Caught between sobbing and war chants - by Gilad Atzmon
By Gilad Atzmon • Jul 18th, 2008 at 9:28 • Category: Analysis, Gilad Atzmon, Gilad's Choice, Israel, Newswire, Opinions and Letters, Our Authors, Palestine, War, Zionism
Monitoring the current Israeli collective pornographic lament in the Hebrew press, I found, to my amazement, a critical editorial written by Dr Mordechai Keidar, an Israeli rightwing academic.
“Our enemies,” says Keidar, “see in front of them a frenetic, emotional, weeping, corrupted, hedonistic, possessive and liberal nation. People who grab and eat, people who lack historical roots, people who are short of ideology, naked of values, lack a sense of solidarity. People who are only concerned with the ‘here and now’, people who are happy to pay any price without taking into account the grave consequences of their reckless behaviour.” (Dr Mordechai Keidar http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3568863,00.html).
It is slightly encouraging to find out that someone in Israel may realize how severely the Israeli reality is viewed. Keidar grasps how pitiable the current collective mourning festival appears to outsiders and Israel’s neighbours in particular. As much as one can empathise with the pain of the soldiers’ families, Regev and Goldwasser were IDF soldiers in uniform serving a very hostile army. When abducted they were in a military patrol on the disputed Lebanese border. For those who still didn’t get the picture, they were soldiers rather than merely ‘innocent civilians’. They were theoretically capable of defending themselves. The case of Gilad Shalit is not very different. Shalit, who is presented in the world media as an ‘innocent victim’ was nothing less then a post guard in an Israeli concentration camp, namely Gaza. Shalit, like Goldwasser and Regev, was wearing an IDF uniform when captured. Neither Regev, Goldwasser nor Shalit were victims. They were all serving a state that employs some devastating genocidal tactics including starvation, ethnic cleansing and assassination of those it views as its enemies.
However, it is rather astonishing to find out how short the Israeli collective memory is. The failed IDF rescue of Regev and Goldwasser, following Hezbollah’s successful ambush evolved into Israel launching the Second Lebanon War. In an act of retaliation, retribution and vengeance Israel demolished Lebanon’s infrastructure, it flattened southern Lebanon towns and villages as well as some neighbourhoods in Beirut. It killed thousand of Lebanese civilians. Somehow the Israelis managed to forget all of this. The only thing the Israelis see is two black coffins. They even managed to neglect the fact that in return they themselves traded 190 plain coffins containing the bodies of Hezbollah militants.
The Israelis are pretty gifted in seeing themselves only. In their eyes, their pain is somehow superior to the pain others feel. Yet something puzzles me. In the light of the Israeli collective necrophilic weeping event I find myself rather confused. If Israel and the Israelis can hardly get over two tragic Israeli military casualties, how will they be able to cope with the global war they insist upon launching against Iran. If the Israelis cannot cope with two coffins, how will they ever be able to cope with Tel Aviv turning into the site of a mass grave? Their war cries suggest that this is something they seem to insist upon involving themselves in.
Funnily enough, Dr Keidar suggests an answer, “Only a nation full with ideological conviction, a nation with a sense of a strong belief in its just way, a nation who feels part of an historical process, a nation that can take the pain and buy its survival with blood, sweat and tears, only such a nation can last in the Middle East. This region,” says Keidar, “doesn’t have room for Post Jewish Rugs who sooner or later will reveal their true face as post Zionists.”
I must admit that Keidar, the Israeli rightwing zealot has a point. People who collapse in front two coffins better not initiate another international conflict. The Israelis are just not made of the right stuff. They are not exactly a nation of Spartan warriors. As much as they enjoy inflicting pain on others, they really can’t abide the idea of suffering themselves, they are clearly not ready to sacrifice, actually, they are a bunch of defeated cowards. They better run away for their lives. As Keider pointed out, their chance to survive in the region is zilch.
Gilad Atzmon is a jazz musician, composer, producer and writer.
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Daer G.
You say:
“They are not exactly a nation of Spartan warriors. As much as they enjoy inflicting pain on others, they really can’t abide the idea of suffering themselves, they are clearly not ready to sacrifice, actually, they are a bunch of defeated cowards.”
I say: quite! How incredibly like their friends and supporters, the Americans, they are… Made for each other, innit?
Keep it going, Gilad, kep it going.
Dear Gilad,
Reading between the lines, I intuit you are a man of compassion: sorrow for the suffering of others which compels one to do something to alleviate it.
All sides are suffering, both have long histories of been terrorized, victimized and oppressed.
Listening deep to and honoring the others pain, is the way can we all can evolve into caring compassionate people.
Words can be weapons and the good fight is in the struggling to wake up one’s own to their culpability in the suffering of others.
I hope you will keep on fighting the good fight!
“HOPE has two children. The first is ANGER at the way things are. The second is COURAGE to DO SOMETHING about it.”-St. Augustine
“people who lack historical roots”
Wow, if ever a sentence described the Israeli State, that is the one!
“All sides are suffering” — Eileen Fleming
Is this really a true statement?
It’s pretty easy to think of compassion as a goal when you are the one dishing out the pain and yet, I don’t see tons of Israelis working towards it. A true lasting peace can only maintained in a just situation. When Israel begins thinking of justice for all the people in the region, then there will be something to talk about.
Dear Linda J,
You don’t “see tons of Israeli’s” because corporate media doesn’t report on them-and if they do, they demonize them!
Here are two reports from this week by a civilian journalist in solidarity with nonviolent Israelis seeking Justice which is the only way to Peace; and we all comprehend Justice requires and End to the Occupation and equal Human Rights for all!
WAWA Blog July 17, 2008: One year ago in Jerusalem and what’s happening now
http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=969&Itemid=202
WAWA Blog July 13, 2008: Jews and Christians Unite against the Empire of Neo-cons and ‘Christian’ Zionists
http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=965&Itemid=202
In my “Memoirs from OPT” i devoted a chapter each to the good Jews -mostly secular-connected to Anarchists Against the Wall and ICAHD.
I also target the non-Christian ‘Christian’ Zionists, who have failed at the commission Jesus taught was non-negotiable for his followers: LOVE all, judge no one but yourself, forgive to be forgiven, and do good to your ‘enemy’-
NOT bomb, torture or occupy any!
Eileen Fleming, Reporter and Editor WAWA:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author “Keep Hope Alive” and “Memoirs of a Nice Irish American ‘Girl’s’ Life in Occupied Territory”
Producer “30 Minutes With Vanunu” and “13 Minutes with Vanunu”
I would like to add to linda j. stament eileen that while there is such a major power imbalance the suffering will continue, at the rate of about thousands to 2 as in this case and its not the Isaelis who are suffering most. For give me Eileen i am still in the anger stage.What a photo opputunity those zionist certaily know how to work the press. But looking at this photo I asked myself are these soldiers, weeping for lost comrades, or are the weeping for the fact that due to the complete inability for there govement to be unable to see that their policies are so very wrong they to might end up buried as well.
If there soldier feeel so much compassion for thier fallen comrades where is the compassion when they are murdering babies and children? I think the figure is something like 75 in the first 6 months of this year alone.
My last comment to Linda has NOT yet showed up, so, maybe the powers that be at this site, will NOT post this comment either, but I always have HOPE, so here goes-and I must again quote St. Augustine:
“HOPE has two children. The first is ANGER at the way things are. The second is COURAGE to DO SOMETHING about it.”
Anger when used constructively can build bridges and I am angry too!
I am angry at my government, I am angry at USA ‘Christians’ who have no eyes to see, ears to hear or hearts that bleed for the “least among us” as JC called the poor, oppressed, diseased, outcasts, widows, orphans, refugees and prisoners who endured under Roman Military Occupation.
NOT much has changed since JC walked the earth a man to bring the message:
WAKE UP! The Divine is within you, all others and all of creation and the commandment remains:
THOU SHALL NOT KILL!!!
USA foreign policy is a MAJOR deterrent to justice and peace in the Mid East, and all i can do is keep on keeping on trying to WAKE UP apathetic, mis-informed, uninformed, and heretical Christians to the facts on the ground in the ‘Holy’ Land which is in pieces: BANTUSTANS!!!
Yet, I cling to the hope that when Americans learn the true facts on the ground in Israel Palestine, we will all “have it in our power to begin the world again.”-Tom Paine
The following are but a few facts and stats courtesy of
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/
123 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and
1,050 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000.
1,057 Israelis and at least
4,862 Palestinians have been killed since September 29, 2000.
8,341 Israelis and
32,744 Palestinians have been injured since September 29, 2000.
During Fiscal Year 2007, the U.S. gave more than $6.8 million per day to Israel and
$0.3 million per day to the Palestinians.
Israel has been targeted by at least 65 UN resolutions and the Palestinians have been targeted by none.
1 Israeli is being held prisoner by Palestinians, while 10,756 Palestinians are currently imprisoned by Israel.
Because I bring this message and more to the USA, I have been cyber slandered, demonized, banned and censored by many supposedly progressive freedom of speech USA sites, but all truth tellers/whistle blowers suffer such as this.
I have told the story of a Nakba refugee in “KEEP HOPE ALIVE” a Muslim who is much better at Christianity than many Christians I have known. Everyone -except USA Christians- tell me it is a great book!
i have traveled on my dime five times to occupied Palestine to learn the truth, to bear witness/report to the USA with a flaming desire to WAKE UP America that ALL children are our children and injustice anywhere affects us all.
I have no power, no control over any other, but i have HOPE-and hope believes all things work for the good for those that LOVE God and are called to his/her purpose:
“What does God require? He has told you o’man! Be just, be merciful, and walk humbly with your Lord.” -Micah 6:8
Eileen, the powers that be are just me until the boys get back from their working holidays and I am joined by others in managing the site. This means that all comments that have lots of links are read by the computer that controls the comment management as spam and are kept in waiting until the moderator can approve them.
Dear Mary,
Thanks greatly for the clarification!
I also thought of some Israeli groups on the side of justice and peace that Linda might be encouraged by-maybe if all participants were weighed on a scale; it might equal “tons of Israelis”
Israeli human rights organization
http://www.btselem.org/English/
Israeli women who monitor checkpoints and report abuse
http://www.machsomwatch.org/en
Ex-IDF who are telling the truth
http://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/index_e.asp
Bnei Avraham
http://groups.google.com/group/bnei-avraham/web/cover-page–english
Gilad: This is a very interesting article. I think the reason why the death of two soldiers is being treated as a national tragedy is because for Israel the image of being a victim has been used to justify their sense of righteousness and their ruthlessness. So some of the politicians hope all this national pain will make the population support the idea of yet another war. Even though Israel is a superpower in that region, they still cling to the victim image, which is really straining reality.
Gilad,
Poking fun at the spectacle assembled by the zionists is fine, but your post lingers in the surface of sarcasm without taking a plunge in the real motivations behind.
I may be worng, after all you have been raised there so know them better, but I reckon the performance was for the benefit of the west, specially USA. Let it be clear that Israeli Jews suffer and value human life while the arabs are indeed less than human.
Moreover, the softness acusation provided by the right winger fella may have an effect in spuring hardline zionists in starting a conflict with Iran, and thus ralling the nation behind a cause.
[...] An Israeli academic Dr. Mordechai Keidar describes Israeli society - “Our enemies see in front of them a frenetic, emotional, weeping, corrupted, hedonistic, possessive and liberal nation. People who grab and eat, people who lack historical roots, people who are short of idealogy, naked of values, lack a sense of solidarity. People who are only concerned with the ‘here and now’, people who are happy to pay any price without taking into account the grave consequences of their reckless behaviour.” Read here [...]
[...] quien pueda! Como Keider señaló, sus posibilidades de sobrevivir en la región son nulas. Enlace: http://palestinethinktank.com/2008/07/18/caught-between-sobbing-and-war-chants-by-gilad-atzmon/ Esta traducción también en Tlaxcala. * * * * * * [...]