Anger and Frustration

The pictures of the attack in Itamar bring back the nightmares of the last round of violence during the uprising that started in the year 2000. Even then, people refused to realize the horror and intensity of the attacks. Many of these attacks were not even shown to the world, let alone our people.

Our Arab foes do not have courage, do not have honor, they never did, and who knows if they ever will. I am not being derogatory, simply factual. Arab terror prefers the weak, the unarmed as targets, and as shields. Do they not use schools and hospitals as staging grounds for attacks?

The rebellions in the Arab nations and their history prove these points, their own treatment of their own populations show us that, INCLUDING how they treat their brethren in Judea and Samaria.

This is what many of them are rebelling about!

What a fitting end to Israel Apartheid Week, by showing the world who gets hailed as a hero in the Arab world, just as these heinous celebrations in Gaza, Ramallah, Nablus and other places prove. Their leaders hesitate to condemn this attack or do so while explaining how it is “understandable” and these same Arab leaders are the same people our own weak minded, misdirected, deceived youth in college campuses flock to. These are the new heroes of so-called “Liberal thinkers”, these are the people who get invited to so many Jewish events, and these are the speakers at J STREET and other and ignorant and self hating organizations.

My own personal frustration regarding this particular attack comes from my own experience in the Security world. I watch the outpouring of hearts from around the world to bond with the remaining members of this dear family. The majority of the Jewish world is crying, and giant efforts are being made to assist the family in any need they may have.

WHAT ABOUT PREVENTING ATTACKS LIKE THESE?

Why do we only wake up when we are victims, why will we only see major efforts being made then?

Of course we come across those who say, Jews shouldn’t be there, then this would not have happened… really? Has terror against Israel only started in 1967? Has it only been limited to Judea and Samaria? All of this is ONLY because we are in our historic homeland? How ignorant can someone be?

I know, VERY ignorant.

I am frustrated and angry because I have worked years at trying to convince our own that we must protect our people, we must defend and fight against our enemies, just like anyone else in this world!

The concept of Jews defending themselves and standing up to their enemies is still relatively foreign to many outside of Israel, even to a few inside of Israel.

Defense and Strength are multi dimensional, and each side must be addressed and dealt with. Standing up to Politicians, Hate groups, wrongful legislatures are only a few of the dimensions. Building, populating, LIVING are more, and my realm; Security is another.

I am frustrated that we act only “after” and not “before”. Why do most people not realize that the point is to PREVENT and STOP terror attacks against us?

We have proven to the world that we excel at being victims, our Arab neighbors have even jumped on the bandwagon, they figure it worked for the Jews, “why not us?” Except in this case they have duped an entire generation and world from seeing just who is really victimizing whom, these Arab leaders have hidden themselves from the world and their own people’s eyes. They have portrayed the Jews and Israel as enemies (for years and generations) to veer attention away from their own despicable acts against their own and humanity.

As parents we try to safeguard our children, we do whatever necessary and then some. We take precautions regarding our property and watching over those dear to us. We try to prevent problems from occurring, we are considered wise and “sharp” if we have the insight to foresee possible problems and act in a pro-active manner.

Shouldn’t it be the same in how we act towards our people in Israel?

I know standing up and defending yourself and people is not for everyone, I know fighting back against terror doesn’t speak to most. Many people feel easier comforting victims or the hurt. Many even prefer this.

I would like to prevent more of our people from becoming victims… I would like to stop the hurt. I would like to fund projects that may prevent attacks from occurring and watch children grow, marry, and become parents. I know, many of you are saying, “he’s a dreamer.”

No I am not a dreamer, I “hang” with a bunch of people (and majority of a country) who feel and act the same way, I also know that many of you reading this feel the same way.

We can make this happen. Lets make this happen!

Chesed (Kindness) has always been known as a Jewish characteristic,

Gevorah (strength) is also.

No More Jewish Victims!

A Rant

Defend, defend, and defend! Stand up for Israel! Israel advocacy etc. etc. and etc. Prevent world isolation, it goes on and on and on and on.

It’s gotten that you can’t walk down the street without stepping in it.

How do we fight back? We try to prove how nice we are, how good we are, what we have done for the world, for society… We support the downtrodden, the underdog, the weak.

Guess what, no one cares!

This is not a contest between who has done more, or who is right or wrong!

It’s not about occupying land or people, (if it was Jordan would have been renamed by now).

It is not a popularity contest.

It is about bringing change to the State of Israel, and that change is to either to erase it, cease its’ identity as a Jewish state or to remain a Strong Independent Jewish State in the Land of Israel.

That’s it, no more, no less. Not a paranoid statement, not theory or theology, not political jargon, just reiterating what our Arab neighbors and Arab residents of Judea and Samaria have been saying all along (mostly in Arabic, so much gets lost in translation).

With a sea of change and turmoil going on around us, there are calls, demands for Israel to act now and immediate to come to a “Peace” agreement. I ask is it wise to purchase an apartment from someone who isn’t the owner?

Enough with trying to prove who is nicer…

Having Jewish kids abused on US college campuses, Pro Israel Jews afraid to speak their views in their own synagogues, defending the only real democracy in the Middle East, making excuses for defending our lives and the lives of our loved ones, it is enough!

Time to take the ball into the other court!

Let the Arabs defend against the wholesale murder of their own people (daily)!

Let the Arabs defend against mass Human Rights abuse.

Let the Arabs explain the lack of women’s rights (and so many other rights) in their society.

Let the Arabs explain their specialty and habit of targeting civilian populations.

Let the Arabs explain why they continue to teach their children that Israel is to be wiped off the map and why it is ok to kill Jews.

Let the Arabs explain why they refuse to let Jews live among them.

Let the Arabs explain that and so much more.

Let the supporters of these Arabs explain why they support everything that goes against their own philosophies or are they just biased against Israel?

No more, it is time for THEM to explain, and it is time for our own Jewish people to wise up and fight back.

We can’t make the “world” like us as long as the “world” is afraid.

Time to be strong. If someone has to defend themselves, it is the Arabs and the Muslims, not us.

Better late than never.

Taking Back Zionism…that’s what the party was called. It was put on by Birthright Israel Alumni in the beginning of February in New York. The party and the concept sound great!

"[W]e have handed over the word [Zionism] to those who attack and distort it." ~ Rebecca Sugar, Birthright Alumni Director on February 1, 2011.

"Contemporary discourse seeks to narrowly define Zionism and attack it by limiting its scope," campaign organizers wrote on the website. "We refuse to accept others' definitions and misrepresentations. We seek to Take Back Zionism and define it in our own terms, as a young generation who loves Israel."

Wow! Them’s fightin’ words! I have some questions first… Who took Zionism away from you? Who did you hand it to and why?

The way I understand part of the statement is that there is a wish to make Jews Zionists again and redefine it into terms for a younger generation who do not know what Zionism is and who loves Israel.

Again…wow! Shai Baitel (Bet El?) defined it nicely; “Zionism is the legitimate aspiration of the Jewish people to live in peace in their own country. At the beginning it was an almost romantic but pained longing for Zion, for Jerusalem and today it is the continuing effort to building the future of Israel. People from all walks of life and political convictions came together to work on the Jewish national project. Zionism was the national project, the impetus, the driving force to create the State of Israel.”

I don’t know about anyone else, but that seems to provide and understandable and appropriate definition to me, and probably to most others who believe in the Jewish State of Israel.

I agree that this meaning has been lost to so many, and the concept is foreign to many Jews outside of Israel -and even to some in Israel. So if there is a redefinition needed, this is going to take some serious R&D, especially regarding Israel and the Jewish people today.

Those who “attack and distort” Zionism today include pretty much all of the Arab nations and the majority of the Arab people, much of the Muslim population of the world, the majority of Europeans, many others and I am sorry to say, many Jewish people today.

It is obvious Birthright wishes to connect Jews once again with Israel, especially now with the majority of the world rising up against Israel, havoc breaking loose among Israels’ neighbors, and anti-Jewish remarks becoming the norm to come out of Hollywood.

That is quite the challenge: to take back Zionism, redefine it, and make it acceptable to the “young generation”.

I think I can save some time in the process…no need to redefine it; it works, always has.

In my travels and various speaking events among the different walks of the diverse Jewish community, both young, old, and in between, I have seen how Zionism was not given away, but was stolen away. By using the tools of deceit and manipulation, this once cherished value of mainstream Judaism was disguised, distorted and eventually morphed into the limited and faint dream it is today.

I call Birthright as my first witness… Birthright trips do not even attempt to go the historical sites of the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria, our heartland no less. Citing politics as the reason, sometimes throwing in the “danger” card, this wonderful organization has been an accomplice to the same crime they wish to amend. They have helped accommodate a physical and mental “Disengagement” from Jewish heritage and history. The derogatory and wrongful use of the term “Settler” has been applied to all of those living beyond the “Green Line”.

Playing into the hands of political parties and enemies who oppose the existence of the State of Israel, Birthright, despite its good and noble intentions, has helped distort “Zionism” today.

Various Mainstream Jewish Religious “Leaders”… have decided that if Jews are not “Orthodox” then they should be on the “Left Wing” of Israeli politics, and have kept their flocks from visiting and experiencing the places that are part of who we are today. Events and Itineraries have been manipulated into a podium for those who only share a one-sided, often biased outlook regarding our connection to the Land of Israel.

So many non-Orthodox Jews today feel that they are a minority if they support a Jewish presence or right to live in Judea and Samaria, or the meaningful Zionism mentioned above. Despite that, there are still many strong Zionist Jews in these congregations. Many of their leaders have adopted a post-Zionist approach and side now with the likes of J-Street, Meretz and other similar groups. The list can go on and on. It's far from what Camp Ramah and USY used to teach.

Yes, BirthRight Israel, take back Zionism, but also stop letting it get stolen from you, stop letting it be kept from you, open your eyes, it is right in front of you, it has not changed, insist on seeing your history, your heritage the next time you are in Israel. Zionism is alive and well.

Chazak v’Ametz (Strength and Courage)!

If you need, I would be honored to assist. I’m listed….