Does anyone have a personal connection to the Israel- Hezbollah conflict?

[undeterred]

I really don't except for some things at work. There is a Lebanese man who just went home for the first time in a year, and he called the boss to say he is with his family in Lebanon and he just can't leave until everyone is out of danger. My company has a Navy connection- we build and service the engines that power most of the large ships; many of the people I work with actually knew people on the ships that are being sent to Lebanon to evacuate Americans.

I know its peripheral to the conflict itself and the players, but it does make me realize how many non-combatants can have their lives turned upside down by something like this.

[Ian David]

1. Yes. I have family there. And when this all falls apart and goes to hell..

then the racist, bigoted anti-semites paroting the same right-wing talking points that I see spewed here by so-called "liberals" here, will come and burn down our synagogues and houses right here in America.

Thank you, my fellow DUers, for putting me and my family in mortal danger because you-- just like the people burning down synagogues in Europe today-- "disagree with Israel's policies."

[cali]

4. I'm so sorry you feel that way

but I honestly don't believe most DUers are anti-semitic. Still, I understand how highly charged the debates been and there has undoubtedly been some ugly anti-semitic crap endorsed here.

[blonndee]

5. Just like we "endanger" American troops by opposing the war.

If that's not a "RW talking point," I don't know what is.

On edit: My post didn't convey the compassion it should have. My sympathies to your situation and best wishes for the safety of your family. I'm sorry you feel as though DUers don't care. I hope you believe me when I say I do.

[cali]

7. Aren't you compassionate.

It's pretty clear that that's not a right wing talking point, but a heartfelt and anguished sentiment. I think the poster's misguided about DUers but accusing him of spewing right wing talking points is pretty distasteful.

[blonndee]

8. I AM compassionate, but I don't appreciate being accused

of being one who would burn synagogues and murder Jewish people. That is out of line.

[Ian David]

I am not accusing you of wanting to burn synagogues...

I am telling you that you are simply repeating the same anti-semitic blood libels that have been around for thousands of years that will be shouted by the people who will eventually be doing the burning.

But you probably don't even know you are doing it, because it has all been cleverly re-packaged to end it an air of reasonableness and respectability, often in such a way as to dupe well-meaning Liberals into believing they're not saying anything evil.

[blonndee]

10. On second thought

I agree that I could have demonstrated more compassion, along with taking issue with the poster's accusation. For that I apologize. I sympathize with all people who are endangered by this horrible situation, and their families. I just wish that we could turn to one another for support instead of eating one another. I for one will try to be more consistently even-tempered, because I have encouraged others to do so.

I'll edit my original post to reflect this, without removing the original, if it's not too late.

[Ian David]

17. Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. But that's exactly what it is.

And it does a major disservice to everybody here who has family over there who is against Israel's actions, and well as the many Israel's themselves who are against Israel's actions.

[Ian David]

16. Maybe he doesn't know what he's doing? n/t

[Clark2008]

6. Um - my husband, who is Jewish, doesn't agree with Israel's

policies.

Is HE burning down synagogues?

I think NOT!

[Ian David]

14. You completely miss the point

All the violence in Europe right now against Jews is being done in solidarity with the Palestinians.

The people doing it blame the Jews for the violence in the Mid-East.

It's nice that your husband isn't going to be burning down synagogues.

However, those that will be doing the burning are going to be squawking the same, "It's all Israel's fault. Oh, Israel are the REAL terrorists" crap that I read here every day.

There are committed anti-Jewish people out there who just look for ways to re-package anti-semitic slogans and conspiracy theories and blood libels to suit the crisis-du-jour. And then they put their messages out into the wild disguised as new politics, where even people of good conscience repeat them, not knowing from whence their messages came.

I see a lot of that here.

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. I hope your family is safe and survives this awful, dreadful

battle. :hug: You have a friend in me if you ever need a shoulder. DU sucks sometimes especially when it comes to Israel, but there are a few people here who are very concerned about you and your family AND Israel. PM me any time.

[Ian David]

18. Thanks. I appreciate that. n/t

[adriennui]

2. i do but i'm not comfortable posting the info,

plus i know i'd be crucified (by association)by some DUers.

[Clark2008]

3. Yes.

One of my best friend's parents had to move from Beruit to Tripoli to stay with family as result. They were OK when I heard from him Tuesday.

My son is half-Arabic (my ex is Palestinian) and my current husband is Jewish (I'm Catholic and my father's Southern Baptist. I'm thinking I have everything just about covered. LOL).

[undeterred]

9. I didn't even know my co-worker was from Lebanon

until I heard at work that he just happened to go there at the end of last week to visit his family.

I think many of us here have never experienced anything like this.

A few years ago I was teaching a college course on ethics at a Catholic college. I wanted to use the film Schindler's list since I had done so at another school and thought it was a great subject for discussion. And I have an edited version of it that is two hours so that it fits in class time.
Anyway, one of my older students was Jewish and she objected to having to watch this film as her parents were Holocaust survivors from Spain and Poland. So instead, I invited her parents to come to my class(of mostly college sophomores) and tell us about their life experience. I didn't know what to expect, really, and they had never done something like that before. Stephen Spielberg had contacted them about "shoah" interviews, and they had been filmed a few months earlier.

Her father told us that when he was 13 his mother sent him away to live with relatives. He was the oldest of 7 children. He and some other local boys ended up being on the run and hiding for three years of the war. Their entire families were killed at Auschwitz. After the war he went back to his parents house and there were other people living in it. He found out that everyone was dead. He tried to prove to the people in his family's home that he had grown up there by describing his mother's sewing cabinet, which had his initials on it. They told him to go away and never come back.

Many Jews went to Israel, some came to America. He told us that when he came to America at Ellis Island he felt ashamed because he did not even have shoes.

Some of my 19 year old students had no idea that 6 million Jews were exterminated in death camps during WW2. They weren't deniers, they simply didn't know.

One of the nuns in my class skipped that week, I think she objected to this as class material at a Catholic college.

So, when I think of Israel and the Jewish people I cannot help but think of him and his story.

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. Not really. My son's Hebrew teacher is from Israel and her entire family

is there. Other than that, no. Being Jewish is our personal connection.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. Yes. I live on Earth.

We should all take this personally.