Today at sundown Israeli Independance Day begins (it is celebrated according to Jewish calender and therefore the date according to Western calender changes from year to year). Let me remind some facts:
In 1947 UN resolution proposing division of land between Jews and Arabs and creating two-state solution was rejected by Arabs (it has offered very small piece of land to Jews still they were so desperate to have their homeland that they have accepted, despite the doubts, Arab wanted it all). There were also 3 resolutions dealing with the future fate of Jerusalem - all proposing putting it under international supervision - one was proposed by Guatemala, one by Australia, one by the USA. All three were rejected by Arabs who insisted on Jerusalem being exclusively Arab despite her having Jewish majority and being the holiest site of Judaism (same as Mekka to Muslims).
On May 14th 1948 British troops left former British mandate forever.
On May 13th the desperate battle was lead in Kfar Etzion, little settlement attacked by Arab Legion. The battle (lost by Jews) was followed by the massacre of civilians and mutilating their bodies. None survived.
14th of May was Friday. As the next day, the first one after British mandate time, was Shabbat, the declaration of independance had to be draft and declared on the afternoon of the 14th as some of the officials who were to sign it were observant and objected to signing it on Saturday. The declaration started with preambule, went through historic stages of creating new state and than went to "declare the establishment of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel, to be known as the State of Israel".
The Declaration of Independance continued with assurance that Israel will be open for "the ingathering of the exiles", she would be based on "freedom, justice and peace, as envisaged by the prophets of Israel", she would foster the development of the country "for the benefit of all inhabitants", she would ensure "complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhibitants, irrespective of religion, race or sex". (it was 1948, 20 years before the movement of Martin Luther King and just after the non-violent movement of Mahatma Gandhi)
It declared faithfullness to the Charter of UN (that Israel was not a member yet, obviously), and appealed to the Arabs of Israel (with still undefined borders) to "preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship". The declaration ended with an appeal to the Jewish people around the world "to rally round the Jews of the Land of Israel in the task of immigration and upbuilding, and to stand by them in the great struggle for the realisation of the age-old dream - the redemption of Israel".
Israel stayed faithful to this declaration - all the citizens, irrespectively of race, faith (or the lack of one), sex or ethnicity have the same rights. All can vote and be voted for, all can apply for the civil duty jobs etc. Just to remind (at the time when it is OK for president Abbas to declare that he wants Judenrein Palestine but many accuse Israel to be aparthaid state) - Israeli Arabs held places in Knesset, Christian places of worship are for the most part exteritorial and under the supervision of church authorities, the Supreme Court that sentenced former president Katsav for rape consisted of Arab president and 2 women judges, 20% students at Haifa university are Arabs and so on.
What also is very special, is the craving for the very own state. When the future USA first drafted Declaration of Independence it was not about UK and fighting with it - it was about craving for the new state and laying down its principles. Whem after IWW and 130 years of non-existance Poland was re-created the small constitution was about future state; when the referendum in Ireland took place in 1918 it was about creating new state - it wasn't about fighting with UK, it was joy from gaining independance. When India was declared it was again - joy for the new, finally independent country. When president Mandela stepped out of jail and later into office he looked into future and not into revange, into building the future for all, better future in South Africa. Every nation that wants their state more than destruction of the neighbours, want to work, fight (but only if necessary and under attack), live and improve their state deserves one.
Israel is wonderful, democratic country, with problems - as any others - but with the right vision.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISRAEL!!!
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Monday, 23 April 2012
Some stories from the (future) IAF
Israel at the moment is considered to be one of the countries with the best military forces and there are very good reason to say so. Unfortunately this is the result of constantly having to defend the country and her citizens against attacks, so this great result that Israel may be proud of comes as a response to great threat.
The beginning of this army goes back to the time before even Israel was created. Starting in late XIX century and intensifying through the time attacks on Jews in Ottoman Empire and British Mandate Palestine made it necessary for Jews to defend and protect themselves.
The war of independance oficially started with the declaration of independance on 14 May 1948, but the actual war between Jews and Arabs has started before that and was already intensive before British troops left.
I would like to recall few incidents from around this time connected to the beginnings of the future Israeli Air Force. They very well illustrate how desperation the situation of Jewish civilians was and how determined they were to keep their newly gained home, the only one they had, right after the Holocaust.
The first story goes back to February 1948, 3 months before actual creation of the State of Israel. At the time there was no official Jewish armed forces, British troops were still trying to discover any trace of weapons in Jewish settlements and the level of violance from Arab neighbours was on the raise - in fact undeclared war was already in progress. On January 10, Arab Liberation Army attacked Kfar Szold (right by the border with Syria) - 900 Arab soldiers attacked less than 100 Jewish settlers by the later were helped by British armoured unit. When later British officially complained to Syrian PM they have been told that "Soon Arab armies will teach the Jews a lesson they will never forget".
So here we are in February, there are no planes in British mandate except few sport or commercial small ones. Arab attackers have cut off the lonely settlement of Nevatim on Negev desert. The nearest settlement was Beit Eshel, 5 miles away. From there the pilot, Pinhas Ben-Porat, of small Piper Cub airplane took off and flied to Nevatim with volunteer gunman and some hand grenades. As the light sport-plane was obviously not meant to take part in any kind of military operation they could only either throw grenades by hand or shoot at the sides (shooting to the front or back would have demaged the plane). The settlers from Beit Eshel helped to push the plane enabling it to take off. They succeeded in scaring away Arab attackers for a time, landing by Nevatim settlement and evacuating two wounded (on a stretcher, through barbed wire) leaving gunman behind. The plane landed at Beit Eshel and after delivering first aid to the wounded it took them to Tel-Aviv to get the proper medical attention. The plane was back in Lodda airstrip 3 hours after it has taken off without anybody from British authorities realising it went missing. Few days later Arabs complained to British that Red Army plane has been used by Zionists in Nevatim. The complaint was ascribed by British to "fertile oriental imagination".
By the end of March 1948 only 2 Piper Cubs were maintaining any contact with northern and southern settlements along coastal highway. They were delivering minimal supplies and newspapers from which the settlers could follow the course of the war.
On the day the independance was declared 3 Egyptian planes bombed Tel-Aviv and devastated its airfield creating damages in Spitfires left by British behind as scrap, together with little Austers, the outdated sport-planes, they were the only ones owned by newborn Israel at the time. John Barrard, overseas volunteer recolled: "In any other airforce those planes would have been written-off. But there was no choice. They were painstakingly restored, parts made or cannibalized and they flew again."
The next planes to arrive were Messerschmitts bought from Czechoslovakia in 1948. It is some kind of irony that those (already outdated) German planes, that in the Battle for Britain were delivering so hard blows to RAF were now employed by the nation most horribly harmed by the country where they were manufactured. The engines in them were too heavy and additional propeller had to be installed which seriously deminished the capability of shooting, still they were widely used and still canb be seen in IAF museum at Hatzerim near Beer Sheba.
After these hard beginnings came years of wonderful development and many successes. However the very place where the museum is is in the range of missiles fired from Gaza and has to have shelters (not just for show but for used) and antimissile battery. It makes the message being carried by the museum and history of early IAF even more powerful for contemporary visitors.
The beginning of this army goes back to the time before even Israel was created. Starting in late XIX century and intensifying through the time attacks on Jews in Ottoman Empire and British Mandate Palestine made it necessary for Jews to defend and protect themselves.
The war of independance oficially started with the declaration of independance on 14 May 1948, but the actual war between Jews and Arabs has started before that and was already intensive before British troops left.
I would like to recall few incidents from around this time connected to the beginnings of the future Israeli Air Force. They very well illustrate how desperation the situation of Jewish civilians was and how determined they were to keep their newly gained home, the only one they had, right after the Holocaust.
The first story goes back to February 1948, 3 months before actual creation of the State of Israel. At the time there was no official Jewish armed forces, British troops were still trying to discover any trace of weapons in Jewish settlements and the level of violance from Arab neighbours was on the raise - in fact undeclared war was already in progress. On January 10, Arab Liberation Army attacked Kfar Szold (right by the border with Syria) - 900 Arab soldiers attacked less than 100 Jewish settlers by the later were helped by British armoured unit. When later British officially complained to Syrian PM they have been told that "Soon Arab armies will teach the Jews a lesson they will never forget".
So here we are in February, there are no planes in British mandate except few sport or commercial small ones. Arab attackers have cut off the lonely settlement of Nevatim on Negev desert. The nearest settlement was Beit Eshel, 5 miles away. From there the pilot, Pinhas Ben-Porat, of small Piper Cub airplane took off and flied to Nevatim with volunteer gunman and some hand grenades. As the light sport-plane was obviously not meant to take part in any kind of military operation they could only either throw grenades by hand or shoot at the sides (shooting to the front or back would have demaged the plane). The settlers from Beit Eshel helped to push the plane enabling it to take off. They succeeded in scaring away Arab attackers for a time, landing by Nevatim settlement and evacuating two wounded (on a stretcher, through barbed wire) leaving gunman behind. The plane landed at Beit Eshel and after delivering first aid to the wounded it took them to Tel-Aviv to get the proper medical attention. The plane was back in Lodda airstrip 3 hours after it has taken off without anybody from British authorities realising it went missing. Few days later Arabs complained to British that Red Army plane has been used by Zionists in Nevatim. The complaint was ascribed by British to "fertile oriental imagination".
By the end of March 1948 only 2 Piper Cubs were maintaining any contact with northern and southern settlements along coastal highway. They were delivering minimal supplies and newspapers from which the settlers could follow the course of the war.
On the day the independance was declared 3 Egyptian planes bombed Tel-Aviv and devastated its airfield creating damages in Spitfires left by British behind as scrap, together with little Austers, the outdated sport-planes, they were the only ones owned by newborn Israel at the time. John Barrard, overseas volunteer recolled: "In any other airforce those planes would have been written-off. But there was no choice. They were painstakingly restored, parts made or cannibalized and they flew again."
The next planes to arrive were Messerschmitts bought from Czechoslovakia in 1948. It is some kind of irony that those (already outdated) German planes, that in the Battle for Britain were delivering so hard blows to RAF were now employed by the nation most horribly harmed by the country where they were manufactured. The engines in them were too heavy and additional propeller had to be installed which seriously deminished the capability of shooting, still they were widely used and still canb be seen in IAF museum at Hatzerim near Beer Sheba.
After these hard beginnings came years of wonderful development and many successes. However the very place where the museum is is in the range of missiles fired from Gaza and has to have shelters (not just for show but for used) and antimissile battery. It makes the message being carried by the museum and history of early IAF even more powerful for contemporary visitors.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom Ha-Shoah)
Tomorrow (or in fact today at sundown as the new day in Hebrew calender starts at sundown) there will be celebrated The Holocaust Memorial Day, selected by Knesset on 12 April 1951. It is after Passover but falls during the time of uprising in the Warsaw ghetto. This day commemorates all victims of Shoah who perished during WWII. In Israel the siren will sound and the traffic (motorized and pedestrian alike) will cease for 2 minutes. Everybody will stand still to honor those murdered just for being Jews.
Shoah (Holocaust) should never be forgotten. It is a lesson in history but it is also a lesson for today and tomorrow. Humans are capable of utmost good and utmost evil and horror. We should never forget where the evil part of human nature can lead and how the silent majority can be co-guilty of negligence.
The horrors of Nazis towards Jews are well known (or so I should hope) - including humiliating law, degradation, deprivation of dignity, taming public opinion with future horrors, propagating lies about Jewish people leading to unbelievable horror of murdering millions, in a very well organized way. What I would like to remind today is that part of what happened happened because the world (with notable and nobel exceptions) kept silent. People might not believe but they also didn't want to believe, didn't want to see the truth, didn't want to get engaged, didn't want to identify with those who were being helpless, driven to despair, who were being murdered.
I would like to share with you one very personal experience: when I was for the first time in Yad Vashem in the children hall in the garden where the mirrors reflect single light turning it into millions and the voice repeats names and age of all children who perished in Shoah (it takes over 3 years of constant talk to say all those names) my son was 5. He was not with me neither in Yad Vashem (obviously, he was way to small) nor in Israel. He stayed at the time with my husband at home. When I walked through the dark room with millions of reflections listening to names of the children who were murdered in Holocaust, 2 or 3 of those mentioned while I was ther having been 5 years old while murdered, I had this feeling of panic. For one and only (so far) time I was so afraid for my son without slightest reason. I had the urge (very hard to combat though I succeed) to grab a phone and call my husband, make sure our son was well, was alive.... It was quite few years ago but this was the moment I will never forget.
Finally I would like to share few pieces written by those and about those who perished.
Primo Levi, 24 years old Jew from Turin was one of those taken to Auschwitz. Here are his words about arriving there: "The door opened with a crash, and the dark echoed with outlandish orders in that curt, barbaric barking of Germans in command which seems to give vent to millennial anger.... In less than 10 minutes all the fit men had been collected together in a group. What happened to the others, to the women, to the children, to the old men, we could establish neither then nor later: The night swallowed them up, purely and simply. Today, however, we know... that of our convoy no more than ninety-six men and twenty-nine women entered the respective camps of Monowitz-Buna and Birkenau, and that of all the others, more than five hundred in number, not one was living two days later."
Well known Anne Frank, Dutch Jew, wrote by the end of her diary: "I have only one hope (...) That this anti-Semitism is just a passing thing, that the Dutch will show their true colors, that they will never waver from what they know in their hearts to be just, for this is unjust!" Soon afterwards she was denunciated, deported, separated from other family members, murdered and burried in common grave never to be found.
Slovakian Jew Tomi Reichental, survivor living for many years in Ireland and author of the book "I was a boy in Belsen" writes about camp latrine: "In the early days I used to wonder about the "dolls" in the latrines, their naked, glazed limbs and empty staring eyes. I was bewildered by such wanton carelessness. How I wish I had some of my toys with me (...) And then I realised I was mistaken: they weren't dolls at all. (...) None of these newborns survived. Their malnourished mothers had no milk for them, so invariably they didn't last beyond a day or two, whereupon their tiny corpses ended up in the latrine."
Holocaust Memorial Day. Even if we won't stand for 2 minutes to honor those that perished we have to remember. We have to stand for children of survivors, to prevent denying what happened, we have to remember so that the words "NEVER AGAIN" will not be just a slogan but our bearing witness and preventing such a horror from ever happening again.
And here is this year's winning placate from Yad Vashem Institute for Yom Ha Shoah
where are you?
Shoah (Holocaust) should never be forgotten. It is a lesson in history but it is also a lesson for today and tomorrow. Humans are capable of utmost good and utmost evil and horror. We should never forget where the evil part of human nature can lead and how the silent majority can be co-guilty of negligence.
The horrors of Nazis towards Jews are well known (or so I should hope) - including humiliating law, degradation, deprivation of dignity, taming public opinion with future horrors, propagating lies about Jewish people leading to unbelievable horror of murdering millions, in a very well organized way. What I would like to remind today is that part of what happened happened because the world (with notable and nobel exceptions) kept silent. People might not believe but they also didn't want to believe, didn't want to see the truth, didn't want to get engaged, didn't want to identify with those who were being helpless, driven to despair, who were being murdered.
I would like to share with you one very personal experience: when I was for the first time in Yad Vashem in the children hall in the garden where the mirrors reflect single light turning it into millions and the voice repeats names and age of all children who perished in Shoah (it takes over 3 years of constant talk to say all those names) my son was 5. He was not with me neither in Yad Vashem (obviously, he was way to small) nor in Israel. He stayed at the time with my husband at home. When I walked through the dark room with millions of reflections listening to names of the children who were murdered in Holocaust, 2 or 3 of those mentioned while I was ther having been 5 years old while murdered, I had this feeling of panic. For one and only (so far) time I was so afraid for my son without slightest reason. I had the urge (very hard to combat though I succeed) to grab a phone and call my husband, make sure our son was well, was alive.... It was quite few years ago but this was the moment I will never forget.
Finally I would like to share few pieces written by those and about those who perished.
Primo Levi, 24 years old Jew from Turin was one of those taken to Auschwitz. Here are his words about arriving there: "The door opened with a crash, and the dark echoed with outlandish orders in that curt, barbaric barking of Germans in command which seems to give vent to millennial anger.... In less than 10 minutes all the fit men had been collected together in a group. What happened to the others, to the women, to the children, to the old men, we could establish neither then nor later: The night swallowed them up, purely and simply. Today, however, we know... that of our convoy no more than ninety-six men and twenty-nine women entered the respective camps of Monowitz-Buna and Birkenau, and that of all the others, more than five hundred in number, not one was living two days later."
Well known Anne Frank, Dutch Jew, wrote by the end of her diary: "I have only one hope (...) That this anti-Semitism is just a passing thing, that the Dutch will show their true colors, that they will never waver from what they know in their hearts to be just, for this is unjust!" Soon afterwards she was denunciated, deported, separated from other family members, murdered and burried in common grave never to be found.
Slovakian Jew Tomi Reichental, survivor living for many years in Ireland and author of the book "I was a boy in Belsen" writes about camp latrine: "In the early days I used to wonder about the "dolls" in the latrines, their naked, glazed limbs and empty staring eyes. I was bewildered by such wanton carelessness. How I wish I had some of my toys with me (...) And then I realised I was mistaken: they weren't dolls at all. (...) None of these newborns survived. Their malnourished mothers had no milk for them, so invariably they didn't last beyond a day or two, whereupon their tiny corpses ended up in the latrine."
Holocaust Memorial Day. Even if we won't stand for 2 minutes to honor those that perished we have to remember. We have to stand for children of survivors, to prevent denying what happened, we have to remember so that the words "NEVER AGAIN" will not be just a slogan but our bearing witness and preventing such a horror from ever happening again.
And here is this year's winning placate from Yad Vashem Institute for Yom Ha Shoah
where are you?
Monday, 16 April 2012
The greatest commandment
There are number of ways in which rabbis teach their diciples. Most are connected with quoting and interpreting Scriptures. Juses, as other rabbis, was using those methods. One, included in so called "Seven Rules of Hillel" is called gezerah shavah (a comparision of equals) and allows to connect verses and passages in the Scripture if they share the same word - in this way Scripture can be used to interpret another piece of Scripture.
When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment he answered:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22: 36-39)
It is the brilliant example of applying this rule. The first commandment "Love the Lord your God..." is taken from Deuteronomy 6:5 and is part of the most important Jewish prayer "Shema Israel..." that for sure Jesus and His disciples were praying twice daily. The second part comes from Leviticus 19:18. Both share the same Hebrew word ve'ahavta (and you shall love). Thus here we can see the applying in teaching by Jesus the rabinical rules of Hillel.
When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment he answered:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22: 36-39)
It is the brilliant example of applying this rule. The first commandment "Love the Lord your God..." is taken from Deuteronomy 6:5 and is part of the most important Jewish prayer "Shema Israel..." that for sure Jesus and His disciples were praying twice daily. The second part comes from Leviticus 19:18. Both share the same Hebrew word ve'ahavta (and you shall love). Thus here we can see the applying in teaching by Jesus the rabinical rules of Hillel.
Friday, 13 April 2012
Jewish refugees of Arab-Israeli conflict
Historically, there was an exchange of populations in the Middle East
and the number of displaced Jews exceeds the number of Palestinian
Arab refugees. Most of the Jews were expelled as a result of an open
policy of anti-Semitic incitement and even ethnic cleansing. However,
unlike the Arab refugees, the Jews who fled are a forgotten case
because of a combination of international cynicism and domestic
Israeli suppression of the subject. The Palestinians are the only group
of refugees out of the more than one hundred million who were
displaced after World War II who have a special UN agency that,
according to its mandate, cannot but perpetuate their tragedy. An
open debate about the exodus of the Jews is critical for countering
the Palestinian demand for the "right of return" and will require a
more objective scrutiny of the myths about the origins of the Arab-
Israeli conflict.
The story of Arab refugees of Israeli-Arab conflict is widely heard of (though some details are not particularly well known). The story of Jewish refugees of the same conflict is nearly not known. There are many myths about refugees of this conflict and some of them are very powerful. So I would like to give some facts. I will try to comment as little as possible. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but there has to be regard for truth. And in this particular story truth has been often victim of politics, local conflicts, presumptions and so on.
1. In 1947 between 900,000 and 1,000,000 Jews lived in Arab countries. Some of these communities were 2,500 years old. Many dated back to Roman and Byzantine times. Others, specially in Northern Africa, were created after expultion of Jews from Spain in 1492. After UN partition resolution (rejected by Arabs) and specially after the creation of Israel these people have been expelled from their homes and forced to leave, quite often with no possessions at all. At the present moment in all Arab countries there is less than 10,000 Jews and it is disappearing minority.
2. There were pushing and pulling factors in this huge exodus of Jewish people from Arab countries. The pulling factor for many was yearning for living in their own country or simply living in a country not hostile to them (many left to the USA or Australia). Pushing factor were much more sinister. Following the Partition Plan, Arab governments started confiscating Jewish property. Simultaneously riots and massacres broke out against the Jewish communities throughout the Arab world. Jewish-owned stores and synagogues were looted and burned, hundreds of Jews were killed and thousands were imprisoned. As Israel was established as an independent state in May 1948, the Arab League Political Committee convened and drafted a series of recommendations for all Arab and Muslim countries on how to take action against the Jews in their countries. Among other recommendations, the citizenship of Jews was revoked, and they were henceforth considered citizens only of the newly established Jewish state. Their assets were confiscated, their bank accounts frozen, and property worth millions of dollars nationalized. Jews were barred from government ministries, their entry in to the civil service was severely restricted, and many lost their means of livelihood.
3. The plight of refugees at the beginning of this two-way exodus was much harsher for Jewish refugees. They quite often were forced to leave with nothing left, many times after the period of imprisonment and persecution in the country they were leaving. Arab refugees for most part left of their free will when 5 armies attacked Israel the day after she was created. They were promised that in few weeks when "the problem of Zionist state will be addressed" they will be free to come back. Of course there were some who were forced out but they were able to leave with whatever they could carry. Generally the ratio of refugees was 2:3 with more Jewish ones.
4. Subsequent plight of refugees was different for those two groups. Jewish refugees who came to the state of Israel were welcomed (at the great expense of very poor newborn country; reglamentation of goods including food was long and the battle to build a prosperous country uphill). They have been absorbed into society and their descendants account nowadays for nearly half of the population of Israel. Those who have chosen emigration to the USA, Canada or Australia were able to organise good life for themselves and their children and many of their descendants create now flourishing Jewish communities. The fate of Arab refugees was never addressed by recipient Arab countries (in Western ones they were given the refugee status and had/ have exactly same chances as any other recognised refugees: be it Tibetan, Burmese, Jewish, Cuban; and due to many pro-Palestinian organisations they often have more means than others in similar situation). Arab countries (notably Syria, Egypt and Lebanon) decided to leave these people and their descendants in refugee camps for years. They avoided giving them citizenship, work-permit, state-help. It was done for political reasons to be able to show those "victims of Israelis" (in fact victims of dictatorships of recipient countries). The only country that originally tried to deal with Arab refugees in humanitarian way was Jordan. But at one point it came to a moment when majority of Jordanian population was consisting of people considering themselves to be "Palestinians" (coming from the territory out of original Trans-Jordan as established by British rulers). That, together with their pro-military attitude lead to few attempts to overtake power in Jordan and attempts to assasitane Jordanian king. The result was what we know as "Black September".
5. As may be seen the situation was and is far from one-sided.The ratio of Jewish to Arab refugees was 3:2. The difference was their attitude (Jews expelled from Arab countries had been willing to start a new life in other place and were not fixed on "going back") and the attitude towards them but that is the policy and sin of recipient Arab countries and must not in any way be treated as Israel's responsibility. Let me also state that any major changes in political situation on international level (and XX century had seen more than the usual share of those) are connected to big moves of people. It was the case with India and Pakistan (possibly the biggest such move), with Irish at the time of great famine, with Germany and Poland after IIWW, with Poland and USSR after IIWW, so had it happened with Jews and Arabs. It was two way traffic of refugees. It is very likely that had we looked deep enough the absolute majority of Earth population would have been traced back to refugees. What makes this case different is the universal amnesia as to the existance of Jewish refugees of the conflict and the special, unheard of in other cases, status of Arab refugees of that situation (including special UN agency which, as all bureaucracies do, is now trying to prove useful feeding in fact conflict).
The story of Arab refugees of Israeli-Arab conflict is widely heard of (though some details are not particularly well known). The story of Jewish refugees of the same conflict is nearly not known. There are many myths about refugees of this conflict and some of them are very powerful. So I would like to give some facts. I will try to comment as little as possible. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but there has to be regard for truth. And in this particular story truth has been often victim of politics, local conflicts, presumptions and so on.
1. In 1947 between 900,000 and 1,000,000 Jews lived in Arab countries. Some of these communities were 2,500 years old. Many dated back to Roman and Byzantine times. Others, specially in Northern Africa, were created after expultion of Jews from Spain in 1492. After UN partition resolution (rejected by Arabs) and specially after the creation of Israel these people have been expelled from their homes and forced to leave, quite often with no possessions at all. At the present moment in all Arab countries there is less than 10,000 Jews and it is disappearing minority.
2. There were pushing and pulling factors in this huge exodus of Jewish people from Arab countries. The pulling factor for many was yearning for living in their own country or simply living in a country not hostile to them (many left to the USA or Australia). Pushing factor were much more sinister. Following the Partition Plan, Arab governments started confiscating Jewish property. Simultaneously riots and massacres broke out against the Jewish communities throughout the Arab world. Jewish-owned stores and synagogues were looted and burned, hundreds of Jews were killed and thousands were imprisoned. As Israel was established as an independent state in May 1948, the Arab League Political Committee convened and drafted a series of recommendations for all Arab and Muslim countries on how to take action against the Jews in their countries. Among other recommendations, the citizenship of Jews was revoked, and they were henceforth considered citizens only of the newly established Jewish state. Their assets were confiscated, their bank accounts frozen, and property worth millions of dollars nationalized. Jews were barred from government ministries, their entry in to the civil service was severely restricted, and many lost their means of livelihood.
3. The plight of refugees at the beginning of this two-way exodus was much harsher for Jewish refugees. They quite often were forced to leave with nothing left, many times after the period of imprisonment and persecution in the country they were leaving. Arab refugees for most part left of their free will when 5 armies attacked Israel the day after she was created. They were promised that in few weeks when "the problem of Zionist state will be addressed" they will be free to come back. Of course there were some who were forced out but they were able to leave with whatever they could carry. Generally the ratio of refugees was 2:3 with more Jewish ones.
4. Subsequent plight of refugees was different for those two groups. Jewish refugees who came to the state of Israel were welcomed (at the great expense of very poor newborn country; reglamentation of goods including food was long and the battle to build a prosperous country uphill). They have been absorbed into society and their descendants account nowadays for nearly half of the population of Israel. Those who have chosen emigration to the USA, Canada or Australia were able to organise good life for themselves and their children and many of their descendants create now flourishing Jewish communities. The fate of Arab refugees was never addressed by recipient Arab countries (in Western ones they were given the refugee status and had/ have exactly same chances as any other recognised refugees: be it Tibetan, Burmese, Jewish, Cuban; and due to many pro-Palestinian organisations they often have more means than others in similar situation). Arab countries (notably Syria, Egypt and Lebanon) decided to leave these people and their descendants in refugee camps for years. They avoided giving them citizenship, work-permit, state-help. It was done for political reasons to be able to show those "victims of Israelis" (in fact victims of dictatorships of recipient countries). The only country that originally tried to deal with Arab refugees in humanitarian way was Jordan. But at one point it came to a moment when majority of Jordanian population was consisting of people considering themselves to be "Palestinians" (coming from the territory out of original Trans-Jordan as established by British rulers). That, together with their pro-military attitude lead to few attempts to overtake power in Jordan and attempts to assasitane Jordanian king. The result was what we know as "Black September".
5. As may be seen the situation was and is far from one-sided.The ratio of Jewish to Arab refugees was 3:2. The difference was their attitude (Jews expelled from Arab countries had been willing to start a new life in other place and were not fixed on "going back") and the attitude towards them but that is the policy and sin of recipient Arab countries and must not in any way be treated as Israel's responsibility. Let me also state that any major changes in political situation on international level (and XX century had seen more than the usual share of those) are connected to big moves of people. It was the case with India and Pakistan (possibly the biggest such move), with Irish at the time of great famine, with Germany and Poland after IIWW, with Poland and USSR after IIWW, so had it happened with Jews and Arabs. It was two way traffic of refugees. It is very likely that had we looked deep enough the absolute majority of Earth population would have been traced back to refugees. What makes this case different is the universal amnesia as to the existance of Jewish refugees of the conflict and the special, unheard of in other cases, status of Arab refugees of that situation (including special UN agency which, as all bureaucracies do, is now trying to prove useful feeding in fact conflict).
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Not 7 times but 77 times
All Christians (and possibly many non-Christians as the qoute is famous) know the passage in Gospel by Matthew 18:22 when in response to Peter's question: "Lord, how many times shall I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus responds: "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times".
For many casual (or not so casual) Bible readers the whole information carried in this passage is the message of forgiving a lot and not seeking vengance or holding a grudge. And of course they are right. But there is so much more into this passage! As most rabbis Jesus was constantly referring to Scriptures, and as He was talking to observant Jews, knowing the Scripture very well, He could counted on being instantly understood in His references. For contemporary Christian there is more work to be done to understand many of Jesus's references to the Scripture.
The key to deciphrating Lord's words is the question where in the Scripture previously the words can be found. In all Tanakah (Jewish Bible what is known as Old Testament to Christians) there is but one place where the words "seventy-seven times" may be found. And this is the fragment Jesus refers to. It is Genesis 4:24 where we can read part of the Lamech's song: "If Cain is avenged sevenfold, than Lamech seventy-sevenfold" (or seven times; seventy-seven times - depends on your translation).
Lamech was descendant of Cain and his words refer to seeking vengance over anybody sinning against him. In previous verse, Genesis 4:23 we can read: "I have slain a man for wounding me, and a lad for bruising me".
But just as Lamech is seeking revange seventy-seven times over, one should, according to Jesus's words, forgive with abundance. I remember reading some time ago that according to rabinical school of Jesus's time it was just and proper to forgive 3 times over somebody sinning against us before undertaking steps against him. That was quite a spirit of forgiveness when applied to the whole society as a rule (as was the case). Thus Peter probably thinks his offer of forgiving 7 times - more than twice as much as was proper and just - was abundant. Yet he is not praise for abundance but meets with surprising answer. But surprising just for a moment as Peter knows very well what is Jesus referring to. It is not about numbers. It is about spirit of compassion and forgivness and love as strong as the lust for vengance was in Lamech.
For many casual (or not so casual) Bible readers the whole information carried in this passage is the message of forgiving a lot and not seeking vengance or holding a grudge. And of course they are right. But there is so much more into this passage! As most rabbis Jesus was constantly referring to Scriptures, and as He was talking to observant Jews, knowing the Scripture very well, He could counted on being instantly understood in His references. For contemporary Christian there is more work to be done to understand many of Jesus's references to the Scripture.
The key to deciphrating Lord's words is the question where in the Scripture previously the words can be found. In all Tanakah (Jewish Bible what is known as Old Testament to Christians) there is but one place where the words "seventy-seven times" may be found. And this is the fragment Jesus refers to. It is Genesis 4:24 where we can read part of the Lamech's song: "If Cain is avenged sevenfold, than Lamech seventy-sevenfold" (or seven times; seventy-seven times - depends on your translation).
Lamech was descendant of Cain and his words refer to seeking vengance over anybody sinning against him. In previous verse, Genesis 4:23 we can read: "I have slain a man for wounding me, and a lad for bruising me".
But just as Lamech is seeking revange seventy-seven times over, one should, according to Jesus's words, forgive with abundance. I remember reading some time ago that according to rabinical school of Jesus's time it was just and proper to forgive 3 times over somebody sinning against us before undertaking steps against him. That was quite a spirit of forgiveness when applied to the whole society as a rule (as was the case). Thus Peter probably thinks his offer of forgiving 7 times - more than twice as much as was proper and just - was abundant. Yet he is not praise for abundance but meets with surprising answer. But surprising just for a moment as Peter knows very well what is Jesus referring to. It is not about numbers. It is about spirit of compassion and forgivness and love as strong as the lust for vengance was in Lamech.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Gunter Grass's "poem"
Gunter Grass, a German author and recipient of the Nobel prize in literature, has published a poem titled "What must be said" in Suddautche Zeitung, one of the largest daily German newspapers. The poem points that it is Israel's defence and potential preventive attack on Iran that threatens world's peace.
Let's remind the facts: Grass, born in 1927 in Gdańsk (at that time Danzig), so called free-city under League of Nations supervision where the war has started on dawn of 1 September 1939, was serving from 1944 in waffen SS, paramilitary German organisation formed under auspices of Nazi party, which was declared as criminal one during Nurnberg trial. He claimed he was conscripted (and that is true) but has been reluctant to admit having participated in it for 60 years after the war as well as tried not to mention that at the age of 15 he tried to join German navy (right when the Holocaust has started for good) but was rejected as too young.
This brilliant author but - to say the least and very mildly - extremly doubious moral figure - declared in his poem that it is Israel, constantly attacked throughout the years, under attack from Hezbollah openly backed up by Iran that is threat to the world's peace. Not Iran declaring openly the will to "wipe Israel of the map", not Syria massacring its own people 3 month in a row, not Palestinian Authorities declaring that they want no single Jew in Palestine if it is created, not post-revolution Egypt rioting for breaking peace with Israel and expelling her ambassador. No, it is Israel.
In 1933, soon after coming of Hitler to power, Pilsudski, Polish leader, proposed France joint, preventive attack on Nazis, as Hitler was breaking already the Versaille treaty's rules and started his war-talk. France refused. So many million of lives (60 millions in total claimed by WWII) could have been saved. But there was no will. Even in 1938 Chamberlain and Deladier prefered to apeace Germany and brag about "bringing peace" (the price of which was paid by Czechoslovakia in Munich).
Had the USA join anti-Nazi coalition earlier there would be no Pearl Harbour and probably less Holocaust victims as the war would have been over sooner. Had Israel NOT attacked Egyptian air force in 1967 when Nasser mobilised all his troops and ceased all the normal live in Israel (as everybody was conscripted and the whole economy just stopped) she would be no longer. Had Poland not gave the first blow to Soviet army in 1920, when they gathered on her borders under Budionny the fate of Poland would have been sealed in 1920. But nobody in their right minf could compare aggresive war (like German attack on Poland, Netherlands, France, UK or Japanise attack on the USA) with defensive one (Polish troops in September 1939 though Chamberlain was very unhappy Poland was defending herself; UK in WWII, Israel in 1948, 1967, 1973 and so on).
Apparently for Grass it is defending one's country that is bad - certainly, he was on the agressor's side without doubt in the last huge world war. And certainly there is nothing new nor dangerous in attacking Israel in Europe. Few years ago Ernst Nolte, German historian, said thet the only reason between Israel and Nazi Germany is the lack of Auschwitz. He must have never heard about Kristalnacht, Nurnberg law, discrimination and so on. Or maybe he never realised that ALL citizens of Israel have the same rights and ALL the wars Israel was fighting were defensive ones sometimes with armies of 5 different countries at the same time.
Somebody with Grass's past, Grass's authority and Grass's experience with hiding his past when he so much supported Nazis should know better when to keep silent even if he is morally blind enough not to understand the difference between Nazi Germany and defending democracy and freedom.
Below I add link to a good article about the whole case.
about Grass's poem
another well-written article on the topic
Let's remind the facts: Grass, born in 1927 in Gdańsk (at that time Danzig), so called free-city under League of Nations supervision where the war has started on dawn of 1 September 1939, was serving from 1944 in waffen SS, paramilitary German organisation formed under auspices of Nazi party, which was declared as criminal one during Nurnberg trial. He claimed he was conscripted (and that is true) but has been reluctant to admit having participated in it for 60 years after the war as well as tried not to mention that at the age of 15 he tried to join German navy (right when the Holocaust has started for good) but was rejected as too young.
This brilliant author but - to say the least and very mildly - extremly doubious moral figure - declared in his poem that it is Israel, constantly attacked throughout the years, under attack from Hezbollah openly backed up by Iran that is threat to the world's peace. Not Iran declaring openly the will to "wipe Israel of the map", not Syria massacring its own people 3 month in a row, not Palestinian Authorities declaring that they want no single Jew in Palestine if it is created, not post-revolution Egypt rioting for breaking peace with Israel and expelling her ambassador. No, it is Israel.
In 1933, soon after coming of Hitler to power, Pilsudski, Polish leader, proposed France joint, preventive attack on Nazis, as Hitler was breaking already the Versaille treaty's rules and started his war-talk. France refused. So many million of lives (60 millions in total claimed by WWII) could have been saved. But there was no will. Even in 1938 Chamberlain and Deladier prefered to apeace Germany and brag about "bringing peace" (the price of which was paid by Czechoslovakia in Munich).
Had the USA join anti-Nazi coalition earlier there would be no Pearl Harbour and probably less Holocaust victims as the war would have been over sooner. Had Israel NOT attacked Egyptian air force in 1967 when Nasser mobilised all his troops and ceased all the normal live in Israel (as everybody was conscripted and the whole economy just stopped) she would be no longer. Had Poland not gave the first blow to Soviet army in 1920, when they gathered on her borders under Budionny the fate of Poland would have been sealed in 1920. But nobody in their right minf could compare aggresive war (like German attack on Poland, Netherlands, France, UK or Japanise attack on the USA) with defensive one (Polish troops in September 1939 though Chamberlain was very unhappy Poland was defending herself; UK in WWII, Israel in 1948, 1967, 1973 and so on).
Apparently for Grass it is defending one's country that is bad - certainly, he was on the agressor's side without doubt in the last huge world war. And certainly there is nothing new nor dangerous in attacking Israel in Europe. Few years ago Ernst Nolte, German historian, said thet the only reason between Israel and Nazi Germany is the lack of Auschwitz. He must have never heard about Kristalnacht, Nurnberg law, discrimination and so on. Or maybe he never realised that ALL citizens of Israel have the same rights and ALL the wars Israel was fighting were defensive ones sometimes with armies of 5 different countries at the same time.
Somebody with Grass's past, Grass's authority and Grass's experience with hiding his past when he so much supported Nazis should know better when to keep silent even if he is morally blind enough not to understand the difference between Nazi Germany and defending democracy and freedom.
Below I add link to a good article about the whole case.
about Grass's poem
another well-written article on the topic
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Pesach
Tomorrow at sundown starts Pesach and it will start with Seder. Some verses of Haggada (the story read during Pesach) remind very much the words from Christian eucharist. It shouldn't surprise us - Jesus was rabbi, observant Jew and he has been celebrating Pesach through all his life (including this last, special time).
Pesach is a reminder of leaving Egypt when God, with mighty hand had driven His people from the house of slavery. What is the meaning of "Egypt" and what did leaving it mean I hope to write upon one day. For the moment I'd love to write a bit about Pesach.
During the week preciding Pesach all Jewish homes are throughoutly cleaned. It is forbidden during Pesach not only to eat but also to possess chametz (levished bread). In some homes there will be looking for 10 bread crumbs with candles - a joy specially to children! (in the night before starting of Pesach).
There are special dishes and cutlery used only for Pesach that had never had any contact with chametz. During Seder there will be served matzah (unlevished bread), bitter herbs, vegies dipped in salty water and wine. The rest depends on denomination, tradition in family and in a place. It all starts with breaking a piece of matzah (after reading of Haggada) which symbolizes breaking apart of the Red Sea waters. The bigger piece is being hidden and all the children try to find it as they can exchange it for presents or small money. Finding afikoman (this piece of matzah) sybolizes finishing this yet unfinished.
The youngest child (or children) ask 4 traditional questions:
Of course different approaches to celebrating this holiday and the level of observance and different traditions depend on people celebrating this beautiful, family-centered holiday.
HAPPY PESACH TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!!!!!!!
Pesach is a reminder of leaving Egypt when God, with mighty hand had driven His people from the house of slavery. What is the meaning of "Egypt" and what did leaving it mean I hope to write upon one day. For the moment I'd love to write a bit about Pesach.
During the week preciding Pesach all Jewish homes are throughoutly cleaned. It is forbidden during Pesach not only to eat but also to possess chametz (levished bread). In some homes there will be looking for 10 bread crumbs with candles - a joy specially to children! (in the night before starting of Pesach).
There are special dishes and cutlery used only for Pesach that had never had any contact with chametz. During Seder there will be served matzah (unlevished bread), bitter herbs, vegies dipped in salty water and wine. The rest depends on denomination, tradition in family and in a place. It all starts with breaking a piece of matzah (after reading of Haggada) which symbolizes breaking apart of the Red Sea waters. The bigger piece is being hidden and all the children try to find it as they can exchange it for presents or small money. Finding afikoman (this piece of matzah) sybolizes finishing this yet unfinished.
The youngest child (or children) ask 4 traditional questions:
- Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either bread or matza, but on this night we eat matza?
- Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on this night we eat bitter herbs?
- Why is it on all other nights we do not dip even once, but on this night we dip twice?
- Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position?
Of course different approaches to celebrating this holiday and the level of observance and different traditions depend on people celebrating this beautiful, family-centered holiday.
HAPPY PESACH TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!!!!!!!
Monday, 2 April 2012
Three quotes
Goals: Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist
economic, political, military and cultural existence. Method: Armed
struggle is a strategy and not a tactic… in uprooting the Zionist
existence, and this struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is
demolished.... Opposing any political solution offered as an alternative
to demolishing the Zionist occupation in Palestine.
– Fatah Constitution
Israel will exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it…. Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement…. The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight [kill] the Jews, when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslim, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.
– Hamas Charter
When somebody says they want to kill you, you should believe them.
– A Holocaust survivor
In fact they don't need any comment, do they? Yet I will add few points:
– Fatah Constitution
Israel will exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it…. Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement…. The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight [kill] the Jews, when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslim, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.
– Hamas Charter
When somebody says they want to kill you, you should believe them.
– A Holocaust survivor
In fact they don't need any comment, do they? Yet I will add few points:
- in 1947 the proposed by UN resolution dividing former British mandate between Arabs and Jews (with Jewish territory far smaller than it was after the 1948 war) was accepted by Jews and by UN and rejected by Arabs who didn't want ANY Jewish state,
- the day Israel was declared she was attacked by 5 Arab armies - far from attacking anybody she was under constant attack
- there were in aftermath of Independence War (1948) over 1 million Jewish refugees from Arab countries (expelled as they stood, quite often, with all their belongings requisited) versus some 700.000 Arab refugees (I will write about it more closely some time in the future)
- Organisation of Liberation of Palestine calling for "liberation from occupation" was founded in 1964, 3 years BEFORE 6 Days War meaning that what today is West Bank and PA territory was under Jordanian rule, still, the movement was NOT anti-Jordanian but calling for destruction of Israel
- even after Oslo records Fatah never removed from its constitution calling for destruction of Israel
- at least 3 times Palestinians could have their country (starting in 1948) but it was never the main goal - the main goal was and remins destruction of Israel
- the best way to cease hostilities is to allow people have friendships, relationships, common interests, businesses together, educate their children together yet even in West Bank (no to mention Gaza) people who befriended Israelis - in a normal way, to have coffee together and so on - were often accused by authorities for treason and punished
Sunday, 1 April 2012
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