הכל בםדר, ברוך השם
What have I been up to? I'll leave the boring (to you) science for when I get back. Then I'll tell all. Otherwise...I've been busy. I went to an archeological dig through Temple Mount debris that the Waqf (Muslim religious authority in charge of the Temple Mount) tried to destroy in order to obscure the historical record with regards to a Jewish presence on that mount. Having personally found a Jewish coin from before the time of Jesus...I'ma have to say they're failing.
This weekend was spent in the "wilderness" town of Yeroham, a place first known as a totem of mistreatment of immigrants, but later the site of a fascinating social experiment where middle class Israelis chose to settle there in order to make an impact in society in a non patronizing manner, that is "from the ground up." It was an intriguing look at what egalitarian reform looks like in practice and the people were amazing. I've also done some hiking and some swimming. Normal stuff. But it's the people and history that make this country.
P.S. Special for James...Today I went swimming around the same place where Samson "tore the whole building down."
Now for my own opinions concerning Ha Matzav (the Situation). I would, of course, like for you to read them as I am doing quite a bit of thinking over here. I know many of you will not agree with them. What I would like is reasoned, rational (if impassioned!) discourse about all of this...If you're up for that...Read on. If your a douche who's not into that...Don't.
So. Another day, five more conflicting destinies in the land of Israel. I'm actually very glad to be in Israel during all this (please note the irony of this line if I die in a terrorist attack). Instead of having my news and opinions filtered through the unavoidably biased news media, I am getting them straight from the sources...The reservists, the academic experts (google Michael Oren), the mayor of Jerusalem (tomorrow I'm meeting with him)...everyone except for the terrorists themselves...but I'm gonna go by what they say in press conferences and broadcast on TV. The opportunity to converse (even in my pathetic Hebrew) with the man on the ground is invaluable.
Let's talk about The Situation. First of all, as I said, I was at the Lebanese border about four days before the beginning of hostilities. The director of security on the kibbutz said "Hezbollah set up an observation post twelve feet from the border the other day...we don't really know why, but it shouldn't be anything serious." So much for that. In light of what we now know, the artillery and missile attacks preceding the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers were clearly premeditated. That can be viewed two ways, perhaps this is part of an endemic desperation in Islamic fundimentalism, that is, Nasrallah and Hezbullah felt that they were being marginalized by reform efforts within Lebanon and a growing rift between the Lebanese and their manipulative Syrian overlords. Perhaps. Another option is that we must actually take the rhetoric of Hezbullah and Hamas seriously. They want to destroy Israel and kill all the Jews they can in the process. Doubt that one? Try http://www.pmw.org.il/ (Palestinian Media Watch). I know it doesn't make it to most of the western press...but many of the videos on there were repeatedly shown on Palestinian TV during the lead-up to the Qassam/Katushya launches and kidnappings. One political scientist who I spoke to is not convinced that we can simply assume the election of Hamas was a reaction to Fatah's corruption...Maybe we have to take what that election is saying at face value...The peace process doesn't matter. The fact that this seems to disagree with most polling I've seen of the Palestinian public is troubling, but to quote this scientist "electing Hamas without regard to its stance on peace with Israel would be like voting for George Wallace based on his school tax initiative and ignoring the issue of segregation entirely."
If you couldn't tell, the speakers and seminars are by far one of the best parts of this program.
The resiliance, bravery, and introspection of the Israeli people is really a sight to behold. I think the existance of a civilian army requires a level of moral awareness during war that no other country can really match. As one Israeli I know who trained U.S. Marines now in Iraq said "Civilian casualties are something very painful for me. I know that sometimes I have intelligence which tells me I must stop an ambulance with a dying man in it because there is a possibility Hamas has stowed a suicide bomber aboard. Every time I debate this. When I tried to convey this to the Marines, their response was 'kill the entire ambulance,' [Jacob's note: Perhaps this mentality goes a long way towards explaining Abu Ghraib and Haditha] and this is why no one fucks with the Marines."
For Israel, there is a thin and horrific line between what must be done in the face of terrorism (and I think the Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon are about as close to the definition of essential national security operations as is possible) and what is almost too painful to deal with (e.g. army deaths, the torture of occupying a land that hates you, and maintaining your humanity during war). I am beginning to understand and grapple with this line...unfortunately it saddens me to see Europe and the liberal intelligencia ignore this line almost entirely.
I don't have any any answers to a long term solution. Sadly, I find my self by necessity supporting unilateral solutions. The security wall is called a crime against humanity in Europe...What about the suicide attacks it stops? Are those not crimes against humanity? If the Palestinians are unwilling to choose a government prepared to draw pragmatic borders with Israel must Israel sit by and watch her citizens fall prey to missiles and explosive vests? I think not. I think not. If unilateralism does not bring peace (which it has not in Gaza) it at lease brings a measure of calm, something for which Israel desperately craves. If Israel cannot find partners for peace...It must impose calm unilaterally. I can't see another way. I have no answers, only questions.
This weekend was spent in the "wilderness" town of Yeroham, a place first known as a totem of mistreatment of immigrants, but later the site of a fascinating social experiment where middle class Israelis chose to settle there in order to make an impact in society in a non patronizing manner, that is "from the ground up." It was an intriguing look at what egalitarian reform looks like in practice and the people were amazing. I've also done some hiking and some swimming. Normal stuff. But it's the people and history that make this country.
P.S. Special for James...Today I went swimming around the same place where Samson "tore the whole building down."
Now for my own opinions concerning Ha Matzav (the Situation). I would, of course, like for you to read them as I am doing quite a bit of thinking over here. I know many of you will not agree with them. What I would like is reasoned, rational (if impassioned!) discourse about all of this...If you're up for that...Read on. If your a douche who's not into that...Don't.
So. Another day, five more conflicting destinies in the land of Israel. I'm actually very glad to be in Israel during all this (please note the irony of this line if I die in a terrorist attack). Instead of having my news and opinions filtered through the unavoidably biased news media, I am getting them straight from the sources...The reservists, the academic experts (google Michael Oren), the mayor of Jerusalem (tomorrow I'm meeting with him)...everyone except for the terrorists themselves...but I'm gonna go by what they say in press conferences and broadcast on TV. The opportunity to converse (even in my pathetic Hebrew) with the man on the ground is invaluable.
Let's talk about The Situation. First of all, as I said, I was at the Lebanese border about four days before the beginning of hostilities. The director of security on the kibbutz said "Hezbollah set up an observation post twelve feet from the border the other day...we don't really know why, but it shouldn't be anything serious." So much for that. In light of what we now know, the artillery and missile attacks preceding the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers were clearly premeditated. That can be viewed two ways, perhaps this is part of an endemic desperation in Islamic fundimentalism, that is, Nasrallah and Hezbullah felt that they were being marginalized by reform efforts within Lebanon and a growing rift between the Lebanese and their manipulative Syrian overlords. Perhaps. Another option is that we must actually take the rhetoric of Hezbullah and Hamas seriously. They want to destroy Israel and kill all the Jews they can in the process. Doubt that one? Try http://www.pmw.org.il/ (Palestinian Media Watch). I know it doesn't make it to most of the western press...but many of the videos on there were repeatedly shown on Palestinian TV during the lead-up to the Qassam/Katushya launches and kidnappings. One political scientist who I spoke to is not convinced that we can simply assume the election of Hamas was a reaction to Fatah's corruption...Maybe we have to take what that election is saying at face value...The peace process doesn't matter. The fact that this seems to disagree with most polling I've seen of the Palestinian public is troubling, but to quote this scientist "electing Hamas without regard to its stance on peace with Israel would be like voting for George Wallace based on his school tax initiative and ignoring the issue of segregation entirely."
If you couldn't tell, the speakers and seminars are by far one of the best parts of this program.
The resiliance, bravery, and introspection of the Israeli people is really a sight to behold. I think the existance of a civilian army requires a level of moral awareness during war that no other country can really match. As one Israeli I know who trained U.S. Marines now in Iraq said "Civilian casualties are something very painful for me. I know that sometimes I have intelligence which tells me I must stop an ambulance with a dying man in it because there is a possibility Hamas has stowed a suicide bomber aboard. Every time I debate this. When I tried to convey this to the Marines, their response was 'kill the entire ambulance,' [Jacob's note: Perhaps this mentality goes a long way towards explaining Abu Ghraib and Haditha] and this is why no one fucks with the Marines."
For Israel, there is a thin and horrific line between what must be done in the face of terrorism (and I think the Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon are about as close to the definition of essential national security operations as is possible) and what is almost too painful to deal with (e.g. army deaths, the torture of occupying a land that hates you, and maintaining your humanity during war). I am beginning to understand and grapple with this line...unfortunately it saddens me to see Europe and the liberal intelligencia ignore this line almost entirely.
I don't have any any answers to a long term solution. Sadly, I find my self by necessity supporting unilateral solutions. The security wall is called a crime against humanity in Europe...What about the suicide attacks it stops? Are those not crimes against humanity? If the Palestinians are unwilling to choose a government prepared to draw pragmatic borders with Israel must Israel sit by and watch her citizens fall prey to missiles and explosive vests? I think not. I think not. If unilateralism does not bring peace (which it has not in Gaza) it at lease brings a measure of calm, something for which Israel desperately craves. If Israel cannot find partners for peace...It must impose calm unilaterally. I can't see another way. I have no answers, only questions.