Netanyahu and the Republicans

I read that Netanyahu was invited by Boehner to speak to the Congress about greater sanctions on Iran without discussing it with the White House. It is no secret that there is a personal dislike between Netanyahu and President Obama. The move is political by Boehner and Netanyahu. Netanyahu thinks appearing tough will give him points with his base in the Radical Right in Israel. Boehner thinks putting Netanyahu on a pedestal might help the Republicans win over some of the Jewish votes. Mr. Boehner, we American Jews think for ourselves and are not so easily swayed. Mr. Netanyahu, you do not represent us American Jews, and your policies seem to benefit your political interests more than the safety and welfare of Israel. As to how to approach the problem of Iran developing nuclear weapons, there is no sure fire iron clad cure for the problem. Bluster and swagger won't do it. Contrary to what the Radical Right has been claiming, President Obama has been applying pressure on Iran. At some point an intelligent leader has to close the deal, unless we want to be in a constant state of turmoil.
Technology is and will be continually advancing, both for good and evil. The human race will have to figure out how to deal with it before some screwball pushes the wrong button and we all go up in smoke.

Are We Chosen?

Are we Jews the Chosen People? This is something that seems to occupy the thoughts of gentiles more than our own. Whoever wrote the dialogue of Fiddler on the Roof stated best our attitude toward the idea when Tevye says to God, "I know we are supposed to be the Chosen People, but next time maybe you could choose someone else." Chosen is not a gift but an obligation. If we are chosen, what are we chosen for? The simple answer is chosen to bring the idea of monotheism to the world. If that is all there is to it, then we did our job a few thousand years ago. Most of the people in the world today follow one of the monotheistic religions. So why can't the world leave us alone? Why are we still scrutinized like goldfish in a bowl.
Somehow we have been given among us a pool of people who stand out. We have more than our share of scholars, of physicians, of lawyers. We have more than our share of people who stand up for the rights of others.
Israel, the one nation with a Jewish majority, has built itself from a poor country into a financially successful country with a number of first rate universities. Israel  certainly could do better in many of the things it does and many people in its Jewish majority are challenged in how they interact with the Israeli Arabs and the Arabs in the Palestinian territories, as I have repeatedly said in many of my previous blog entries, but what nation is perfect? Certainly hypocritical Europeans who lay blame on Israel are the same Europeans who drove most of us out of Europe. Somehow we Jews are held to a higher standard to which we often do not adhere. If only God or the world could answer Tevye's question and choose someone else.

Terror in Paris

We hear today of an attack by terrorists on freedom of speech. I have not previously heard of Charlie Hebdo. Now "I am Charlie." I don't know when it will happen, but let us hope that one day reason will prevail over stupidity. True belief in God is to search for meaning in life. These fundamentalist terrorists pervert religion and have no real purpose other than terrorism for its own sake.

Restoring Relations with Cuba

The news that the USA and Cuba are going to restore normal relations and that prisoners will be released on both sides is good news. Every dispute has to end some time. The cold war ended long ago, but somehow it didn't end until now in regard to Cuba. The government in Cuba has more to fear from this fresh air than the US government.

Murder in Jerusalem

Today we read about a terrible murder of Jewish rabbis and a policeman by Palestinian terrorists in a West Jerusalem synagogue. There is no excuse for murder. The 2 murderers were shot and killed in a gun battle with police. Nenayahu promised a strong response as he should, but the response should be done intelligently with a Jewish head. There will be some Jews (like the idiots who pulled a Palestinian kid off the street and brutally murdered him in retaliation for the murder of 3 Jewish kids last summer) who will want to respond stupidly. The homes of the terrorists families will be destroyed which is OK if that is the best way to do it. But indiscriminate group punishment of Arabs who have nothing directly to do with the murders will further the goals of Hamas. Hamas openly praised the murders as expected. Mahmoud Abbas condemned them but added an implication that this is caused by encroachment of Jews on the Temple Mount. This was not a time for “but.” Simply condemning the murders would have been enough just as Yitzhak Rabin did after the murder of Moslems praying at a site holy to both Jews and Moslems years ago by a Jew. At that time he started his talk by saying something like “today I am ashamed.” But Rabin was a hero, and Abbas is a chicken. Rabin was murdered by a Jewish terrorist for his courage. Abbas lives with his cowardice just as Arafat did when he rejected an opportunity for a Palestinian state in the Clinton-Barak plan and instead opted for the intifada.

But while condemning Abbas for his lack of courage, one must look for how Israel can deal with the almost impossible predicament it is in. Israel is located in a wild neighborhood. How can it make peace with an enemy many of whom if not most are not willing to compromise. Adding to the problem is that on a lesser scale, there is a zealous Jewish faction which is also delusional in its goals. The Jews of Israel are there to stay, no matter what, but so are the Palestinian Moslems.

The problem has changed somewhat in recent years. Early on it was Arab nationalism versus Jewish nationalism. It has changed in that political religious fundamentalism is taking over, particularly in Islam, but also to a lesser extent in Jewish Israel and to some extent in the Jewish world outside of Israel. The problem is not religion. Belief in God does serve a purpose in life. Even fundamentalism does not necessarily demand disregard for others. But political religion does. Political religion gone wild can be misused to justify the most vile and cruel behavior as we have seen today in the murders in Jerusalem.

In dealing with the Arabs, Israel needs to maximize its advantages. It has the most advanced military in the neighborhood. It has great intelligence capabilities. It is far ahead of its neighbors in science and technology. In spite of all its faults, it is a democracy. Even though it is a pressure cooker nation, it has civility and stability that do not exist in the surrounding countries. These are the positive streams in Israel that make it strong. But there are challenges where Israel could do better to secure its future. More should be done to include the 25% of the nation that is not Jewish. There are many if not most Israeli Arabs who very much want to be included as equals in Israeli society. Israeli children need to be taught inclusiveness toward all their fellow citizens, not just the Jewish majority. Israel is and should be a country where Hebrew is the predominant language. But when Netanyahu insists that the Arabs including his own citizens must recognize that Israel is the Jewish state, he is cutting out 25% of his country.  Of course Israel is a predominantly Jewish nation, but he doesn’t have to shove it down their throats. Israel should also encourage a reasonable amount of immigration to bring in people who will raise their children to be Hebrew speaking loyal Israelis, Jewish or not, and keep the demographic clock in Hebrew Israel’s favor. Israel should encourage various forms of Judaism, like Reform and Conservative, to fill the void between Orthodoxy and nothing. Eventually, globalism, science, and open mindedness will win out over the medieval darkness that is taking over the Middle East. I am sure there are people out there in the surrounding Moslem world who share the same hope that Israelis want, but are afraid to say so. Israel needs to open up to them. The road ahead is now and will be difficult, but what else can Israel do but keep trying? Eventually reason and enlightenment have to win in Israel and all over the world.

Comments on Two Articles in the Jewish Journal

I found two very thought provoking articles in the recent issue of the Jewish Journal (Los Angeles, California) about which I would like to comment.

One interesting article by Jacob Wirtschafter concerns Israel, Nigeria, and the Ebola epidemic. Apparently, Israel has developed good relations with Nigeria, and Nigerians make up the largest group of tourists from Africa to Israel. Nigeria has been able to prevent the Ebola outbreak from taking over as it has in other West African countries with less developed health systems. The USA has requested that Israel send army field hospitals to West Africa to help fight the Ebola epidemic, but Moshe Yaalon, the Israeli defense minister blocked it, claiming his defense budget is too low. However there is in Israel an NGO organization IsraAID that will be sending teams to fight Ebola in West Africa. Mr. Yaalon is short sighted (He is also the guy who has insulted the USA, Israel’s best friend). Sending Israelis to do mitzvahs in underdeveloped countries is the positive stream in Israel. Building friends for Israel is an important part of Israel’s defense. I have now included IsraAID as one of my favorite objects for donations along with Ben Gurion University, the American Jewish World Service, and the Joint Distribution Committee. Unfortunately Mr. Yaalon and people who think like him are the negative stream.

Another interesting article is “The West Bank and Gaza: Give Economics a Chance.” Essentially it says that a Marshall Plan-like aid to build up the economy of the West Bank and Gaza Strip would help solve the problems between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I agree that this is a goal that should be worked toward. But there are some big problems getting in the way of reaching that goal. Loosening the blockade on Gaza would help to improve the Gaza economy, but it would also allow in weapons and materials like cement to line tunnels to send terrorists into Israel. That is not theoretical. It actually happened. But it happened in spite of the blockade. The economic situation on the West Bank has improved, but the growing West Bank settlements and an attitude by some far right Israelis of a Greater Israel including the West Bank with no concern for the interests of the Palestinians creates an impossible situation. The fence blocks commerce but keeps out terrorists, but it is part of a situation that can not last forever. There are many facets to solving the problem. It will happen gradually and in steps, but in order to happen it has to start. The Palestinians need hope. Neither side will get a perfect solution. Perhaps autonomy for Palestine or confederation with Israel should be the first goal. This could end up being the best final solution for both sides, or it could be a step toward complete independence for both. As for Gaza, in order to be helped peacefully, they need a government that wants it and respects it. So far Hamas has not done that. But who knows? Things can change with or without Hamas.

Congress

Well, the Republicans have won the House and Senate. So now the ball is in their court. The Republican administration under George Bush destroyed the American economy by spending gobs of money on an unnecessary (in fact counter-productive) war in Iraq and borrowing instead of taxing to pay for it. The Republicans made their major objective defeating President Obama. It's amazing that President Obama has accomplished so much. So now the ball is in the Republican court. Their dilemma is do they compromise with the President and accomplish something, or continue as they have and accomplish nothing?