed.
I agree and now am having the nightmarish thought that what you were suggesting is accurate: integration was a fantasy. The whole civil rights movement was an error. And that we're paying a high price for slavery. A corollary is : I used to know a (very) mature woman Rodelle Valadi RIP on the UWS of Manhattan who would attend the Italian Cultural Center events here and who was very old school. She and her coterie would decamp afterwards at a local cafe and they would all chat. I would listen. So interesting. Rodelle was very attuned to 'fellow travelers' and needless to say she had no patience for anti-HUAC ("Mcarthy was right - there were Communists in the WH) voices. Now it seems like she was way ahead of her times. The seething hostility you encounter just walking down the street and the arrogance of the vibe which is like 'It's our turn and we want what you got and we're going to just steal it" Whoever thought that benighted individuals like that would have such self-endowed entitlement. 'course the problem is that they can't remotely achieve what the American century achieved and so are the announcement of the decline of a civilization. When the german barbarians replaced Rome they at least could achieve technological advances. Eventually. Not these folks. Marcus Garvey leased steam ships to bring back his people to Africa (unfortunately he ended up indicted for embezzlement) but it may not have been a bad idea - from his pt of view he felt his people would never get a fair shake here. Maybe he was right for all the wrong reasons. Jus' sayin'
I was living in Minneapolis that whole time. My wife and I are not over the fires either. I don’t know how to forgive the people who rolled into the madness. We left the city and are much happier. You’re not alone.
Yep, pretty sure we're never going to get an apology for that.
Who actually was George Floyd? A petty thief with a long and violent rapsheet who stuck a loaded gun into the belly of a pregnant woman and threatened to kill her. He died of a fentanyl overdose, courtesy of communist china, thru Mexico. Across our wide open borders. Thousands of Al Queda, Isis, Hezbollah, and Hamas fighters are flowing into the USA, thanks to the courtesy of the US Democrat Party and our feeble minded Potus. My question now, is how much money is Biden getting from Iran now? He is already taking money from Communist China, Ukraine. Russia, Kazakhstan, and Romania. Does anyone at all care anymore from our so called elites anymore?
Americans are slow to anger, and the most dangerous people on planet earth when they wake up from the stupor. Get ready.
Enclsosed is my email to the CEO of my company. Only response I have received is to be referred to a "teammate resolution manager":
I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but I wanted to touch base on what is on my mind. I have been trying to focus on assisting our clients with their investment and planning needs, but frankly, my mind and my heart are in Israel right now I have two nephews that are presently on the front. My sister, who lives in Israel attended a funeral for a soldier yesterday. The first of many.
It is now Thursday and I wonder why the bank has not made a single comment to their employees condemning the beheading of infants, the rape of women, the massacre of over a thousand innocent people and the kidnapping of hundreds more , including American citizens.
Over the past few years the bank was very quick to support BLM in the aftermath of the George Floyd incident. We sent millions of dollars to BLM, a group that has now come out in support of the Hamas savages. The bank has commented on Asian hate, commented on every marginalized group, yet has been disappointingly silent when it comes to Israel and Jews. The amount of online hate against Jews is at an all time high, there have been rally’s in NY, Australia, Los Angeles etc. where Hamas has been cheered on, Nazi Swastikas have been shown and the shouts of kill all Jews have been rampant. It is pretty clear to anyone paying attention, that this is not about land, it is not about peace. It is about wiping Israel off the map and killing all Jews. There is no nuance to it, this is a fight of good vs. evil.
And you have been silent. Jamie Dimon commented on Monday. Bill Ackman has publicly stated he will not hire any of the Harvard students that signed the letter blaming Israel for Hamas’ atrocities. Other banks have condemned Hamas, Professional sports leagues have condemned the atrocities. Yet this bank, the bank I work for, is silent. On Monday we commented on Indigenous Peoples Day. But nothing on the beheading of 40 babies in Israel or the slaughter of 260 young people celebrating life at a music festival. Girls were raped next to bodies and videos were sent to their parents. Yet you remain silent. Not only that, but the “humanitarian relief” notice that was sent out this morning mentions all groups that historically have been anti-Israel and have spread Palestinian propaganda. There would be no need for humanitarian relief if it was not for Hamas!
This should be easy. This is not nuanced. This is humanity against an enemy worst than ISIS. Will you remain silent?
Enclosed is a link to the Anti-Defamation League’s Pledge to Corporations to Fight Anti Semitism. Will you sign this?
https://www.adl.org/workplace-pledge-fight-antisemitism
Respectfully,
Sam
That was excellent. Good for you!
Take your talents elsewhere!
I will, but it's not easy to find a company that isn't governed by DEI anti-semites.
Start your own business if you are able.
This is a gut punch of a read. My greatest condolences to you for the loss you and the many others have been suffering through.
I feel terrible for what you have suffered, Ilan. My condolences. I don't think you should be disillusioned by the failure of progressives (or anyone) to be swayed by arguments like the Jews lived in the Holy Land before the crusades, there are Jews of color, etc.
You should be disillusioned that when territorial conflicts are deep and unreconcilable, that there are peaceful and easy solutions. Greece and Turkey moved 1.5 million people in the 1920s to avoid further conflict. The issue here is Israel won the land in war but the UN and the West never let them do as a normal victor would, expelling people or taking other measures.
BTW the reason your rationalizations weren't going to win over progressive minds is that fundamentally Israelis have a per cap GDP above $50k and that Palestinians have a per cap GDP of less than $6k, and that fundamentally the driver of that was the role of successful Ashekenazi, mostly from east central europe, in founding Israel.
So the eventual outcome of all of this is not in question. But the fundamental nature of it is like US Westward expansion.
Those with nothing covet what others have built but, if given what others have built, quickly turn what others have built into something remarkably similar to the nothing they had originally.
When the Israeli's left Gaza 2005, they handed over to the Palestinians a thriving produce growing operation in the south. The Palestinians had chance to make a go of things if they got an act together.
Within months, the operation collapsed, the greenhouses broken and battered.
Is that the fault of the Israelis? A "progressive" would seem to think so.
At some point in all of this, the millions of people in Gaza need to make a serious effort at getting organized and functioning as any other 21st Century city needs to do.
The poor me schtick wears thin after a while.
What portion of the Palestinians not getting their act together is attributable to Israelis preferring for Hamas to exist and thrive? It's fairly well known within Israel that the Likud has in past desired Hamas to have a strong position as a counter to Fatah and to avoid a single strong Palestinian authority. Bibi has allowed and encouraged funding to Hamas (most recently from Qatar) to keep them in control. You probably only need half a billion or so of Qatar's $200B GDP to pretty much control Gaza. Of course, Hamas has other finance sources such as overseas emigrants and sympathizers, but in theory that portion would be similar to what PA receives. All's fair, to me, good move by Israel.
This is all generally paying off... Israel is not far from owning the West Bank. They have 750k settlers there now, with 2M palestinians. They have enough strength with the IDF focus there too to strongarm the locals, and have been doing so effectively this year. This isn't endgame for Palestine, but it's late middle game for sure and Israel looks extremely well-positioned.
There’s an old quote that says: If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before.
Calling facts “rationalizations” is itself a rationalization. And so it goes. You prove the author’s point.
I actually know of a case where a drugged out person is returning to a house he used to own and bothering the current residents. He cites that because he used to live there, they should leave. It is a fact that he used to live there. That does not change that it is also a rationalization.
I disagree with his project, but I didn't disagree with the more sophisticated one we are discussing, just the author's jejune take on how to change progressive minds.
That was a bit heartless!
I put heartfelt condolences in my first post. But one can't put out a column with intent to change opinions and be insulated from criticism.
To make your analogy more relevant, the homeless guy was had violence visited upon him in every other house he tried to live in. The neighborhood came up with the solution that he could share their house, like they used to. Your friends refused, but the neighborhood insisted. He agreed to take the smaller, shitty room that no one wanted. He even paid for it. He fixed it up and they then said they wanted it, attacking him and trying to kill him. He fought back and won. They continued to attack him and he continued to defend himself. Now the analogy fits. If you don’t see that, you need to read some history books. Not opinion pieces, but history books.
What analogy? My point was about facts being rationalizations when used to rationalize something. The circumstances were a true event cited to make that point and chosen because there were interesting echoes, but not as an analogy.
Perhaps instead of giving up on your idealism, you need new ideals.
The hatred that so many feel for Israel and America doesn't stem from our failures, but from our successes. We are hated because we're good. Embrace that. Be proud of who you are instead of guiltily apologizing all the time. You'll find that a tremendous weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
Absolutely, all cultures are not equal and western culture, what's left of it, is far far superior to the Muslim/Arab culture in taking care of its people and improving the world. Leftist idiots hate it exactly for this reason, they can't claim the success as theirs because it's rooted in the good and religious nature that brought the enlightenment and freedom. Quite the opposite of their values.
Western culture inhabits the 21st Century while Muslim/Arab culture never climbed out of the 7th. To understand their motivations and worldview, you have to think in those times.
I would just add that if one has any doubt about the difference in cultures they should just pick up the Koran and Hadiths and read them cover to cover. And while doing so, keep in mind, that for Muslims, it is the LITERAL and INVIOLABLE word of god.
Just doing this will grant you tremendous amount of clarity as to why these things keep happening and the absolute disservice our lib opinion-makers and experts have done when making excuses for barbaric behavior.
I am Jewish and the Old Testament is filled with endless wars calling on Jews to slaughter non Jews
You may be Jewish, but you seem to have misunderstood the Bible. Jews are such a tiny population precisely because they are not taught conquest of others.
Islam and Christianity did not grow exponentially because Arabs and Christians moved along, sat around campfires with locals and persuaded them of the beauty of their holy books. They spread by violence and conquest.
Thank you for your comments. You make a good point about Jews NOT having a big history of proselytizing . If you check out the book of Judges or Samuel you will find many accounts of God/Israel “ smiting” thousands of Philistines/Gentiles, etc. But my only point in bringing that up was to say that no world religion has been free of mass murder and vengeful acts. Unfortunately the founding of the state of Israel involved some killing and removing of people.
I despair of an answer but portraying all Arabs as evil and animals and all Jews as good and peace loving seems wrong to me. Netanyahu, in my opinion is a war criminal.
But you make a good point about self defense and being a Jew living among Arabs.
I pray for peace
That's convenient, cause that's exactly what's about to happen
Sigh
Many of my close Jewish friends, in Israel, are feeling such a deep frustration and anger that it is hard for them to put into words. All I can do at this point is offer my support in friendship. Advice at this point especially from a Canadian guy sheltered from birth is pretty tough. Forming a new set of ideals maybe even tougher right now.
Well stated.
Dear Mr. Benjamin,
That you lament far more the loss of your idealism rather than the loss of your family and friends neatly and succinctly demonstrates the problem with leftists/progressives like you everywhere: they are unable and/or unwilling to acknowledge reality which refutes their idealism. Your whole sense of worth and morality is tied to a world view that does not conform to reality. You held fast to that idealism until it became truly personal. Others don’t need reality to give them such a cold hard slap in the face.
My condolences to you on the loss of loved ones… saying good bye is very hard. As to the loss of your progressive idealism, I say, “Good riddance. Welcome to a new life of truth, and reality. You’ll become a better human being for it.”
Tremendous comment!
The horrible events of last week appear to have opened the author's eyes to one part of the left's phony, twisted world - regarding Jews. I hope that the next step is for him is see the rest of their propaganda for what it is, and then figure out which group are really his allies.
I think he was just using poetic license. He didn’t really care more about his idealism than his family. He should be applauded for opening his eyes — I know some who still haven’t— not kicked when he’s down. This was a moving essay.
Wow. Holy Shit. What a story you have, and thank you for sharing it because I can't begin to imagine how awful it must be for you to have to witness this evil and have your ideals shattered and soaked in the blood of the innocent. I'm sorry, Ilan, that you had to find out the truth about progressive leftism this way. The most hateful groups in the world march around shouting "Hate has no place!" while supporting acts of hatred. Heart Breaking.
Terrible things happening in our World these days...and among the worst for me...but also among the few that I can do ANYTHING about...people in MY country [USA] chanting : "Gas the Jews"..."Kill the Jews"...those people do not belong in my country...how did they get here?...
Immigration from Muslim countries happened because people like Merkel and Obama let them in --- with progressive support.
If anybody had tried to convince me three years ago that the world would look the way that it does today - especially America - I would not have believed them. The differences in our society today are stunning in their scope. I think the content in this movie helps to explain some of this. (For perspective, I am a Libertarian, formerly liberal Republican/conservative Democrat - take your pick.)
https://plandemicseries.com/watch-the-great-awakening-movie/
This is a great series and the same documentation is availble about the capture of our goverment by many companies. So love of power, money and idealogy is taking over our world. Another great web site with truth is https://thehighwire.com/ You will find the common thread with all these brave truth tellers is a belief in God. That is why the culture keeps demonizing God and taking it out of our society. We are seeing the results of this. To answer those who say the old testiment is evil, you don't really understand it. Just like Hamas says we can do whatever evil they want, but you are evil if you retaliate, sometimes you have to fight back. Andrew Klavan has a thoughtful explanation of why the Jews - it is later in the episode, but worth watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1eHI_jewyc
People often forget what things were really like in this country in the run-up to WWII. My grandmother (I am half-Jewish on father's side) could not get work in New York City because she had a Jewish last name. She changed it from Seiden to Sedden and often told us growing up that her boss once found out about it and told her it was okay and that it could be their secret. That story has stuck with me my whole life as I pondered that question - why do people hate the Jews? A boyfriend of mine once asked me, "they must have done SOMETHING..."
In Germany, in the 1930s, Hitler's hatred of the Jews is what made him popular. His speeches were boring unless he brought up hatred against them. But it started long before that. It did not start with Hitler, obviously. Jews were demonized for (supposedly) not fighting in WWI which made them easy to dehumanize, demonize and hate.
I used to be a Democrat and stood on their side, united in hatred against Trump and his supporters. In 2020 a chill ran through me as I watched the bottomless rage spilling from my side aimed at one man and his supporters. So I changed that. I got to know them, to humanize them.
Now, I am shocked to see -- though I guess I should not be shocked -- how easily the new Left has slipped into dehumanization and hatred of Israelis now. They see it as "oppressed" and "oppressors" and in that designation, they believe, all is justified. We should be very afraid of where that is going. The Summer of 2020 is likely just a taste of what they will do if things don't go their way.
Thank you as always, Sasha, for your valuable insight.
I must say though that I am not the least bit surprised at the Left's now unbridled displays of rabid antisemitism. It has always been there, just kept slightly out of sight. Look back on how they have viewed the never ending effort to wipe out Israel and slaughter every Jew in it. They excuse the most barbarous acts against Israel, then immediately condemn any attempt she makes to defend herself and her citizens. They shed the most vacuous crocodile tears over the "suffering of the poor Palestinians" -- almost all of it a direct result of aggressions against Israel (its woman and children in particular) -- yet have done nothing to help ease that suffering. Palestinians are merely pawns. A contrived identity bestowed upon a group whose only purpose is to murder Jews. Palestinian Arab leadership doesn't care one shit for its own people any more than those on the Western Left do for them. It's all just bluster and faux compassion. Virtue signalling with a side of Attila the Hun.
All about power structures in the “left” of today.
There is no possibility of peace with a people who will only accept your death. Growing up as a Jew and learning the history of our people, we think we are just learning “history,” that’s it’s all in the past and the future will be different. For Jews, in every lifetime we are forced to repeat this madness, but the madness is not ours: it belongs to the rest of the world. Anyone who clings to some notion of “fairness” to a people raised on hate is living in a delusion. In the US, we’ve let foreign Arab donations to colleges and intersectionality marginalize our best snd brightest and we’ve let the world paint a false picture. The miseducation of our youth has been planned and executed and we must right that ship. That is a fight in this country that urgently needs to be won. Please join that fight.
A well written account on how an individual’s hope for a better world gets pummeled over time. Thank you. I ask my friends this: how many Jews were there in 1948 in the Arab/Berber/Persian countries surrounding Israel, and how many there are now? Forces a little self reflection with their “Free Palestine” crap. Oh and how many Jews were forced out of Arab countries in 1948 when the state of Israel was formed.
There is a reason the Mizrahi make up a sizeable portion of the population. Our guide in Israel is the son of Iraqi Jews.
I'm thinking that many in the Arab world thought they were just rounding up the Jews in one place for round 2 of the Final Solution. They had a shock coming to them.
What baffles me is the Palestinians thinking that "this time it will be different".
Does anyone on the planet think that Hamas has a chance of defeating the Israeli Defense Forces? Does anyone on the planet not think that it is the scratching-out-a-life Palestinian is going to be better off in the weeks, months, and years ahead?
Each time the Palestinians, on occasion with the help of some of the surrounding Arab countries, have chosen the route of the rocket and mortar, they have found themselves faced with mega-quintuple braces of angry momma bears arrayed on all quarters and unwilling to spare the quarry the certainty of obliteration.
In a decade or so, unfortunately, a new generation of under-educated, unemployed young men will come of age in Gaza and may well just touch off the next round of this senseless slaughter. Their futures are being molded around the catafalques of dead fathers, uncles, and cousins.
The world needs to be fearful as to what comes next in this tragedy. Palestinian Authority leader Abbas is an octogenarian, and not in the best of health. The leadership of Hamas would seem to have lifespans measured in weeks or days.
Who is going arise out of the maelstrom to provide some semblance of political order in areas that are difficult, at best, to govern?
Anyone have a clue?
This is "Lord of the Flies" in Gaza.
Palestininas in Gaza have been used as pawns in Iran's efforts to upend the Israel- Saudi Arabia normalization process. The Iranian effort has proved successful. Gaza will now pay the price.
"I thought it must be miseducation."
In a sense, it is. But they haven't just been taught lies; they've also been converted to a violence-promoting ideology. That ideology has only been minimally violent up to now because they have been afraid of going to jail and losing their comfortable lifestyles.
But when they talk about "decolonizing" and shout "eat the rich," those aren't just overblown rhetoric. They actually intend to commit the promised violence when the opportunity comes.
These are scary, scary people.
they certainly do and as they move into positions of power the endorse and encourage violence as they see fit.
Tragically, the world still holds Israel to a different scale. I too feel abandoned by my liberal Jewish friends who lectured me about “standing on the right side of history “ when Black Lives Matter became a new Jewish cause although anti Semitic at its core.
Now that BLM proudly supports the monsters of Hamas in Palestine, I will disassociate myself from these so called friends. Our son and daughter in law and five enthusiastic kids left Milwaukee because of anti semitism and now thrive in Jerusalem. They spend everyday doing what they can to help other Israelis who have lost their homes. Your cousin was a champion of mine. May you go from strength to strength. Am Yisroel Chai!
BLM never changed. They want all white people dead. They are ISIS in America.
This is not an accurate statement. I have enormous problems with BLM (not the concept but the institution/ ideology) which were made manifold by the at once cruel and infantile recent musings of BLM Chicago. But we must be accurate to be better than the Left (or Right). BLM does not want "all white people dead" nor are they in anyway on par with ISIS despite their noxious politics.
Zeig Heil, comrade. These BLM people are Nazi communists. Please wake up.
Do you wish to live in Zimbabwe now?
BLM is a cash grift.
You are a good man Ilan. There is no shame in seeking a more just and peaceful world. I am so very sorry the plight of you and your people was abandoned by those who claimed to stand for those very same ideals. They should be ashamed and you are right to be angry. We stand with you and Israel in your fight for justice, and we grieve the pain and suffering of the innocent in war.
Exactly what I wanted to say.
This haunting piece doesn’t need embellishment but it brought Leonard Cohen to mind for me:
Seemed the better way
When first I heard him speak
But now it's much too late
To turn the other cheek
I have a story about Leonard Cohen : Having been brought up in the post utopian socialism period after Woodstock I loved his songs like all of the vanguard of youth culture did. And (I'm not proud of this now: as an alienated member of that youth culture - the military had no appeal for me at all - representing a conformist kind of automaton culture- so I got a one-way ticket and with $250 in my pocket went to Europe to live in the Greek islands and see if anything could be gained from the 'old ways' still existing there. Nothing formal about this - I just left though I wasn't sure if I would ever return to the U.S. Ended up on Amorgos where my girlfriend joined me and we were basically the only foreigners on it that winter. She went back and as I was running out of funds I heard that in Israel you could volunteer on a kibbutz: they would feed you, clothe you, give you shelter in return for working on the kibbutz. So by chance, I ended up on Kibbutz Kissufim (right on the Gaza strip). As a 'serious' volunteer' I had only one day off a mo. and when I heard Leonard Cohen was giving a concert in Tel Aviv I made my way there, arrived early and when Leonard showed up hung out with him and his people. (not like here: everything was very open). As a kibbutznik on Gaza (& even though I had ditched going to Vietnam) I was a lot more militant than he was in my pt of view of defending Israel. That happens when you grow close to the people around you and they're threatened. When the enemy is just over the hill - it's a lot different from fighting 7K mi from home. (must add: I am now fascinated by our military's SF in Vietnam and can only say: one's pt of view can change w/ maturity). 'Don't trust anyone under thirty'. LOL.
Before you know it young people started jamming into the place and I found myself on the stage next to him. Leonard - 'Can you sing? Me - 'Not a note'. 'Play an instrument?' Me - 'only a little piano' L - 'Don't have that here. Well, you can hit a tambourine can't you? " And that's what I did. Until the security guards started dragging kids off the fragile basketball court floor and Leonard was ready to launch himself into the fray and mix it up with the guards. Really. I literally pulled him back. It was a famous incident and may be on you tube. But he returned to Israel soon after and showed up near the front line and played his acoustic guitar and sang for the troops. I like to think our interaction had an impact on him.
BTW. Since I worked in the 'reffet' - the cow barn and rose at 4:30AM there was a friendly soldier from the army who convinced me to ride along with him in a tank that dragged big wooden rollers behind it which would ignite an IED if it went over one. He taught me how to work the two clutches (not fire it) and we would take down a red flag to show the road had been cleared. No detonations for two mos. Then just before I left (a short time before the Yom Kippur war) two men from Tel Aviv in a VW bug were checking their fields on a neighboring kibbutz (Nirim? Nahal Oz?) were blown up. Tragic. I grew very close to my fellow kibbutzniks - they had a pioneering spirit that reminded me of what the homesteaders had out in the Western U.S. I'm waiting to hear if anyone from Kissufim suffered. Hope not. Cuts to the core when you know people who are in jeopardy.
Ayye. It hurts. Thank you for putting it into written word so well. Much gratitude and faith that kindess will not be lost on you in moments beyond this one - and touch deeper than idealism ever could.
Justice for the wicked is mercy for the righteous. May God be merciful to Israel.
Poignant article - really sad situation.. Best wishes to you and your family.
Really thoughtful, very very American Jewish in thinking, and very deluded -- though it's nice that he recovered. The idea of a Palestinian "two state solution" has always been lunacy. West Bank should go to Jordan, Gaza to Egypt. But of courser those countries not only like the status quo because of the grief it causes, but they don't want Palestinians either.
Palestinians have become a death cult. To use a technical term, they are nuts. They raise their kids of intellectual gruel. They don't want a state, they want Israel. Otherwise they would not have trashed the 4 offers of a state -- pre-settlement offers.
War is war. They started it. America and Britain didn't clutch pearls when they bombed Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki to ashes. Why should Israel?
Why should Judea and Samaria go to Jordan? Jordan had it for only 19yrs. From time before and after those 19yrs it was Judea and Samaria, the reason we are now referred to as “Jews?” Why is ISRAEL the only country in the world who gets attacked and doesn’t get to the keep the land they win (or in this case, won BACK.) btw - Jordan was also created out of the mandate of palestine.. and should be the country of the Arabs of the supposed “2 states” from the mandate. Egypt never wanted Gaza - they were offered. Israel gave back the Sinai to Egypt (after winning it in a defensive war) in order to gain peace. There is always some double standard of what is expected from other countries versus what the world expects of Israel.
I wasn't addressing what is fair or sensible, I was addressing what makes sense, or would have before it gets worse.
I think the settlements are stupid -- not illegal -- stupid. Israel does not need them and it just gives Palestinians an excuse. I also think Israel's management of the negotiation game with Palestine is stupid -- they should set reasonable conditions for a state and then repeat them. We all know the Palestinians at this point are mroe of a death cult, but the idea is to call their bluff and shift the blame.
Jordan? It was not only part of the Mandate, but the Abdullah's are Saud immigrants who were given Jordan as a consolation prize when Saud family was given Saudi.
What it seems you fail to understand is that the “Palestinians” don’t need or want an excuse. They don’t care what rationalizations you provide or how you justify what they do - when people tell you who they are believe them. They believe in jihad, not peace. They were offered 90% of Judea and Samaria and they walked away without a counter proposal. Do you know why? Their counter proposal is “from the river to the sea.” Period. These are one for the original colonizers: their “religion” and politics tell them that it is a crime for them to ever give back any Islamic land. The ones who want peace would be peaceful, the ones who want jihad and wiping out all of Israel and its Jews, will stand for nothing less. Until the Arabs who are not citizens of Israel (Gaza and those in Palestinian run parts of Judea and Samaria renounce their leaders and want peace there will not be peace.) no more land for peace. They do not want peace and the want all of the land to which they have no right.
Who has a "right" to land is a separate issue. You are correct though that they were offered a large territory and rejected it. Were Jews not involved, the world would tell them to get lost. But Jews are involved so yes, everyone obsesses over West Bank (I don't buy the Judea Samaria world game and do not adhere to names from long ago) while China sits on Tibet and crushes their culture.
That's life. Isarel needs to do what it wants and quit taking moral lectures from the countries that carpet bombed Berlin, Frankfurt, Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Just a note: it was called “West Bank” for exactly 19yrs when Jordan captured it (all the while defiling and razing Jewish synagogues and replacing them with animal stables.) but I digress. For all of history prior to the 19yrs it was Judea and Samaria. When ISRAEL retook it, much of the Antisemitic world continued to call in West Bank (of the Jordan river) which further attempts to erase Jewish history from the area. Words matter.
I didn't know it was referred to that way during the Mandate or Ottoman years. Was it during all that time?