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They have the oil but we have the match." -- Israel
"How dare anyone think Israel is a threat to world peace." -- Israel
The problem Israel has in selling its case to the world is exactly what
Jewish readers have decided to do while reading this article. They have
decided to read it only to find something in it that is antisemitic. That is
a cultural fact. Everything said by a non-Jew about anything Jewish has to
be in some manner antisemitic. You know that and you will have no problem
saying it. And if you can't find anything overtly questionable you will
mis-state something so that it sounds antisemitic and you will declare it to
be antisemitic.
As such this article is not worth writing as it will not be read for what it
says by the audience that can best benefit from it. And this article may be
totally worthless and likely is. But that is the attitude taken with
everything written and they can't all be worthless. But nothing is read for
what it says but for finding its antisemitic content.
Israel has the fundamental problem of almost all Jews when engaging in
public discussion. It will present its case not in universal terms nor in
terms that connect with the audience. It will present its case as Jews see
it and only from a jewish perspective. And regardless of the quality of the
presenter or the presentation if the audience does not immediately see it as
a Jew sees it then the audience is declared antisemitic. Never mind no two
Jews see things the same way. If a non-Jew disagrees he is antisemitic. If a
non-Jew agrees with one Jew against another Jew that agreement is a sign of
antisemitism.
This is clear in the most common theme. Because no non-Jew is permitted to
criticize Israel, all non-Jews who criticize Israel are antisemites. Only
Jews can properly comment upon Israel non-Jews who do it are antisemitic. Of
course non-Jews see that as an "Israel can do no wrong" attitude and call it
as they see it. Can Israel do wrong? Not that a non-Jew can see. Anyone
saying a Jew cannot criticize the Pope, Christianity, Germans and Germany,
is obviously an antisemite as reciprocity does not exist.
One complaint is the world is beginning to treat Israel as though its
existence is on probation, that its existence is in compensation for the
holocaust and may be withdrawn. Where would people get that idea? By
listening to Jews of course. That holocaust thing has been used by Israel as
a major guilt trip sledgehammer since before it was recognized by the UN. In
fact then entire Zionist thing was based upon assimilation issues in Europe
before there was a 20th century. Since when has not "look how hard we have
it" not been a justification for everything?
The biggest whine, and I assure you it will sound like a whine, is going to
be "We must have a jewish state." And anyone who asks why will get the
holocaust vamp. Tell me again why anyone should not think the only excuse
for Israel being given recognition is the holocaust? What do people see
Israel doing with this gift? And then you go into hysterics over it being
called a gift.
You declare Israel has a right to exist as a jewish nation but Jews work the
hardest to eliminate any suggestion of any nation being a christian nation.
Certainly if Israel has the right to exist as a jewish state then nations
have the right to be christian states.
If you simply insist upon the right to exist people will certainly ask why
any state has a right to exist. They might even ask why Palestine does not
have a right to exist. And if they ask that they will certainly ask why
Israel is the sole arbiter of Palestine's right to exist. Should that occur
the tactic will be two or more extremely detailed and mutually exclusive and
terminally boring explanations will be given. But they will be summarized by
holocaust.
Certainly Palestinian attacks will be made a central issue and that will
include the holocaust one way or another -- they are killing us again.
Should anyone display any sympathy at all for the Palestinians that will be
criticism of Israel which is antisemitic and the cycle repeats from the top.
And that is why Israel is incapable of making its case. The whole thing is a
closed cycle. And everyone has heard it many times. Mainly it is all from a
Jewish perspective and the intended audience simply is not jewish and does
not see it that way. It isn't preaching to the choir. It is singing to the
tone deaf. They can hear you doing something but damned if they know what it
is.
For example, Europe sees Israel as the greatest threat to world peace
followed by the US as a close second. Israel says that is antisemitic.
Clearly Israel does not see the issue as the world sees it as it does not
explain the US being second. I will guarantee you if Israelis were surveyed
as to the country most likely to be involved in the next new war in the
world they will answer Israel or the US. That is the same as the answer
Europe gave.
What country has been in the news as a source of constant conflict for the
last half century? Israel. Who keeps that before the public by high profile
complaining about it? Israel. Which country has been involved the most
conflicts since WWII? Israel. Who keeps that before the public with high
profile reminders of it? Israel. Which country frames all of its actions in
terms of the risk of imminent destruction in war? Israel. Who said, they
have the oil but we have the match? Israel.
And when Israel's success in keeping these things in the public conscience
results in the most obvious answer for threat to peace whose fault is it?
Not Israel's. Its those damned antisemites. It is only those antisemites who
have listened to everything Israel has said. It is those antisemites who
keep talking about Israel in terms of war and conflict just because Israel
has spent half a century framing all of its public relations in those terms.
Israel has repeatedly shown itself incapable of looking in a mirror. It
certainly has never listened to its own public relations and the spiel of
its apologists with the ear of a non-Jew. But why should it? Anyone who does
not hear it the way they do is an antisemite. It is the ultimate blaming of
the public for not appreciating great art even if it is made of elephant
dung.
I recently read an Israeli criticism of Israeli public relations that the
explanations given the world are old bromides (?) in poor English. I'll bet
the guy who said that gave himself a big pat on the back for counting coup
on the Likud. English? Does anyone in Israel think Israel has any problem
with getting its message across in the US and other English speaking
countries? Just what does broken English have to do with Portugal, Spain,
France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Poland and Russia? But rest assured
when that comment was translated to their languages the word used was
English. What did those other countries hear? They heard only America
matters.
Can Israel possibly look at itself as its own worst problem? No. Only
antisemites refuse to see everything as Israelis sees things. And it is
deliberate because Italians (or Germans or French) who do not understand
poor English are antisemites. And anyone who does not accept an explanation
is an antisemite. It is never incumbent upon Israel to provide a better
explanation. It is never incumbent upon Israel to try to reach the audience
on his own terms. The only possible explanation for failure is the audience
is antisemitic. This has to be true because Israel can do no wrong in the
eyes of a non-Jew. There is no need to go any further because all non-Jews
are antisemitic anyway and not worth the effort because they are not Jews.
You cannot miss it in public statements by Israelis even from those in its
government with diplomatic experience. The attitude drips from even Ha'aretz
opinion pieces. And this even after they have been sanitized in their
English internet editions. It came through clearly when someone said Israel
was a shitty, little country that the problem was not with shitty but with
little. Shitty is the usual antisemitic talk but the little is a fact. And
little cannot set easily with the infinite nobility of the light unto
nations ego of Israel.
It is really true only antisemites cannot recognize Israel as a light unto
nations? Is it really true it is only antisemitism that is preventing Israel
from lighting the way and leading the nations? Has Israel ever even
pretended to suggest a direction? One hopes Israelis are not under the
impression anyone else thinks they are an example to imitate but given the
ego of this boisterous little country it is only antisemites who refuse to
follow their example.
Addendum
Israel has realized part of this as a problem and
is considering a public relations makeover as a solution. It is doomed to
failure.
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