About this Blog

Before I can commence with a discussion of the purpose of this blog, I believe it is imperative that I provide context about me as its author.  I am not an expert on Israel, the Arabs (including the Palestinians), the Iranians (who of course are not Arabs) nor a “fellow”, “chair”, “professor” or any other important sounding title.  I am also not a journalist nor was I even a history major in college.  (For the record, I studied accounting.)

 

What I am, however, is a passionate supporter of the State of Israel.  I am also Jewish.  Yet, as we see more today than perhaps at any time in the past, such an affiliation does not automatically make one into a supporter of Israel.  Whether that should be the case, however, is a topic I will eventually address. 

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Importantly, as a Jew – and as a human being – I am also a firm believer in the rights of self-determination and freedom for all peoples.  That certainly includes the Palestinians.  There seems to be another, pernicious default assumption that those who are Jewish and/or supporters of Israel cannot somehow be supporters of the Palestinians and their rights.  Admittedly there are those whose behavior lend credence to this absurdity, but fortunately they are in the minority.  As Jews we are to cherish all life, even that of those who oppose or challenge us.  And while I do not wish to engage in theological discussions, I do think there is one notion about the Jewish faith that underpins many individuals’ criticisms of Jews and, by extension, Israel:  the designation of the Jews as the so-called “Chosen People.”  While some may disagree, I believe that most learned Jewish scholars and rabbis would state that this term, to the extent that it even makes sense to employ it, does not mean that we Jews are somehow superior to others.  If we were, why is there such a paucity of famous Jewish athletes?  Rather, and more seriously, it merely means that we were willing, according to religious tradition, to accept the Torah (which some of you may think of roughly as the “Old Testament”).  It does not give us priority over any other peoples.  Even if that has not historically been the interpretation, that is what most informed Jews today should understand as its meaning as should others outside of our religion when hearing the term. 

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Thus, as may becoming apparent from the words above, the purpose of this blog is largely to try and get the story straight, to put it in overly simple terms.  As of the date of this writing, the need to elucidate and educate are more important than has been the need in quite some time, perhaps in over 50 – or even 75 – years.  The current crisis facing not just Israel and the Palestinians but the region and conceivably the world as a whole is at a terrible inflection point.  This has naturally resulted in much hatred, recriminations and wrongdoing.  And much of those detestable actions are the predictable product of mis- and disinformation.  It is my hope that I can shine some light on the facts, because, notwithstanding our own recent struggles as Americans with truth, we all must start with working with the same facts.  Only from there can we truly understand each side’s positions, concerns, fears and aspirations.