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Are ‘Russian’ Israelis an Obstacle to ‘Peace’?

Oct 13th, 2010
by Leah.
2 comments

Clinton’s remarks two weeks ago, singling out Russian immigrants to Israel as the primary obstacle to peace made me cringe. Literally. Classifying ethnic groups into policy or regime supporters and troublemakers is so reminiscent of Stalin-era “resettlement programs,” that I am starting to wonder whether there might be some truth to the Republican rhetoric of Marxist leanings within the Democratic Party

Beyond creating bad blood in the Israeli cabinet, I cannot fathom what Clinton actually planned to achieve by publicly marginalizing almost a quarter of Israeli citizens.  Did he actually think we would care enough to conveniently ship out to Birobidjan, so as not to get in his way of creating an idyllic Arab-ruled utopia in the Middle East?

Clinton is right in that Russian-born Israelis do not buy into the offerings of peaceful coexistence. As Alexander Maistrovoy explained in his perceptive analysis, years of totalitarian repressions have taught us enough to see through the empty promises of multiculturalism and brotherly love.

THE MAIN issue is not politics. It is the cult of national dignity, mistrust of universalist theories and resistance to any trespassing on their living space, both geographical and spiritual.

It is impossible to imagine a Ukrainian leader bowing to a Middle Eastern sheikh, or a Polish prime minister kissing the hand of an African despot.

Hindus will not build a mosque near the site of one of the bloodiest terrorist attacks; Serbs don’t feel guilty toward the Albanians of Kosovo who deprived them of their heritage; Russian intellectuals, actors and academics don’t wish to “understand” the Chechen insurgents, who carried out terrible acts of terrorism in their country.

Several commenters to this post claimed that Russian Israelis refuse to believe the peacenik propaganda, because they are just more educated and have better critical thinking skills than the average Israelis. I don’t think that’s the issue. American Jews are among the best educated population groups in the world, yet they have become so enamored with Obama’s multicultural liberalism that several people have reported being asked to leave their synagogues over their opposition to the administration’s policies.

This brings me right back to Clinton’s remarks. When considered in conjunction with Obama’s targeted preaching to the American Jewish community on issues of policy, does this statement reveal something about the Democrat’s modus vivendi of quietly mapping population groups into helpful and problematic?  May be it is just my long historical memory, but the slope sure feels slippery to me.


 

If it weren`t so sad..

Jun 4th, 2010
by Leah.
No comments yet

Chief Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels is credited with saying that if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. His dubious success must be the inspiration behind Hamas-proxy “peace activists““ attempt to deliver “humanitarian aid,“ while in search of enough blood to cause a PR sensation.

What really gets to me is that seemingly intelligent people continue buying into these cheap tactics. In a situation as grotesque as this, satire is the only way to go.

Gaza Flotilla – Just the Facts

Jun 1st, 2010
by Leah.
7 comments

As the world condemns Israel for exercising its right to self-defense in boarding the so-called Free Gaza flotilla, three claims are made:

1. Israel has violated the international law by boarding peaceful ships in international waters.

2. Israel ambushed the ships.

3. IDF troops used excessive force to kill peace activists.

For anyone with even a drop of intellectual honesty, here are the facts:

1. Here’s the relevant paragraph from the “international law” (HT to The Yid with the Lid):

According to the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, 12 June 1994:
SECTION V : NEUTRAL MERCHANT VESSELS AND CIVIL AIRCRAFT

Neutral merchant vessels

67. Merchant vessels flying the flag of neutral States may not be attacked unless they:

(a) are believed on reasonable grounds to be carrying contraband or breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search or capture;
(b) engage in belligerent acts on behalf of the enemy;
(c) act as auxiliaries to the enemy’s armed forces;
(d) are incorporated into or assist the enemy’s intelligence system;
(e) sail under convoy of enemy warships or military aircraft; or
(f) otherwise make an effective contribution to the enemy’s military action, e.g., by carrying military materials, and it is not feasible for the attacking forces to first place passengers and crew in a place of safety. Unless circumstances do not permit, they are to be given a warning, so that they can re-route, off-load, or take other precautions.

2. Israel gave the ships ample warning to re-route or pass the humanitarian assistance through the available channels either in Israel or in Egypt.

Here’s the video of the message being communicated:

3. The  “peace activists”  attacked IDF soldiers, who had boarded the ship, with iron bars, knives, and axes. Remarkably, IDF troops took a beating for 40 minutes before finally opening fire to defend themselves.

Here’s that footage:

I am sure that brainwashed Palestinian sympathizers will not be confused by the facts. As to decent people looking for truth, I offer just one small question to ponder. How many acts of terrorism and violence have been committed by Jews in your native country? How many by Muslims?  Why should this be any different in the Middle East?


 

Do We Value Children?

Jan 23rd, 2010
by Leah.
7 comments

A month ago, I visited my relatives in Russia. From the few TV programs I watched while there, it appeared that children are the number one issue on the Russian agenda. Yet, there seemed to be a cognitive dissonance between the declarations about the importance and the value of children and the fact that Russians are just not having them. Most women that decide to bring a child into the world, suffice themselves with one. Three children in a family are a rarity.

It is true that Russian women are an integral part of the workforce and that stay-at-home moms are almost unheard of in urban areas (except for the very rich of course). Getting childcare could also be tricky. (My cousin told me that in order to send her daughter to a day care center at the age of two, she had to sign up as soon as the baby was born, and it would probably take a bribe to really get in.) However, similar challenges exist in other countries as well without affecting demographics. (more…)

TSA Security Measures

Jan 5th, 2010
by Leah.
3 comments

When I was a kid back in Russia, my family would spend all our summer vacations in Yalta, a seaside resort on the Black Sea. One year, as we were driving to the airport for our flight back home, we were stopped by the police and diverted into the local botanical gardens. Together with several hundred other people, we spent the next several hours waiting for Brezhnev (the then Soviet president) and his entourage to drive from the airport to his seaside retreat.

The absurdity of treating everyone as a potential assassin resurfaced I my mind as I was reading about yesterday’s  security breach in Newark and the ensuing pandemonium. The sheer absurdity of rechecking thousands of people and grounding hundreds of flights, even those on the other side of the Atlantic, is a clear sign that the Transportation Security Administration lacked an advanced emergency scenario plan and was acting on the spur of the moment. At least they were considerate enough not to ground ALL air traffic in North America until the poor chap, who had wondered through the wrong door, could be found.

(more…)

The Gilad Shalit Deal as a Mirror of the Israeli Society

Dec 22nd, 2009
by Leah.
1 comment

The discourse over the anticipated deal with Hamas to free Gilad Shalit has become the center of Israel’s public agenda in recent weeks. Although I oppose the release of some one thousand terrorists, which will only serve to whet Hamas’s appetite and encourage additional kidnappings, the very fact that the Israeli government would even consider such a deal as well as the extent of public interest in the fate of a single individual, is yet another remarkable sign of our society’s unprecedented humanity and the value it places on human life.

This understanding has become especially poignant against the backdrop of my grandmother’s recollections of her life in communist Russia, which she shared with me during my recent trip to Moscow. The following clip from The Gift to Stalin, in which the Soviet authorities test the first atom bomb without evacuating or warning the local population,  is an excellent example  of the utter disregard for the fate of ordinary people on the way to realizing the grand (or not so grand) goals set by a society (hat tip to Vicky Boykis for drawing attention to the movie on her

blog).

In both our personal and public lives, G-d grants us challenges, which facilitate inquiry and clarification of our most basic character traits. Thus, Avraham was tested in situations, requiring him to show a measure of cruelty (the exile of Hagar and Yishmael from the family and later the binding of Yitzhak). Both of these tests were meant to crystallize Avraham’s underlying trait of loving kindness. So long as Avraham was unable to express cruelty, his charity was devoid of meaning.

In a similar vein, the Israeli society is called upon to define boundaries for the value of freeing its POWs, a fundamental part of its national ethos.  As we continue to argue over the pros and cons of releasing terrorists in exchange for Gilad, the discussion never strays into a debate of ideology vs. pragmatism. Both sides are guided by their understandings of the best way to uphold the value of human life. Like any value, this too needs to have identifiable boundaries.

At this hour, it is still unclear whether the deal will go through. But whatever the outcome, I feel extremely privileged to live in a society, which has these as its moral challenges.

The financial sense of aliyah

Nov 28th, 2009
by Leah.
1 comment

This week, our close friends are coming on a pilot trip in preparation for their planned aliyah in the summer. Although the move will involve many challenges, there is one thing they’ll be glad to leave behind – spending over one half of their annual income on kids’ education.

While visiting family in the US in recent years, we have met a fair share of professional couples, who told us they could hardly make the ends meet even on a six digit income, because of huge tuition costs. That seems to be a common experience, judging from this discussion of yeshiva tuition and comments such as this:

Parents are taking their kids out of the orthodox schools and putting them in public schools. The Jewish Federation in this city has never seen the kind of numbers doing so, and believe it will only increase … I think all of us are beginning to see the future, in which we return to the 1950s and go to public school, with an after school Talmud Torah program. It’s already starting in many communities.

All of this has gotten me thinking. For years I have heard people say that can’t consider aliyah, because it is too hard to manage financially in Israel.  With lower salaries and higher prices, they argued, Israel just was not an option.

I understand that the decision to move to Israel is complex. However, people who would like to make aliyah, but are held back by financial considerations might want to check the facts. Moving to Israel can offer a financial break for two major budget items of a Jewish family – education and medical care.

Jewish education – Top-notch yeshiva education is free or very affordable. Many religious public schools are superb, but even private elementary schools charge only $50-80 a month. Yeshiva high schools cost approximately $1,500 annually (unless you choose a dorm, which should cost $3000 a year).

College fund – Despite availability of financial aid, US university tuition is prohibitively expensive. In Israel, on the other hand, college tuition amounts to $8000 for the entire degree! I actually know of people who got their degrees in Israel and then got licensed in the States all for a fraction of the cost.

Healthcare – From conversations with friends and family back in the US, I know this is a painful subject. I keep hearing stories about young couples deferring marriage to remain covered by parents’ health plans, people losing benefits, and overwhelming medical bills not covered by insurance. In Israel, medical coverage is universal and quality of care is very good. We pay a 5% health tax and nominal co-pay and can access private care by purchasing supplementary insurance ($50-100 a month for the entire family).

So, if you’ve always dreamed of moving to Israel but thought you could not afford it, do your math. The results may surprise you.

Is Israel a High Trust Society?

Nov 23rd, 2009
by Leah.
1 comment

Lately, I’ve been reading about Francis Fukuyama’s Is Israel a High Trust Society? idea of social trust. Fukuyama argues that the degree of social trust between people (beyond family or immediate social networks) in a society has sweeping consequences on its economic prosperity. To demonstrate this, Fukuyama compares countries with high levels of social trust, such as Japan, Germany, and the US, with those lacking this asset (France, Italy, and China).

Social trust allows people to socialize and cooperate unhindered in both formal and informal settings. People are more likely to believe others and rely on them to work for attaining mutual benefit. High trust societies usually develop stable political systems and facilitate the creation of large companies with less need for direct government intervention.

By way of example, Fukuyama compares corporate cultures in France and Germany. French employees and managers have limited mutual trust, leading to rigid company guidelines, seniority-based salaries, and difficulty solving problems without assistance from higher-ups. By contrast, German workers and managers trust each other more readily, which makes for more relaxed work rules, flexible salary plans, and problem solving through direct negotiations.

Fukuyama warns that in recent decades, the US has been living off previously accumulated social trust, which is being depleting due to the rise of individualism, crime, breakdown of family values, and fewer local associations.

All this has led me to applying this concept to the Israeli society in which I live. In recent years, the Israelis have become much more focused on individuality, but also more prosperous. Then again, may be we are all just one big clan, so the theory doesn’t apply to us at all.

How would you evaluate Israel in terms of social trust? Are we creating more of this asset or using it up? I look forward to reading about your “greater picture” analysis, as well as specific examples from your business dealings, work places, and general encounters.

Is Israel Good Enough for Your Charity

Nov 18th, 2009
by Leah.
2 comments

Several days ago, Mother in Israel asked her readers to compare American and Israeli parenting styles. In response, someone mentioned Israelis’ lack of social graces, which has led one reader to make the following comment.

…let’s look at the effects of this aspect of Israeli culture. When tourists return from Israel with a bad taste in their mouth, will they return as often? At all? Will they tell their friends that they simply must go to Israel? Will those of us that are Jewish reach as deeply into our pockets when asked for money for Israel?

When you are asked for a contribution for Israel, and the first thing that pops into your mind is seeing an old man shoved aside by EVERYONE trying to board a bus. Or the many drivers that see by your rental car that you are a tourist and then gladly run you off the road, how does that affect your thought process? Every year North American Jews give millions of dollars to Israel, and yet it is difficult to see that Israelis appreciate it at all.

I think that it also makes it more difficult to defend Israel.

Don’t get me wrong. I still and will continue to donate money to Israeli causes, through the UJA, JNF and other avenues. I still and will continue to defend Israel as best as I can with the knowledge I have. My husband, as a professor on a campus with a very active anti-Israel movement, does so even more. But I am sure that there are others that maybe don’t donate as much or as often as they used to and maybe don’t speak up for Israel as strongly as they used to in part because of the interactions they have had with Israelis.

Nothing annoys Israelis more than the argument “it’s hard to donate to Israel when Israelis are so …” Every day, Israelis invest their sweat, blood, and tears into building this amazing country. So you can imagine how we feel when Jews from abroad tell us we are not good enough for their charity dollars or vacation budgets.

Truth is, Israel is not a charity case. It is a crucial component of contemporary Diaspora Jewish identity. A friend recently related his mother’s memories of growing up in Boston during 1930s and 1940s. While other immigrant kids had a sense of geographic belonging and could brag about the way things had been done in Italy, Ireland, or Greece, Jewish children experienced “a  deep level shame at not being able to point to a country (and not simply an area of land) on the map and say ‘that’s where my people is from.’”

Israel’s role in shaping Jewish identity was reaffirmed by a recent Brandeis study, which has shown that a single Birthright trip to the country can lower a person’s chances of intermarriage by almost one half. Over the past decade, the Israel government together with North American philanthropists has invested close to half a billion dollars in Birthright trips.

Israel appreciates all types of Diaspora solidarity. But as Shimon Peres has aptly put, the best gift one can give Israel is coming to live here.

The great hummus war

Oct 25th, 2009
by Leah.
No comments yet

A group of 300 Lebanese chefs got together to beat the Israeli Guinness record for the largest hummus plate in the world and prepared a 2,056 kg (4,523 lb) plate, complete with a Lebanese flag on top.

If you think this is a simple celebration of national cuisine, think again, According to the AP report, Lebanese businessmen are looking to sue Israel for marketing hummus as an Israeli food. Thankfully, Israel is not relying on its exports of hummus to hold up the national economy. We have a few other things to sell, like world’s smallest medical camera and dew-based irrigation systems.

And though the new record-setters told Israel “to keep its hands off hummus,” here is a great hummus recipe from my friend Simona.

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