Understanding the Israeli Psyche

by Nadene Goldfoot from Dr. Michael Oren's article, Deep Denial

Even before Israel was born in 1948, its citizens have had to become soldiers. The attacks have not actually stopped. Every man has had to serve one month out of each year in the military doing their milueem duty. Women also serve in this army. In fact, very often they are sergeants training young soldiers. Children are trained as soon as they can walk not to pick up objects on the streets as they might be bombs. Children sit outside school doors checking bags looking for bombs. The whole population is totally aware of the dangers that can befall them.

Michael Oren, the new ambassador from Israel to the USA, points out in his article "Deep Denial" in The New Republic, that Israelis are not prone to flattery. The Hebrew word for flattery is "chanupa". The Yiddish word is "firgun", which is more derisive. A joke told in Israel is that the word is on the exit from the Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with a red diagonal line slashing through it along with the warning, "You are now entering a Firgun Free Zone."

Recently Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the U.N. General Assembly and several Israeli commentators reacted unflatteringly to it. Everyone else applauded, but the Haaretz reporter Tom Segev thought his words were "unneccessary and embarrassing. Gideon Levy thought his words were insulting to the intelligence and demagogic. Aluf Benn, a respected Israeli journalist faulted the speech as failing to address a global rather than Israeli audience.

What he spoke about were some pretty important issues; Iran's nuclear abilities, the Goldstone Report travesty, and their hopes for peace with Palestinians based on security and mutual recognition. The reporters were upset not by those topics but about the Holocaust, his opening. Yet I think the opening explains a lot about the Israeli psyche.

He said that 1/3 of all Jews died in the Holocaust. Almost all Jewish families were affected by this, including his. He said that Ahmadinejad, the biggest Holocaust denier, spoke to this audience the day before about there not being a Holocaust. "Have you no shame, have you no decency?" he asked the audience.

The journalists thought by bringing up the Holocaust that Netanyahu had stooped to Ahmadinejad's level, or gave credibility to him by debating him over a "universally accepted truth." It's been 64 years since the WWII ended and now the validity of it all is in the UN General Assembly, Benn wrote. He felt that with that Ahmadinejad succeeded in instilling doubt.

Israelis are raised with Holocaust history. They are not aware of the world's youth's lack of education about how there was a Final Solution in store for the Jews. Our young American Jews may even be guilty of denial of these facts. This is a difference in our psyche.

Muslims can now think that if Israel was created by Europeans out of Holocaust guilt and it never actually occurred, then their existence is unjust. That's giving them fuel to fight against Israel.

Netanyahu's preamble speaking of the murdering 6 million Jews is important to understand the dangers posed to our 6 million Jews in Israel today by a nuclear Iran and by the Goldstone Report. Speaking about the Holocaust and knowing that it did indeed happen is vital in obtaining peace.

A minority of our American Jews have joined the band wagon in denying the seriousness of our position by joining leftist groups such as J street, where Muslims also have joined. They've developed a very American mentality that may be suitable here in the states, but is not even beginning to grasp the differences in the situation in Israel. This doesn't mean that it's okay to treat Palestinians in a different way from the way we treat members of our own family, but they just don't grasp how close we are to being obliterated. Where an Israeli must be constantly aware of danger and serving, the American only does it rarely if not at all. They might even be thinking the whole affair is an embarrassment for them.

Now Dr. Michael Oren has been asked by J Street to speak at their convention. The last I've heard is that he is declining. If he does change his mind, surely he will give them a "what for" and he may just decide not to give them more fodder for their fight.

Resource: http://www.tnr.com/article/world/deep-denial

A Letter From David to Gazan Neighbors

"My friend, from Zichron Yaacov Israel, sent this to me from her friend. "

A letter to the citizens of Gaza from a concerned neighbor

Dear neighbor,
My name is David and I live in Israel, thirty minutes (or one minute rocket time) from you, in a beautiful house by the woods. I hope someday to have you over for a cup of tea. We have a lovely view from the balcony. On a clear day we can see our jets bombing your neighborhood.

I think it's time we had a heart to heart. It's time you knew the truth. After all, what are neighbors for? You might have wondered why both you and your parents were born in a refugee camp. Why is it that even though we live only 30 minutes apart, I live in prosperity and you live in poverty and filth? Why you live in despair and hatred while we live in hope and love.

Here is the truth, neighbor:
There really was a Holocaust. I realize you've been taught otherwise. I know, that ever since you were a small child you've been told that the Holocaust is something the Jews fabricated to justify taking your land. Well, dear citizen of Gaza, it really happened. Not very long ago. It happened. And guess what? It's NEVER going to happen again. The time in history when Jews were led to slaughter, persecuted, raped and pillaged is over and will never recur. Never. Now we have our own country. Now we have the bombs. We will never forget what was done to our people and you better not either.

We don't hate you. We don't hate anyone. Jews are a peaceful people. We do not want your land. We don't want oil. We don't want to rape your women or murder your children. We never tried to force our religion on anyone. Our eternal capital, Jerusalem, is open to all faiths to love and to worship. We treat your Arab brothers who live among us as equals. Our hand has been extended to peace with our neighbors since day one. We have proven this time and time again through numerous negotiations and extensive compromise.

We ask only for one thing. Leave us in peace. That's right. We have no other demands. Just leave us in peace. It's as simple as that. If you don't, we will fight back ferociously and mercilessly. We will destroy your homes and your cities. We will make your miserable lives even more miserable. If you don't want this to happen any more, leave us in peace.

Our soldiers are not motivated by hate but by determination. We embrace life and will do anything to preserve it. However, we will kill and die to protect our land and our way of life. That's what they should be teaching in your schools instead of useless lies.

A terrorist is a terrorist. Sorry to be the one to break the news, but it's about time somebody told you that a terrorist is nothing more than a coward. Not a hero. Not a Shahid. There is nothing heroic in blowing yourself up amongst a crowd of woman and children. Anybody can do it. Anybody can hide inside a school or a mosque and blindly fire rockets into cities, hoping to kill as many babies as possible. There is nothing courageous or admirable in these acts of cruelty. To take pride in an act of terror is pitiful and pathetic. I know you've been raised to believe the contrary, but it is a lie. I have seen how your children are taught to commit suicide. How your suicide bombers are glorified. This is tragically sad. A real hero faces his enemy and doesn't hide in schools and hospitals. A real hero protects his people and will die for them but not among them.

Israel exists and it belongs to the Jewish People. I've seen your school books. I know that Israel has been omitted from your maps. Contrary to what you've been told, the State of Israel really does exist. Look outside your window. We are here and we are not going anywhere. Dear Palestinian neighbor, it's time to deal with the facts. We love our beautiful little country. We will protect it with our lives. You are not getting it. This was explained to you in 1948. You got your country and we got ours. Your arrogant and stupid leaders promised you that you will get the whole thing. Thousands of lives have been lost for nothing. It's NEVER going to happen! While you have been foolishly drooling over our land instead of nurturing your own, we have built one of the most beautiful and successful countries on Earth. We have done it not to spite our greedy neighbors, but rather in spite of them. We've planted forests and quenched the desert. We've drained wetlands and culivated fields. We built universities, opera houses, superhighways, hospitals, skyscrapers and stadiums. We have millions of refugees, but no refugee camps.

You could do the same. Focus on what you have and not on what you will never have. It takes love, hard work and determination. We can help. We have experts and scientists helping developing nations across the globe. Accept the facts, lay down your weapons and join us in making this great region of the planet even greater.

Remember, we're neighbors.
David -- Sarigim, Israel – Jan. 9th, 2009

Why It Took 2,000 Years to Return to Our Promised Land

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                     

Moses with Ten Commandments

Moses decided to take the Jewish people out of Egypt and back to the Promised Land of Canaan. He not only received Ten Commandments for us to live by but 613 more. This created a society that was probably the most advanced in the world, showing a reverence of all life, including animal’s feelings of all sorts. Female babies were not killed. No human was sacrificed. This all happened at least 3,000 years ago. There was no other group of people that were so sensitive to living creatures or were so much in the here and now of the living and not the deceased.

We lost our civilization in 70CE when the Romans conquered Jerusalem. We had been carried off as slaves before this several times. Again our people were either killed or carried off as slaves. Yet some were able to hide in the small kingdoms of either Judah or Israel.
The Jewish survivors adjusted their thinking to fit the circumstances they found themselves in. Their prayers included returning to Jerusalem or losing their right hands as a reminder of its importance. During this time they found they had to live by their wits, not being allowed to own land in other’s countries where they were expelled to or taken. They already were a group who valued the art of reading and writing and found that trading was a skill they were good at. They kept to themselves, thereby preserving their inheritance of values and ideals.

After living in Italy, Germany, England and other places, they continued to be successful but lived according to their own values on foreign soil. This would cause jealousy and antagonism with the populace, causing them to be driven out. In the late 1800's several groups finally moved back to what was now called Palestine to live and prosper. By 1894 a reporter named Hertzl realized that anti-Semitism was on the rise again and looked for a solution. Not being a religious man, he thought of Africa as a home for the Jews. Then he realized that not once had their prayers strayed from the promise to remember Jerusalem and to return to her. "Palestine," that hot wasteland, was the only place that Jews could possibly return.to and strive to rebuild.

Then the 2nd world war happened, being declared December 7, 1941 in the USA. Six million Jews who lived in Europe were slaughtered. Many survivors made their way to Palestine because other nations still had rules barring Jews from entering. A deal had been made with the English, who were responsible for the land at that time to allow Jews to have their own homeland back. After being pressured by some Arab heads, they reneged on their promise with proclaiming their "White Paper", which barred Jews from entering this barren unclaimed parcel of land. However, by 1948, Israel managed to be born.

For two thousand years Jews have tried to live in other people’s countries. They have led the way in many areas of business, medicine and science. Knowledge and education have been the driving force in their families. Knowing that six million of their people were murdered for no reason other than being Jewish has been the driving force to have their own country once again. It has not been an easy road since all the surrounding countries attacked once the birth of Israel was announced. These are countries with more square miles than USA is made of, attacking the state of Israel which is one third as big as Oregon. At this writing only two of the countries have made some sort of peace with Israel; Egypt and Jordan. Lebanon is still trying to get on its feet and fighting there is very close to Israel. Israel is only 59 years old in this second birth and has had to fight in about seven wars. It took the Jews a long time to throw in the towel and return to their own land, and perhaps it will take us another two thousand years until our neighbors realize that we’re there for good and quit fighting us. For here we must stay. There is no other way. No, we never did forget Jerusalem.

Israel, Born Out of the Ashes-And Its Arab Neighbors

                                                                         

 Nadene Goldfoot 2006-08-09
Born out of the ashes of the Holocaust, Israel has realized that the world really has not cared whether it exists or dies. She has quickly determined that she must fight for herself to live. Becoming a state and being accepted by the United Nations indeed seemed like a miracle after awaiting for 2000 years to be born again. It was not to be a slam dunk, however.

Her people, both men and women, have had to become warriors to protect their incredibly small nation. For a group hungering for peace, they have had to think of nothing but engaging in defensive wars. Their teenagers have had to grow up knowing their inherited obligation means going into the army as soon as high school is over, and facing the possibility of dying before their allotted time.
                                                                     

Her daughter religion, Christianity, has not had to send troops to help defend her. They saw in their mother religion aspects of their own morality, however, and helped supply her with much needed weapons. Without these, she would perish. Now, the United States alone stands with Israel, knowing that her fall will signal immense problems for itself.and the hope of peace in the world. Even Britain is on the fence, thinking of their needs before Israel’s. Alone, and for the very first time in history, the United States is taking the barbs and hatred of the world for standing with Israel and not relenting.

Israelis have fought against Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Transjordan, which is today’s Jordan and have won. This was at the time of it’s rebirth in 1948. That was the War of Independence. Then they had a war of 1956 and the war of 1967 which lasted for only 6 days and found they had conquered the Gaza Strip, the vast Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights, and repossessed the provinces of Judea and Sumaria which the outer world calls the West Bank, and the eastern part of Jerusalem which had been occupied by the Jordanians 19 years earlier when they invaded Israel in 1948. Let’s not forget the war of 73 which occurred on the highest Jewish holy day, Yom Kippur, when all people were praying in the synogogues. After this attack on Israel, Egypt and Jordan begrudgingly accepted Israel’s presence, which aggravated their Arab brothers to the nth degree. Jordanians come back and forth into Israel to find work and many tourists have gone into Egypt from Israel since then. Then there was the war of 1982 when Israel went into Lebanon due to Katusha rockets that were continually being aimed at Kiriat Shimona, very near the border, as well as other northern targets. There, the lovely Hamishbeer Department Store was located that all the northern Israelis loved to shop in. Many American Jews resided there, becoming unnerved by the constant need to live in bomb shelters.

Israel has only fought defensively, having accepted the United Nations’ decisions as to size and shape of Israel. The Palestinians have never accepted their offered state, hoping instead to own all of the land of Israel as their given share. Since 1990, Israel has left the contested Lebanon strip they needed for defense, which has given the terrorsts time to arm themselves with highly sophisticated weapons supplied from Iran with the help of Syria.

Iran has never forgotten its loss in 1948 and has developed a religion that deems Israel a thorn in its side and has decided that Israel must be removed. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has stated to the world over mass communications that the solution to the Middle East problem is to destroy Israel. Israel took his words seriously. They know that Iran is seeking atomic energy and figures it’s not because they need better heating methods. They know it’s to make atomic weapons to use on the United States and Israel.

Israel’s Mossad, the Intelligence Agency, must have known that Lebanon’s terrorists were planning something. Katushas have continued to fall from Lebanon. They are not invitations to a party. They can kill and destroy. They’re not exactly a friendly action to their neighbors. The same thing has been happening on the Gaza Strip. When the soldiers in both areas were kidnapped, this alerted the IDF, Israel’s Defense Force, that something was brewing, and luckily, it alerted the country.

The IDF was made aware of the danger by the kidnappings. To find that 13,000 rockets of various sizes and capabilities were lined up in the northern country of Lebanon was more than Israel had imagined. They quickly realized that Iran was most serious in its declaration of destroying Israel.

This is Israel’s Pearl Harbor call. It is the most serious war Israel has ever faced. Israel may be highly trained, unfortunately, for survival reasons, and may have a wonderful arsonal in air power and land due to the United States, but finds that the Arabs have gifts of weapons even more deadly due to the Soviet Union’s sales to Iran.

We have only 5.4 million Jewish people inhabiting Israel. Being a democratic country, the only Jewish country in the world, it also is home to Christians and Muslims. Even at that, we have only 13 million Jews in the world. The Arab world has 1 1/2 billion Moslems and they all seem to be against us.

Our original forefathers who established Israel thought things would be a little different. They talked to Emir Faisal’s father, Hussein in 1918 who had then written and called upon the Arab population in Palestine to welcome the Jews as brothers and to cooperate with them for the common good. At that time, most Arab leaders were living in comfort in Europe and sold land to the Jewish pioneers at very high prices, but land was bought legally and the empty desert and swamp called Palestine was holy to the Jewish returnees.

Later Muslims like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have decided that Israel, which is much less than 1/3 the size of Oregon, is too great a piece of real estate to house Jews. It’s about 260 miles long, 60 miles at the widest, and 3 to 9 miles at the narrowest. Israel consists of 8,000 sq. miles.  Compare that with the state of Oregon, population of 3,930,065 but having a width of 400 miles (640 km), and length of 360 miles (580 km), or 144,000 sq. miles,   where the top 3 people living there have the ancestry of Germany-22.5%, England-14% and Ireland -13.2%.

It is an affront to the Muslims to have a democratic Jewish state in their midst. Their people might get ideas of wanting democracy, also. That is a threat to their realm. The strange thing is that little Israel has no oil wells. Israel was given people who had to learn to use their minds to survive and not be dependant on oil, like their cousins. No people had ever developed the land. It lay in the sun, waiting for its people to return to bring it back to life.

Reference:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon