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Web ExclusiveIsrael again gives Jews a bad name
Three Jews in Tel Aviv talked for hours. One leaves. Another says to the remaining Jew: “God, that man was stupid. He must be a general.”
After Israeli commandos murdered nine people and wounded scores of others in international waters, I concluded that Israel continues to give Jews a bad name. The U.S. government and media, in their effort to kiss the Israeli lobby’s ass, contributed to what Margaret Atwood called “a shadow hanging over Israel.” She referred to its continued inhumane treatment of the Palestinians in occupied territories, including its control over access to Gaza.
The military responsible for the flotilla fiasco receive tens of billions of dollars in U.S. military aid annually. They have periodically invaded Lebanon and committed documented human rights crimes against Palestinians whose territory they occupy.
Even more soiling to Jewish repute for uncountable centuries, the fiasco at sea has called into question the issue of Jewish intelligence. Jews survived, the myth goes, because they possessed both a sense of humor and keen intelligence.
Except for a few occasions in biblical times, however, Jews did not make their reputation as astute military men. The creation of Israel changed this. The 1948, 1967 and 1973 wars showed Jewish intellectual prowess on the battlefield. The military commanders, not right wing orthodox Jews—many were atheists or non-practicing—outwitted their hostile neighbors. Since then, however, Israel has illegally, according to the UN and international law, occupied Palestinian territory and Syria’s Golan Heights, and failed in repeated invasions of Lebanon and Gaza to achieve its “security” goal.
“How did the latest fiasco happen?” ask incredulous Jews. I present my inside-the-brain-of-the-beast explanation.
I detect the methods of the fabled wise men of Chelm in contemporary Israeli policy. The Rabbis of Chelm followed obvious logic before making decisions. When a fire broke out in the village barn, the rabbi ordered his flock to collect all the readily available straw in the area to throw over the flames. His scientific education taught him that any object thrown on fire (except flammable liquid of course) would deprive the fire of needed oxygen.
The milkman suggested the rabbi secure the rest of the town and secure the other town buildings. He compared extinguishing such a hearty blaze to putting spilled milk back in the bottle, an experience he personally had agonized over. The rabbi scoffed. “Not positive thinking,” he commented, and directed the flock to put straw atop the fire.
The flames abated. The rabbi smiled and turned to go home and thank God. But the flames re-asserted themselves in spades. The townspeople shrieked in fear. The rabbi turned around, horrified, and ordered: “More straw.”
Similarly, in Chelmite tradition, the wise military and civilian commanders of the flotilla raid had accumulated information about the flotilla and its passengers. Some aboard the captured Mavi Marmara reported the commandos had a list of “terrorists and troublemakers” to execute during the raid on the ship, according to passengers who seized a booklet during their altercations with the boarding Israelis. The passengers claimed the booklet contained names and photos of passengers the Israeli military intended to kill. (The Independent, June 5)
The Israeli military denied such a list existed. A Turkish autopsy report showed the nine slain victims were shot a total of 30 times, many at close range. The Guardian (June 4) reported five victims received bullets in the back of the head.
Prime Minister Bubi Notinmyard authorized the commando attack against humanitarian aid ships after reading massive amounts of public data about the intent of the mission. Aid mission organizers made their break-Israel’s-blockade motive clear. He studied the 1947 experience of the British ship, Exodus, by reading Leon Uris’ novel by that name, in which Jewish refugees attempt to travel to Palestine from a British detention camp in Cyprus.
The novel and film made the British look bad because the ship got too close to the Promised Land. Israelis appeared as noble and brave; Arabs as slimy brutes with Nazi bosses.
Rabbi Bubi then applied his University of Chelm wisdom. Allowing ships carrying non-military goods to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza could have won him world approval.
But what was an abstract gain to win world approval compared to showing the world who is boss? So he discarded his own foreign ministry warning of the “illegality” of the planned seizure of boats in international waters. (Barak Ravid, Haaretz June 10) Bibi instead applied the moral of a story about the importance of control—as a principle.
The woman boasted to her female friends how she dominated her husband. “Crawl under that table,” she demanded.
The Chelm man obeyed. “Now, come out!” she ordered.
“No, I refuse,” he challenged. “I’ll show you who is boss here!”
Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow. His films on DVD are available at roundworldproductions.com.
Ah, the “shanda for the goyim” syndrome. “Is that your Billie causing so much trouble in the neighbourhood?”
Compare conditions in Gaza with the Turkish blockade of Armenia—thousands freezing to death in winter because AKP policy has routed pipelines around Armenia. Now that’s collective punishment. Israel doesn’t hold a candle to the Turks when it comes to inflicting pain.
Israeli policy is not informed by p.r. Israel makes policy based on an assessment of its best interests and that policy is remarkably consistent with the Prophetic tradition of justice—certainly in comparison with other blockades.
Heck, Israel was under an Arab blockade for decades until it signed peace treaties with a few of its neighbours. Despite the blockade Israel created a vibrant economy. No whining. No cringing
Saul, the same goes for you. Stop whining and cringing.
#1. Posted by EdmundBurke in Vancouver, Canada on June 18th 2010 at 6:54pm
whining? cringing? are these words to describe biting satire?
you refer to israel’s “best future” in your comment.
Could you describe one Israeli politician who has a vision of the future other than “more defense”?
Israel has tow positions: ALL MINE or LET THEM HAVE A PIECE.
Either way, Israel argues from disproportional present strength and a very obscure future plan.
Comparing Israeli treatment of the people of Gaza with Turkey’s treatment of Armenians 90 years ago? Please!
Occupying other peoples’ territory is wrong—by law and morality. Building settlements on that land makes it worse. Jews have lived for thousands of years by law and now Israel forges ahead by violating it. This is not whining or cringing. This is a stated opinion about wrong doing.
#2. Posted by saul in california on June 20th 2010 at 9:42am
I am referring to Turkey’s present treatment of Armenia, where a blockade has been in place for some years.
The flotilla was a put up job by the AKP’s Erdogan as a domestic vote getter. While all the facts are not in, we’re going to find out, I believe, that a group of Turkish jihadis embarked with the goal of becoming shahidis. Some of them got their wish. Mazal tov.
Landau apologizes to his leftist friends for imagined Israeli transgressions. He should take a lesson from Israeli policy which is no longer a response to international criticism but based on Israel’s sense of its own entitlement, justifiable on the basis of international law, UN resolutions notwithstanding.
You won’t agree. Irrelevant. Israel understands that many organizations and states hate it and hate Jews. There is no point in trying to placate them. That’s the lesson for the author of this article.
#3. Posted by EdmundBurke in Vancouver, Canada on June 26th 2010 at 3:43pm