The land of milk and honey

I saw a disturbing ad today on Ha’aretz: “Pat Buchanan supports Barack Obama’s dangerous views on Israel”, it read. It showed an image of Buchanan giving a thumbs up to Obama (obviously in two unrelated photographs). The ad, sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition, is one more outrageous and destructive attempt by Republicans to scare Jews into voting for John McCain. Their claims are based on nothing but rumors. No one ever points to a speech or vote by Obama that rings “anti-Israel.” It’s always and solely, “He’s a Muslim.”

Obama has received a 100 percent approval rating from AIPAC. Whether he were Muslim or not doesn’t make a difference.

The Republican Jewish Coalition does not scare me because I know Jews, and Americans in general, won’t be fooled by their baseless statements.

With Tzipi Livni becoming a very likely contender for the office of Israeli Prime Minister, we could be very close to an actual peace agreement with Abbas.

I look forward to new administrations in Israel and America, and the calm I hope they will bring.

I was struck by a comment made by a worker at the Marriot Hotel in Islamabad, just moments after the horrific explosion there today: “I don’t understand what it was, but it was like the world is finished,” he said. http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1022851.html

I wish we had real answers for this violence–for as many commentators and analysts who claim to know the roots of terrorism, their reasons always ring hollow and vacant to me. The shame the Muslim world feels for falling behind the West technologically and economically has led many to embrace fundamentalist Islam as the way to regain their sense of pride; the lack of educational, employment and economic opportunity in these countries leads to those left out of society to embrace terrorism; The inability of Western-backed governments to meet the socioeconomic needs of its citizens; The Muslim world’s stranglehold on oil; If Israel would only give up on the West Bank and its policies regarding the Palestinians, then there could be peace in the Middle East and Muslim world. The list of “reasons” why terrorism exists is endless.

This list matters little when it just feels like the world is ending.

I called the Aliyah Center at the Jewish Federation and made it official. I opened a tik so now the Aliyah Center knows who I am and will have my information on file. The man on the phone asked me many questions. “Where will you live?”

Me: “I’m not sure yet.”

Aliyah man: “What will you do there?”

Me: “I don’t know. Work for a museum; go to school; work for a youth program; live on a kibbutz.”

Aliyah man: “Ehhh. hmm.”

So I guess I have a lot to figure out. A lot of plans and decisions to make. I’m not frightened yet, but I can sense feeling overwhelmed relatively soon. I asked about taking a Hebrew class here before leaving. The Aliyah man said the only option is online ulpan. I find that hard to believe since there are a ton of universities and synagogues here.

I hope I’m happy and in control and just able to speak Hebrew competently.

I think I’m going to take the plunge. I’m going to make aliyah. Not now. In a year or two. I love Israel and I’m so comfortable being there. It feels right. I believe in the necessity of a Jewish state and I believe I can contribute to it. I’m not afraid. I believe in the Zionist dream and I love and accept Israel for the mess of a reality it is.  IE Why does the Knesset think freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will move the peace process forward? Maybe it will boost Abbas in the Palestinians’ eyes, but won’t they only expect him to keep delivering their murderers back to them? These deals make Israel look weak. Israel should look peaceful but strong. That’s the right image.

Making aliyah is not an easy decision. It requires tremendous preparation and bravery. Building a life in a new country means finishing my education, getting a job and apartment and making new friends all in Israel. I won’t be starting completely from scratch, but it’s still an enormous undertaking; especially doing it alone. I’m still optimistic.

For now, I love California. I am excited to start my new job and spend time with my family.

I visited the Kotel the other day with a good friend of mine. I’m working on an Israeli advocacy program for teenagers and she’s working in Nablus with Palestinian youth who live in refugee camps. She helps run enrichment programs in health, art and computers for kids ages 7-17.  She calls her kids “change-makers.” I find much of what she says about Israeli-Palestinian relations and Israeli history troubling and riddled with lies. She’s been brainwashed to believe one narrative. And she would say the same thing about me.

We are both doing what we believe in. She grew up in USY in a liberal Conservative home; I grew up in NFTY in a traditional Reform household.  As a teenager she attended Seeds of Peace camp; I went to Jewish summer camp from the age of 8 to the age of 20. We were both raised on Zionism. We were both taught about the holocaust and told to never forget. We learned classic Zionist arguments and how the holocaust gave the cause a greater sense of urgency.

We both majored in Islamic studies. She studied abroad in Egypt and volunteered in Ramallah; I studied at the University of Haifa after high school and visited Israel whenever possible in college. Today I hope to make aliyah; she hopes to fulfill that dream for Palestinians, to give the Palestinians the right of return to Israel. That is unimaginable to me. She considers living in Egypt or Nablus.

I believe in the security barrier because it has kept thousands of terrorists out of Israel; she views this apartheid fence/wall as a weapon of destruction against Palestinian lands and villages.

I believe in a two-state solution; she believes in a one-state federation for Israelis and Palestinians. We both desire coexistence. Her vision would turn Israel into a Muslim state with terrorists running the government. A uniquely Palestinian state would allow Palestinians to develop an economy, infrastructure, neighborhoods, schools, security. It could also just be another violent Political Islamist state. Until Palestinians are united by something other than their hatred for Israel and Jews, they will never progress, and Israel will never have peace. My friend believes my vision is racist and hateful. I think I’m practical and scared, but occasionally hopeful.

Hand in hand we approached the wall. We became emotional and teared up as we caressed the Jerusalem stone. We are both committed Jews. We are taking two different paths that I know will continue to cross.

I was impressed by self-described “Arab-Israeli-Muslim-Palestinian” journalist Khalid Abu Toameh’s lecture last night. He came across as honest, well spoken and genuine. It was only tempered by the Hummer he drove to the event. He used to write for a PLO newspaper and for the last seven years he has covered Gaza and the West Bank for the Jerusalem Post. He compared the two experiences. Writing for the PLO meant he couldn’t write what he actually saw and heard, but instead was forced to print the PLO’s lies and canned statements. The Israeli media, he said, is open and free, and he is never told what he can and cannot write.

Toameh said he is not “pro” anything, in answer to a question about whether he is pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian. He said he cares only about the truth and the facts. Toameh sounded like an ethical journalist to me. His articles are well written, clear and objective.

While he was pretty pessimistic, saying there is zero chance for peace with either Hamas or Fatah, he restored some of my faith in journalism. With decent reporters like him in the crazy Middle Eastern field, I feel I can believe some of what is written.  

He made an excellent point, strongly criticizing the mainstream, international media for reducing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a David and Goliath story. Feeling sorry for the Palestinians is the tip of the iceberg. Yes, the people deserve our sympathy and to be treated with dignity and respect. But none of their leaders are legitimate or concerned with peace or Israel’s right to exist in safety. Israel has suffered a great deal from this conflict. This country is hardly a Goliath figure. Israel has offered the olive branch time and time again. Once democracy and civility are valued in the Palestinian territories, the violence will end and two states (or three?) can be achieved.

Israel’s latest trade with Hezbollah for the bodies of kidnapped IDF soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser has left a bitter taste in my mouth. When Hezbollah kidnapped the soldiers in 2006, a month-long war between Israel and the terrorist group in Southern Lebanon was ignited. Now that their bodies have been returned and buried at home, many say the families of these young men have closure. Judaism places the highest value on human life and saving a life, pikuach nefesh. While the IDF wasn’t able to save Regev and Goldwasser, the Israeli government showed honor and respect by buring them properly. Regev and Goldwasser were brought home to show other soldiers that Israel does not forget about any soldier. Your life is meaningful until the end and should be treated with dignity.

On the other hand, I’ve heard and read some Israelis question the price they just paid for a couple of dead bodies. Samir Kuntar, the Lebanese perpetrator of five despicable murders in Naharia in 1979, was let out of prison and returned to a hero’s welcome in Lebanon. Israel also gave back five Hezbollah terrorists and nearly 200 dead Palestinian and Hezbollah terrorists.

For the overall well being and mood of the country, was this trade a wise one? Now Hezbollah is asking Israel to free hundreds of their terrorists in exchange for one of Hezbollah’s remaining chips, kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is believed to still be alive. This trade was neither good nor bad; it was sheer madness. It has nothing to do with ending terrorism or building peace in the region. Totally undeserved, Hezbollah comes out looking like the clear winner. Israel should develop a policy on how to deal with kidnapped soldiers. How much is too much? How much does it value burying its sons and daughters in eretz yisrael?  There are no easy answers. The whole situation is troubling and deeply depressing.

I love Israel. I feel very attached to this land. This isn’t my first trip here, but it feels like  a different country in some ways. Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m living in a war zone. In order to visit the Kotel, the Western Wall, you have to walk through a metal detector and have your bag searched by an armed guard. This is nothing new. It’s been this way also at malls, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. for years. But I’m feeling much more aware of it now. Jerusalem seems militaristic and violent. The Kotel is always mobbed and many people there appear fanatical.  The women’s side is much smaller than the men’s, and the women pray quietly while the men dance and sing joyously. Women must cover their legs and shoulders in order to even enter the courtyard leading up to the wall. This wall, supposedly the holiest Jewish site in the world, is controlled with a heavy hand by ultra-orthodox Jews. I agree that everyone should feel comfortable (that means traditional Jews) at the kotel and other sites, but what about progressive or secular Jews who are made to feel like shameful prostitutes if they forget about the dress code? Another counselor on this program told the  teenagers-as they stared at the wall from a distance-that they are now at home. “This is your home. This is yours,” he said. The kotel feels foreign and strange every time I visit. Many of these teens are Reform and Conservative, a few are Modern Orthodox, and I’m glad that they all love visiting the kotel. They should.

We also visited a military base mere feet away from the border with Lebanon. We saw the marijuana plants that Hezbollah grows in Southern Lebanon. They stood in start contrast to the apple orchards in Israel just on the other side of the border. This visit made me feel very vulnerable and unsafe. Since Hezbollah terrorists dress up as farmers, we could have been staring at them and they were certainly staring at us. It was scary. I felt scared for  Israel. The soldiers at the base were between 18 and 20. They look young and old at the same time.

I’m again getting used to seeing M-16s slung over a young soldier’s back and military men carrying guns in their jean pockets. I believe in the IDF, its right to exist and its necessity. But the militaristic culture is damaging. Everyone here must have post-traumatic stress disorder. I used to be much more idealistic about Zionism and now I’m trying to open my eyes more to today’s reality.

I am extremely excited to leave for Israel in a few short hours. I am especially looking forward to experiencing Israel with a group of young people who have never visited before. Part of this program will be learning “how to be Israel advocates.” I’m not sure yet exactly what that will mean, but I’m pretty sure it will mean right-wing activists dispelling rumors of Israeli oppression and peaceful Palestinian activities. The trainings will probably foster love and total political support for Israel. It will teach the kids how to argue with pro-Palestinian students on their college campuses. I love Israel and I believe in Zionism, but I hope after we learn to be Israel advocates, we also learn to be peace advocates. I don’t think you have to choose between these two causes. I believe they’re one in the same. Peace is infinitely complicated and difficult to achieve, but there are isolated examples of coexistence in Israel. Villages like Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam give me hope. I don’t know what the terms should be for a two state solution, but I know we will have to sacrifice more to achieve it. Haven’t we sacrificed enough? Yes. But that attitude will only cause more deaths and more misery.  The Jews were promised the land of Israel, the land the Torah says is flowing with milk and honey. But the Jews were also promised peace and prosperity in this land. That is the dream we have yet to see take shape.