Posted in Hezbollah, Islam, Judaism, Peace, Society on Jul 26th, 2006
One problem that lies at the base of this conflict is that Israel wants to be loved.
Of course, most democratic countries want to be loved. I come from a country that is often accused of wanting to be loved too much – at least as individuals.
It’s all about wanting to be a good neighbor. And, Israel has wanted to be a good neighbor from the very beginning. In the late 1800s, when the first Jewish settlements took root in the Middle East, they brought modern medicine, sanitation, education, etc. And, because of who and what they were, they shared with their Arab neighbors.
One problem that lies at the base of this conflict is that Israel wants to be loved.
Of course, most democratic countries want to be loved. I come from a country that is often accused of wanting to be loved too much – at least as individuals.
It’s all about wanting to be a good neighbor. And, Israel has wanted to be a good neighbor from the very beginning. In the late 1800s, when the first Jewish settlements took root in the Middle East, they brought modern medicine, sanitation, education, etc. And, because of who and what they were, they shared with their Arab neighbors.
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Posted in Islam, Media, Peace, Society on Jul 25th, 2006
Listening to the BBC yesterday was painful.
Generally, listening to the BBC is infuriating, but that day was a painful one.
As you can imagine, the reporting was all about the battle between Hizbullah and Israel. It’s bad on both sides, and the BBC was reporting on HOW bad.
Most of the way through their reporting, I was furious at the BBC’s stilted view – as usual. That is, before they talked to a man and woman in Kfar Saba – Anat and somebody else (I’ll call him Yosi).
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This is a preview of
How Can Israelis Think Any Differently?
.
Read the full post (369 words, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)Listening to the BBC yesterday was painful.
Generally, listening to the BBC is infuriating, but that day was a painful one.
As you can imagine, the reporting was all about the battle between Hizbullah and Israel. It’s bad on both sides, and the BBC was reporting on HOW bad.
Most of the way through their reporting, I was furious at the BBC’s stilted view – as usual. That is, before they talked to a man and woman in Kfar Saba – Anat and somebody else (I’ll call him Yosi).
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This is a preview of
How Can Israelis Think Any Differently?
.
Read the full post (369 words, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)Read Full Post »
Posted in Hezbollah, Judaism, Lebanon, Media, Society on Jul 24th, 2006
Because of the unique nature of Judaism, it can be hard to know who is Jewish, and who is not. That’s why it is impossible to live here for any length of time without hearing the age-old discussion: Who is a Jew?
It’s a question. It’s a topic for discussion. It’s often even an agonizing dilemna. And, there are times in Jewish/Israeli history when the question of Who is a Jew is a truly painful subject.
Not being a Jew myself, I watch this struggle from the sidelines – and it’s a privileged position that allows me to view the soul-searching of the Jewish people. And, there’s a lot of that going on.
Because of the unique nature of Judaism, it can be hard to know who is Jewish, and who is not. That’s why it is impossible to live here for any length of time without hearing the age-old discussion: Who is a Jew?
It’s a question. It’s a topic for discussion. It’s often even an agonizing dilemna. And, there are times in Jewish/Israeli history when the question of Who is a Jew is a truly painful subject.
Not being a Jew myself, I watch this struggle from the sidelines – and it’s a privileged position that allows me to view the soul-searching of the Jewish people. And, there’s a lot of that going on.
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Posted in Hezbollah, Lebanon on Jul 23rd, 2006
I have a question for the rest of the world. Just one.
Not big.
A few words and a question mark. It can’t be too hard, right?
(No. NO. That wasn’t the question.)
When the current conflict began, the head of the Israeli armed forces met with the Minister of Defense to discuss their plans for dealing with the situation.
Plan A continued Israel’s policy of restraint. Conscious of the need to preserve innocent life, Israel has consistently avoided targeting civilian areas. Only when they could use precision weapons, have they fired on targets among the civilian population.
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This is a preview of
How Many of Those Civilians in Southern Lebanon are Really Civilians?
.
Read the full post (385 words, estimated 1:32 mins reading time)I have a question for the rest of the world. Just one.
Not big.
A few words and a question mark. It can’t be too hard, right?
(No. NO. That wasn’t the question.)
When the current conflict began, the head of the Israeli armed forces met with the Minister of Defense to discuss their plans for dealing with the situation.
Plan A continued Israel’s policy of restraint. Conscious of the need to preserve innocent life, Israel has consistently avoided targeting civilian areas. Only when they could use precision weapons, have they fired on targets among the civilian population.
----------------
This is a preview of
How Many of Those Civilians in Southern Lebanon are Really Civilians?
.
Read the full post (385 words, estimated 1:32 mins reading time)Read Full Post »
Posted in Economy, Society, Terrorism on Jul 21st, 2006
People routinely think that Israel gets off easy in conflicts like this. They think that the lower body count on the Israel side of the border is the end of the story.
It’s not – and Hizbollah knows this.
This is a much bigger story than can fit in a single blog entry, so I’ll talk about just one small aspect: Foreign Direct Investment.
Israel is a great place to set up a high tech company. The talent here is amazing.
But, if missiles are raining down on Northern and Central Israel, do you think that anyone is going to want to set up a company in such an area?
People routinely think that Israel gets off easy in conflicts like this. They think that the lower body count on the Israel side of the border is the end of the story.
It’s not – and Hizbollah knows this.
This is a much bigger story than can fit in a single blog entry, so I’ll talk about just one small aspect: Foreign Direct Investment.
Israel is a great place to set up a high tech company. The talent here is amazing.
But, if missiles are raining down on Northern and Central Israel, do you think that anyone is going to want to set up a company in such an area?
Read Full Post »