Reading American politics through the Israeli and Jewish media is like looking at a solar eclipse through a very special filter; not a classical dark one but a very special and private one; rarely pink, often black, but always custom made, never off-the-shelf. Different than the rest of the onlookers are the Israelis: they all watch the democratic celebration of Mother US. We, on the other hand, are personally involved.
During election time in the US you couldn't avoid the feeling amongst us that every four years a few hundred millions of American voters are going to the ballot box in order to exercise their democratic right and elect the best president for....Israel. For months and weeks before election day, we Israelis and many Jews abroad, argue, debate and disagree with heat and emotion about my late Mom's, classical Jewish dilemma: Is this one good for the Jews or bad for the Jews.
So how is Obama doing? Is he good or bad for us? If you ask those who, like a robot, applauded Prime Minister Netanyahu at the AiPac convention last week -- he is bad, very bad. He's so bad that many here and overseas see him as a real threat, if not a concrete enemy, to Israel. For me. However, he is the best President of the time with the potential to be the best ever.
It has been a while since I suspended reading the world eventualities through the ancient, survivor mentality; through the locked and blocked keyhole of my mom. For me a good President for Israel is any President who is good for his people and good for the world. Israel is not, and should not be, a domain of itself. It should neither be an oasis nor an isolated island.
We are part of a larger family of nations and cannot behave as the only spoilt, though traumatized, child of this family. Whatever is good for humanity in general must be good for us as well. Speaking of children and family, the American president is a kind of a parent of the free world. Therefore, I expect him to behave like a good one. A good parent is one who knows and dares to say "No" to his child if or when needed. According to this George W. Bush was the worst president ever. As a parent of the world and the responsible adult of Israel -- he never said no. He was the most permissive and therefore the most damaging president ever. He allowed our governments to act and put to work policies and actions that pushed us away from reconciliation and further away from a potential peace accord. That's bad.
Now Obama is saying No to the whimsy Israeli child. No, mister Prime Minister, you cannot go on with the illusion. No, you cannot maintain peace lip-service and ongoing practical oppression and occupation. Not on my shift. From the place I am coming from, Mr. Netanyahu, the ancient Israelite call of liberty "Let My People Go" is still echoing, obligating and binding. This Biblical high subpoena is so universal and widely accepted that even you, the contemporary elected heir of Moses, must respect it.
I, as a Jew and Israeli, love the attitude of my current parent in Washington D.C. It is not nice, and not easy, but it is so right and so good. Finally I have somebody who really cares for me. Not in Jerusalem unfortunately, but luckily there in D.C. Happy Passover, dear President; please help my people go, from slavery to freedom, from war to peace. Because a Pharaoh you are not.
I am so happy to find you here
all the best
avrum
Very worthwhile and thoughtful piece.
I understand why the militant zionists are not happy about your post, but I don't understand why the peace advocates are unhappy.
The big picture is respectful peace.
I don't care that we will not agree 100% as we work toward that end.
I'm going to get all kinds of flack, I know, from Israel’s apologists. I recognize some here and you wouldn't want me agreeing with you because in their eyes that’ll be the icing on their self-righteous cake. So I’ll have to disagree with you for your own good: It’s going to take a lot more to save your people than this President’s parenting.
Unfortunately, although I disagree with you, your credibility may suffer anyway once I'm through, but I must do what I believe is right.
"A prophet is without honor in his own land". He is a "prophet outcast", but take heart, a wise man once said: "No man can be fully accepted until he is totally rejected.”
Reading some of the vitriol directed your way, it reminds me at this time of Passover and Easter of the words of a famous Jew who's become a false prophet to some, a legitimate prophet to others and a Messiah to two billion. Right before he expired. rejected by his own people, He pronounced these words on their behalf: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
They know not what they do...still.
You however bear the burden of knowing and thus you have my compassion.
Oh, woe is me! In the words of Hamlet to his mother: "I must be cruel only to be kind."
I don't disagree with nor agree with what this blogger wrote in his "masterpiece". People are entitled to an opinion. What I disagree with, is his attempt at painting Israel as if it's a child and America it's parent. Something very important that this blogger forgot in the midst of his attempt at venting back his anger and frustration over his issue with Knesset and the current Israeli administration. Israel is not a child, it's a sovereign nation, Israel's relationship with the United States is one of mutual interests, a mutually beneficial association. America has no business telling Israel what to do, just as Israel has no business telling the US what to do.
The paralel is weak
It is time for the nation of Israel to start acting like a nation in control, make some non violent decisions already.....stop, simply, reacting or for the most part, over reacting. It is an occupying nation in charge, it is counter intuitive for Israel and her supporters to be preoccupied with what Palestinians are giving up. They are occupied, they are already giving up their freedom by living under occupation.
Recognized nations have borders, where are Israel's?
Most nations, including Iran, have signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. Only India, Pakistan and Israel have not. A nation in today's world, should sign the NPT and allow inspections. A sovereign nation should not hide under the cloak of ambiguity.
PM Netanyahu has stated that he wanted to stop taking aid from the USA. The time is right for a decrease of US taxpayer dollars sent to Israel. The USA could greatly benefit from the 10 million dollars it gives Israel each and every day.
The settlement program has received 33 million dollars of tax free donations from American Jews. It is time to tax donations given to foreign countries that support causes in opposition to the government of the USA. or maybe it should be illegal to donate to causes that oppose the foreign policies of the USA???
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/23-11
Secondly, while I have no problem with anyone's outlook and them being vocal about it.
I object and I object strongly to the notion that Obama/Bush or any other president of the United States is somehow the parent of Israel. I would like to remind this blogger, that Israel is a sovereign nation, a full democratic nation, recognized by the rest of the world. America is Israel's ally and vise versa, the relationship of Israel and the US is one of common interests, a mutually beneficial association. Israel doesn't dictate to the United States about what it should or shouldn't do, nor should the United States dictate to Israel.
All foreign relations with all other countries are based on common interests and not parents and children.
I wont dispute the rest of the blogger's writing even though I feel strongly that the author was angry, and incredibly dishonest in his view and presentations of facts.
If you believe like me in a world of dialogue you must notice that a dialogue cannot happened when you are alone. Now the US is so powerful, innovative, omnipotent that we, the smaller nations look at it like the parent of the family.
Once more, this isn't a one sided relationship as you well know, this isn't about US being super generous and Israel taking without giving back.
Washington must have been divinely inspired when, in his farewell address, he warned his nation and its posterity against "entangling alliances" and "passionate attachments." The time is long past to sever this special relationship and return to a sane foreign policy based on the national interest, true international law and the concert of sovereign nations.
It never ceases to amaze me that Israel is almost always at the center of every discussion about US foreign policy and that they expect US representatives to throw caution, common-sense and their oaths into the hair and spend their entire political career doing her bidding.
I can't think of any country where this happens; you don't have Lebanese, Syrian or Japanese descendants demanding it from Brazilian representatives; you don't have Italian descendants demanding it from the Argentinian MPs; or British descendants demanding from their Australian or New Zealand ones; you don't have the North Africans demanding it from Rashida Dati in France; you don't have the Indians demanding it from Parmjit Dhanda in the UK; you don't havepeople from Dutch heritage demanding it from South African representatives... got my gist.
So, why is it that, in the US this is a make-or-break-a-career issue?
What does the US get in return? During the cold war the US was facing Communist hegemony on three fronts, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and had to invest vast sums and fight wars to counter the Soviets on two of those fronts, but no American soldier was lost in the ME (other then through acts of Arab terrorism). It was Israel that paid the price for keeping the Soviets out, the Six Day war, the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War were all proxy wars.
Today US military aid to Israel is earmarked for spending IN THE US, supporting US industries and creating jobs for Americans and Israel’s foreign currency reserves are invested in US government bonds, in other words, at this time Israelis are financing America’s debts. Americans don't support Israel because of the strength of any lobby; rather because both countries have shared values. Israel has earned American support the hard way and is in fact America's best friend. People who still speak about US economic pressure on Israel are completely disconnected from reality.
This is the same recipe for disaster that the Israeli unilateral withdrawal from Gaza was.
Time and time again, the Israelis make concessions, and the palestinians use their newfound position to wage attacks.
It's time for Obama to make some demands of the palestinians such as:
1) A public announcement of a change in the palestinian "charter" calling for the destruction of Israel combined with the palestinian parliament ratifying the changes.
2) A public announcement by the palestinians that they accept UN 181 and recognize Israel as a sovereign state.
3) An end to palestinian state media incitement to violence.
4) A radical and immediate change in palestinian school curriculum and texts that teach "martydom", hatred, and that there is no such country as Israel.
It is also time for Obama to apply equal pressure to all the surrounding arab states, particularly those still officially in a state of war with israel to end their war and establish diplomatic relations with Israel,
Until Israel sees at least a semblance of balance in Obama's approach, they will not be inclined to make the same unilateral concessions that have failed in the past.
I also especially like the Mom references.
Good job.
And may Passover bring us all freedom and joy!
A Jew disagrees with Israel's policies and they are "anti-Jewish". Why didn't you say what you really wanted to?