One American's Opinion of Israel
by Matt Giwer, © 2003 [June]

As an American I have opinions on Israel which are more extensive than of any other foreign country in the world. That is true because the US entertainment and news media give it more coverage than any other foreign country in the world. As a matter of fact, if I did not know it was a foreign country I might think it one of the states in our union.

In that paragraph I used the word foreign three times. And that is three more times than I have ever heard the US media use the word in connection with Israel. The common expression when such a reference might appear unavoidable is to say something like "foreign countries and Israel." This avoidance extends to all aspects of public life. Israel gets special treatment in this country. I have to do nothing to single it out for special interest.

One of my opinions of Israel is that it is a foreign country, a very foreign country. It is a country of the most inveterate whiners in the world. I did not develop that opinion solely from US sources. For years I have read Ha'aretz six days a week. I have come by my opinion quite honestly. I have also been able to set aside my knowledge and opinion of the attack on the USS Liberty.

Israel is still a pack of whiners. History tells us those you claim as your ancestors were truly stupid people. They picked a fight they could never win. They revolted against Rome and for their pains were kicked out of Jerusalem when Emperor Hadrian rebuilt it as a Roman city. But Israelis say they were forced to leave the entire country and have longed to return for two thousand years. Instead of spending your time whining, learn some history. Why should Palestinians suffer because your ancestors chose to leave? BTW, Hadrian also reverted the name of the region Palestine and you founding a country in Palestine does not make Palestine go away. Palestine was first mentioned in the mid 5th c. BC by Herodotus.

If you set aside your whining long enough to study history you will also learn the Palestinians you work so desperately to drive out or kill off have the same ancestors as yourselves. Their ancestors converted from Judaism to Islam either directly or via Christianity. They may have adopted Arabic culture and language but that does not change their ancestry. Israelis have adopted european culture and languages without their ancestry being changed. But after two thousand years in Europe you folks are entirely European and will never be middle eastern. You will never be Israelis in other than name. You have no cultural roots in the regions.

You jewish Israelis are mostly Europeans. You are cultural foreigners in the Palestine where you founded your Israel. And being familiar with The Iron Wall, I know as well as you know, you did not go to Palestine in peace. We both know you went to Palestine with violence and malice and theft and even murder in your minds and hearts. So please do not whine about the treatment you received then and continue to receive now. You have gotten off very lightly so far. You have good reason to fear and should make a deal as soon as possible.

And speaking of the minority of jewish Israelis, Ha'aretz does not bother much with the pretension of observant and non-observant. In their articles it is quite clear they are talking about believers and atheists. You have a majority of atheists saying they are Jews for political and social reasons. An atheist can no more be a Jew than he can be a Christian.

And then there was your cherished holocaust. Move on. Get over it. The constant whining became very annoying after the first couple decades. I know no one in the whole world has ever had it as bad as you. Enough whining already!

Whatever you do, stop using it as an excuse to dispossess and murder even more Palestinians. I am familiar with your 1948 war. I know there are at least two sides to every story. But the one thing everyone can agree on is the Palestinians did not send an army against you. Of all the nations in that part of the world, the Palestinians are the only ones completely innocent in that war.

If you do not like it being called what it is, theft and murder, stop doing it. Those Ay-rabs attacked so lets steal from the Palestinians doesn't cut water. And some god in some book you wrote saying he gave it to you doesn't cut it either. You left that land. Leave that god out of this. It makes you sound like redneck hillbillies at a revival meeting. And as you are mostly atheists you make rednecks look good in comparison.

And while I am on that subject you have a country. Stop mooching off of my country to support it. You may believe you were promised a land but no one promised you a life of luxury. By the lowest estimate my country provides 20% of your government budget. Grow up and pay your own way in the world. No one likes a Schnorer.

And every time you screw up your economy you come whining to my country to bail you out of trouble again. My country is good enough to keep the world from slapping a total trade embargo on yours. Isn't that enough? Must you always whine for more? Is it possible to do enough for your country?

And is flooding this country with spies for military and industrial secrets any way to show gratitude? Or is gratitude something only Christians feel? And while I on religion, you get a free ride off of our redneck preachers but the fact is Judaism is one hell of a lot closer to Islam than Christianity. Even your own people in your own studies find your school textbooks filled with industrial strength hatred of non-Jews.

And if someone does not see it your way it is not your fault for failing to make your case. It can only be antisemitism, the mindless, causeless, baseless hatred of Jews because they are Jews not because of the eternal whining. It isn't as though you don't put on a good show. You have a great script and you recite your lines with passion and sincerity. The problem is the story does not survive the first few hundred repetitions. It is like your holocaust thing. If someone does not show all the faux reverence your politicians posture one day a year, trust me, it does not mean they are antisemitic. It means they have heard many times before and are not as good at acting as you.

The Palestinians did nothing to you to start your problems. You did it to yourselves. You chose to go to Palestine and start all your own troubles. Anyone mature enough to decide to go live there was mature enough to know they would live in constant danger. The Palestinians are doing exactly what you would do in their circumstances. They know it and you know it. Stop whining about it.

As I say, you have a good script. You say you were expelled two thousand years ago. You say Palestinians are invaders from Arabia. You say you went to Palestine peacefully and in humility. You have a laundry list of poor harmless innocence and there is not a word of truth in the lot of it. And you know there is no truth in it. And people who say there is no truth in it are not antisemitic. The truth cannot be antisemitic. Refusing to accept your ahistoric, juvenile, simplistic stories is neither anti-Israel nor antisemitic.

You are very annoying whiners. You whine about your holocaust because it is the best use you can think of for dead relatives. You whine about having enemies that you chose to make your enemies. You whine about people who know enough history to know you are telling stories. You whine about people who refuse to take your side.

No one owes you anything. You have that country you wanted. Stand on your own two feet for the first time in you history. Stop begging for handouts from my country. You are not worth it. Only you think you are. When you were called a "shitty, little country" it was the little that bothered you not the shitty.

The entire premise of your whining is you believe you deserve better. This is a just world. You have what you deserve because it is what you chose. Choices have consequences. Adults know that. Whiny little children do not.

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