Why I Don't Live In Israel

[FlavaKreemSnak]

...Some people justify Israel's actions by arguing that Jews need a place to go to when anti-Semitism breaks out somewhere in the world. But as Yeshayahu Leibowitz, the philosopher and outspoken public figure, once said: the most dangerous place for Jews in the world is the state of Israel.

What does Israel have to offer Jews who come to find shelter? Right now it's offering grief, fear and shame. If we're doomed to be a nation that lives by the sword, as is commonly proclaimed on the streets of Tel Aviv these days, then I opt out.

And I did. When my son was born five years ago in Tel Aviv, the nurse complimented his good health by saying: "He'll make a good soldier." That gave me the chills. The babies he shared the nursery with will, in 13 years, be fighting the third, or fourth or fifth Lebanon war. I will do anything in my power so that my son does not become one of them...

Some might say that I'm naïve. I'm not naïve -- I'm desperate. This might be our last chance to put down our guns. I think becoming a responsible participant in the Middle East is Israel's only chance of ever becoming a safe place for Jewish people. My children's friends in Israel fear the hourly news followed by the list of today's casualties, just like I did 25 years ago. This war is no different from the others. It isn't another war that will make Israel a safe place to live.

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/40388

[Redstone]

1. "He'll make a good soldier?" I can see why that would give you

some serious willies.

Redstone

[AX10]

2. I wouldn't want to live anywhere in the middle east.

[Tom Joad]

3. People are not born to go into armies, to destroy the homes of others,

to occupy another people's homeland. Israel must stop the occupation.

[MrPrax]

4. Why I Don't Live In Israel

because I live in the greatest country in the world; Canada

Never even considered it...

[Union Thug]

5. ...make a good soldier?

a flippant one finger salute and I would have left, too.

[FlavaKreemSnak]

7. The baby soldier part is what made me notice it and post it here

See a few weeks ago, this friend of my mom's son had a baby, and it was a big baby or so they said, I don't really know a lot about baby size, but anyway, I was there and his grandfather, that is the husband of my mon's friend picked him up and said look at those big old feet, he is going to be kicking him the s_*# out of them g*_@*^$! terrorists before you know it. There were like a whole lot of people there, and my mom and some of them got sort of quiet, but most of them just laughed and said something like yeah he sure is or those are some big old feet all right, stuff like that.

But to me it was creepy, it was just weird to think that look there was this little baby that had just been born and instead of talking about who he looked like and if they were going to talk about the future maybe talk about whether he would major in English or education or whatever, that was what this guy said! And that is the baby's own grandfather saying that!

So anyway, when I saw this article, about the nurse and this guy's baby, it made me think of that American baby, and how people talk about how much we have in common with Israel.

[catmother]

6. interesting. when my son was born in brooklyn, new york in

1961, my mother in law said "another soldier". of course, we had the draft back then and the cold war.

[Marrak]

10. Funny that the "cold war" is mentioned above...

I think the passing of the cold war was the beginning of the end of Israel's excuse as the U.S.'s "natural ally" in the middle-east. Events since then have proven such. An ally position should provide for mutual benefit and security. The U.S.'s security interests vis-a-vis Israel & the GWOT require serious re-evaluation. And in the meantime, Israel needs to be put on "notice"...:patriot:

[newyorican]

8. A nation that lives by the sword..

...is destined to be defeated by those that don't.

Oooo...multiple meanings...

Edit: spelling

[treestar]

9. It is safer in the US than it is in a tiny country that is "surrounded by

enemies" so I have never understood it. The US system of laws, and the Constitution, make it the safest place. The thing to do it protect that system from Bushco, Gonzalez, etc.