How many words have been spoken
or written about the Middle East, the existential concerns of the State of
Israel, and the hostile environment in which it exists? Israel is surrounded by
a sea of hostility and yet, is maligned the world over as everything from local
bully to racist state.
Modern Israel’s distraction,
since its formation, has been the neighborhood. Failed states, kingdoms,
caliphates, and Islamic republics, all unfriendly to Israel and ever unwilling to
send out the welcome wagon. The reverse is not true. Jews, Christians, Muslims,
Druze are all, and always have been, fully integrated citizens of Israel. Personal
rights and freedoms are much like Canada’s. Israel, for example, hosted World
Pride Day (same celebration Toronto just had) back in 2005.
Israel never seeks confrontation
but does firmly respond when attacked. Three teens went wandering where they
(arguably) shouldn’t have, were taken and killed. Israel mounted a police
action to warn against repetition. Sound fair? I think so. Hamas, in Gaza, saw this
as a signal to fire hundreds of deadly Iranian-made missiles into Israel thus
opening a Pandora’s Box. Israel commenced surgical strikes within Gaza to
eliminate launching sites purposefully placed in residential areas; to take out
Hamas leaders; to crush military-like action. That’s called protecting your
citizens. Palestinians, meanwhile, carry the bodies of their dead children,
whose blood is on their own hands, through the streets…they seek (and often obtain)
sympathy from less informed people around the world watching their ‘made-for-TV’
spectacle.
That isn’t the Jewish version of
what’s happening…it is, in fact, a now escalating situation. Add to that the
well-known actions of some Canadians who espouse more rights for Palestinians
through BDS (boycott-divest-sanction) resolutions to “end Israeli apartheid”
when there is verifiably no such thing. It all combines to make things
difficult for Israel and also for Canadians (Jews and others) who believe in her
legitimacy. My own view is that BDS is quite simply the new anti-Semitism! Take a look at this video from an American non-Jew...his take is interesting...
Canadian Jews are not like ex-pat
Greeks or Italians who can celebrate their country of origin by flying a flag
or supporting a soccer team. They are just strong Canadians who are happy that a
modern Israel exists. Israel is their country of origin - a very long
time ago, say 5000 years or so. In the last 100 years, Jewish immigrants kicked
or chased out of their own countries of birth, took a tiny piece of desert,
converted it to lush farmland, built world-class cities, created a business empire,
developed a cultural oasis, and live in a welcoming and successful, socially-integrated
country. All of this in an area where people ruled by terrorists and potentates
have little because their leaders fail to lead. Until the focus changes to one
of peaceful co-existence by instilling good values and the ethic of hard work
in their own backyard and in their youth, the cycle of violence will sadly
continue.
Peter
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