Israel and the Diaspora

I am a Diaspora Jew who has no intention of moving to Israel. Yet, I consider myself a Zionist. So what does that mean? It means I support the idea of Theodore Herzl and the Zionists who promoted the idea of a Jewish country back in the 1880s which can be a refuge from anti-Semitism. I am fortunate to live in the USA where anti-Semitism is not common. I see Israel as a nation consisting mostly (but not completely) of ethnic Jews (although many Israeli Jews do not practice the Jewish religion). For me there is an unwritten contract between the Jews of Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora. For the Diaspora side of the contract, we in the Diaspora support Israel financially and morally. We Jews on this planet at present are divided into approximately 3 thirds, 1/3 in Israel, 1/3 in North America, and 1/3 scattered over everywhere else. Having the support of a population twice its size makes the Israeli people less isolated. For the Israeli side of the contract, Israel provides a place to which Jews can flee when the need arises. To support Israel is like investing in an insurance policy. It is part of the idea of "Kol Yisroel Achim" (literally all of Israel are brothers or in other words, "we have each other's backs").
On the Diaspora side, supporting Israel does not mean we have to always agree with everything the Israeli government says or does. We are people with many different opinions. But we must never abandon Israel. We should speak our minds, but to use things like divestment to express our opinions is absolutely wrong.
On the Israeli side, Israel must remain strong to keep its population safe. Of course maintaining a strong military is essential. But beyond that, Israel must do everything it can to make peace with its neighbors. The reality is that 20% of the population of the State of Israel is not Jewish and mostly Arab. And the West bank and Gaza Strip which make up the rest of Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel or in other words the Land of Palestine) is inhabited by a majority of Arabs who now call themselves Palestinians. An accommodation which works reasonably for everyone is essential for peace and the security of Israel. Creating such an accommodation is not an easy task. But making a workable peace is essential for the safety of the Israeli people, to fulfill the Zionist dream, and for Israel to keep up its side of the contract. To maximize Israel's strength it should be as inclusive as possible. The definition of who is a Jew should be liberal and not left up to some Orthodox rabbis with a narrow view who is Jewish. The children of migrant workers who do not fit the Orthodox definition of who is a Jew but who speak Hebrew and have grown up as Israelis should be allowed to remain in Israel. The Israeli Arabs are equal before the law, but inequalities still exist. There should be an active program to correct those remaining inequities. Israeli Arabs should be encouraged to learn Hebrew and should be given the same government support as Jewish Israelis. There should be a government program in the schools to encourage an attitude of equality, belonging, and friendship on the part of all the people. There should be additions to the national anthem to include non-Jews as well as Jews. The Jewish religion is strong. It survived 2,000 years of persecution. It certainly does not need to be artificially propped up to survive in Israel. Also, Jewish denominations other than Orthodox should be encouraged and have equal standing with Orthodoxy.
The law of return for Jews must remain. That is Israel's part of the contract and the reason it was created in the first place. That is the one inequity that the Israeli Arabs will have to accept. But in return they will be living in the most stable advanced nation in the Middle East. Peace has much to offer everyone in the area, if only they can do it.

Common Interests

There is no question that Israel was justified in responding to the rocket attacks from Gaza with retaliation to destroy the Hamas rocket launchers.  Hamas fired first and Israel responded. Targeting the terrorist leaders has been effective and ultimately saves other lives on both sides. Israel left Gaza unilaterally and therefore obviously does not want to own or rule the place. Hamas has publicly declared it wants to destroy Israel and backed up that claim with numerous rocket attacks on Israel over years, making life for Israelis living within range of the Hamas rockets difficult and dangerous.
Having said that, no matter how intransigent and difficult your enemy is, to demonize him and say peace is hopeless because he will never change creates a self fulfilling prophesy and is therefore counterproductive. Actually both sides have common interests. Both sides need peace and prosperity. The mullah theocracy in Iran threatens both sides. Centuries of European anti-semitism made a Jewish State a necessity, and the surrounding Arab dictatorships made Israel the scapegoat for their own failings. Israel is here to stay and will not be undone, but the Arabs are also present and won't go away. Hopefully, some day the people on both sides will come to grips with reality, and the Zionist dream of an Israel at peace with its surroundings will become complete.

Obamacare

I am a 74 year old physician. I worked 15 years in solo fee for service practice and then the past 28 years in an HMO. "Obamacare" (Affordable Health Care) is simply filling in the gaps which now exist in the delivery of health care, i.e. making it possible for people with pre-existing conditions to get health insurance and making health insurance affordable for all Americans. It works through private insurance companies in most cases. It will bring down health care costs in the USA.
Romney says he wants to stop Obamacare, but now before the election he all of a sudden denies opposing filling in the gaps like the pre-exisitng condition question. But that is Obamacare! So, Mr. Romney what side are you on?
Obamacare will eventually happen because it is an inevitable step in the progression of health care in America going back long before President Obama or Governor Romney were born. At its best we have the best health care in the world. The problem is that the best is not yet available to everyone in the USA. Obamacare will fix that.

Turn Around in Ben Ghazi

I was happy to read this morning that many people in Ben Ghazi demonstrated against the terrorist militias and apprently drove some of them out of town. They realized that the terrorists were using them and have been trying to replace the dictatorship against which they fought with another one at least as bad as the original. This is a ray of hope for the Middle East. Maybe it is a pollyanna idea, but eventually (maybe after generations) history will be with reason and not with the zealots. Maybe even the rational people in Iran will throw out the mullahs one day.
To Israel, I say reason. democracy, openess, and pluralism are your strengths. Narrowness, exclusion, and fundamentalism are your weaknesses. Your mistrust of your neighbors is understandable. Military superiority for now is absolutely necessary. The Middle East is a scary and unpredictable place, but it is the place where you live. History has brought you there, and there is nowhere else to go. Turning yourself into another inward fundamentalist theocracy (even a Jewish one) will not serve you well.
To the Arabs, I say look upon Israel as an opportunity, not an anomaly. History has put Jews and Arabs on two different roads, but racially (if that makes any difference), by language, and by origin, we are as close as any people can be. Israel has the technical know how to bring your culture forward and to make the Middle East again become an economic and cultural center in the world.
Both sides need to promote their common interests, put aside minor religious details, and lighten up.

People Who Use Religion For Their Selfish Agendas

Belief in God is to believe that life has a purpose and existence is not just senseless chaotic crap. That is why so many diverse separated people have believed in some sort of deity since prehistoric times. The problem is with people who think that their particular way of approaching God is the only true way and especially with people who use religion as a means of promoting their selfish agendas. Those people include the creep and his backers who recently made an anti Moslem movie with the express purpose of stirring up a reaction among Moslems (like pouring gasoline on a fire), the idiots in the Moslem world who reacted like his puppets with violent demonstrations, and the terrorists who used the cover of those demonstrations to kill innocent people in the American Consulate in Ben Ghazi. Those people do not represent God, no matter what they scream.

Riots in the Moslem World

The riots in the Moslem world illustrate why Israelis are skeptical about trusting the neighboring countries. A small amateur movie which most Americans (myself included) have never seen, made by an obscure small time crook (who has spent time in an American jail), financially backed by a small lunatic fringe group has stirred up a reaction by equally lunatic groups in the Middle East. The difference is that while the American lunatics are a small fringe group here, the lunatics over there seem to be larger in proportion to the general population, and powerful enough to intimidate their governments. Mr. Bacile (or whatever he chooses to call himself today) and his cronies (Thank God they are not Jewish) have succeeded in putting American soldiers and American interests at risk. They have also put the innocent Coptic Christians of Egypt at risk. Meanwhile the rioters in Moslem countries have performed like puppets exactly what Bacile and his friends wanted them to do and exposed themselves to the world as unreliable idiots.

Asian Science Camp

Congratulations to the Asian Science Camp for choosing Israel as the site for the 2012 camp. This is a step for reason, for science, for progress, and for peace.