Good Morning Yuyutsu,

The water reservoir that was found in the hospital
was confirmed by various international health
authorities. As were other facts already mentioned.

It truly is heart-breaking that this conflict cannot
come to an end once and for all. Such a Holy land for
so many people - and so much blood-shed still being
spilt.

I am concerned of the divisions that are appearing in
our country as a result of this conflict. That is
something that we should try to avoid.

There's already enough horror happening. Showing empathy,
compassion, and comfort to those grieving and suffering
is something we can all try to do to reach understanding and
calm.

I am grateful for the posters on this forum,
who try to maintain balanced views. They're the ones who
give us hope - that there is a basis
for long term lasting peace between the Israeli
and Palestinian people - and that one day
soon this will come about.

An article in The Canberra Times quotes Jewish Members
of Parliament who tell us that Both Australian Jews and
Muslims should not be used as "political footballs."

That their communities should feel safe and supported.

And that all of us should be careful what words we use in
describing this conflict - not to add even more fuel to
the fire.

The comments came from Victorian MP Josh Burns and
NSW MP Julian Leeser.

This conflict has unleashed protests and vigils across
the country. Both MPs have made it clear that we should
not make inflammatory remarks which put "kerosene on
already hot flames."

"It doesn't matter whether you're a Jewish person or an
Islamic person - you should feel safe in Australia," Mr
Burns stated.

"We should want that for any Australian regardless of
their religion or background."

"A politician's job should be to cool tensions and host
civilised conversations that represent all of the
Australian people."

"I don't believe that it is in the Jewish Community's
interest to have one political party trying to put the
community against another because long after my career
is done I want the Jewish community to have stability
and certainty on all sides of politics."

That's why keeping calm, rational, and showing balance
is so important during these very difficult times.

Dear Foxy,

«The water reservoir that was found in the hospital
was confirmed by various international health
authorities. As were other facts already mentioned.»

Of course, but is that the ONLY hatch Israel found?
or did they say "look what we found",
waving that dead mouse by its tail as if they found something great
so that the enemy will think that they are morons and not come to know
what ELSE they found...

Much of what goes on in wars is below ground...

«Such a Holy land for so many people»

But tell me, is it truly Holy in your view?

«I am concerned of the divisions that are appearing in
our country as a result of this conflict.»
«It doesn't matter whether you're a Jewish person or an
Islamic person - you should feel safe in Australia»
«I don't believe that it is in the Jewish Community's
interest to have one political party trying to put the
community against another»

Yes, and to look at the roots, I think it was a mistake, in 1948, to define Israel as a Jewish state, as well as to continue supporting that myth: Jews around the world need not be affected by regional Israeli conflicts, nor does Israel need to suffer from the world's perennial anti-Semitism.

Israelis are Israelis and Jews are Jews, it seems that the linking between them was not helpful to either.

Jew-hatred around the Western world is old, deep-rooted and has nothing to do with Israel.
Similarly, Arab hatred of Israel is not because Israelis [mostly] happen to be Jews but because they brought progress to their backward conservative region.

Yuyutsu,

Israel has produced a video of its findings underground
and has been accused of fabricating evidence.

Pew Research tells us that:

Israeli Jews across the religious spectrum strongly
support the idea of Israel as a Jewish state and a
homeland for Jewish people. Overall majorities of
Jews say Israel was given to the Jewish people by
God and that a Jewish state is necessary for the
long-term survival of the Jewish people.

Nearly unanimously, Jews support the diaspora
population's right to move to Israel and receive
citizenship and most agree that Jews deserve
preferential treatment in Israel.

But Jews are divided when it comes to the status
of the country's Arab minority. Roughly half say
Arabs should be expelled or "transferred" from
Israel while the other half disagrees.

Jews believe that a Jewish state is necessary for
the survival of the Jewish people and a strong
majority believes that a strong Jewish diaspora is
vital for long-term survival.

As for anti-Semitism? My first encounter with it was
with the study of Shakespeare's play - "The Merchant
of Venice." On the whole though, I've been very
fortunate in that I grew up in a family that
encouraged inter-action with a wide mix of diverse
cultures. I was taught by my parents not to pay
much attention to stereotypes and myths that
target people, their religious practices and beliefs.

I was taught to accept people as individuals. And I
am grateful to my parents for that. Dinners around
our table were never boring. And to this day I
love learning about our differences.

You asked me if I thought it was Holy Land?
So many have died for it. So yes - I consider it
sacred to so many.

Dear Foxy,

You have an interesting concept of Holiness, so different from what is commonly understood by "the Holy land", usually based on the Bible or the Quran.

The link between Israel and the Jews has been Israel's official line, more so since 1977 when Israel's right wing came to power, but even before, since 1949, Israel accepted any Jew in distress, which became law in 1950. Before that, Israel [to be] was only interested in working-age secular Jews who were aligned with Zionist principles.

Israelis sympathise with and try to help any Jew in distress, especially due to anti-Semitism. Come to mind are Jews persecuted in Arab countries and the Soviet Union, who were absorbed into and added their unique flavours to Israeli society. I commend Israel's compassion in this matter (but wish it could be extended to non-Jews as well).

Yet American Jews are not in distress and were never persecuted as Jews. For whatever mushrooms grow in America, affecting Jews and non-Jews alike, many among them are loud extroverts who believe that Jews are superior and come to Israel only in order to advance and fulfil their Messianic expansionist fantasies. They bring Israel to shame, but Israel cannot help it so long as it automatically allows any Jew to come.

While Israeli Zionists are familiar with being hated by Arabs, they always believed themselves to be finally immune from classical Western anti-Semitism by virtue of leading a normal life on their own land. It was believed that Israelis would never be led like sheep to the slaughter and until October 7th, the holocaust was considered by them as "something that happened to the Jews over there, not to us", thus the huge shock.

[continued...]

[...continued]

Now apart from the shame, the actions started by some American Jews also imported classical anti-Semitism to Israel's doorstep. At the same time, it also exported the Arab new anti-Semitic style to worldwide Jewry, now causing Jews to live in fear. Arab anti-Semitism is quite different from the Western/Christian-based brand, as it originated in Arabs being afraid of Zionism bringing social progress to their region which could break apart their patriarchal traditions and liberate their women.

Just like Israelis have no reason to suffer from classical anti-Semitism, world Jews have no reason to suffer from Arab-style anti-Semitism - thus I raised the question: was this exercise of matching Israel with the Jews worthwhile on balance, or was it a mistake?

Israel deserves to live as a normal country, not just as "the solution for the Jewish problem".
When people think of Japan for example, say when Japan had its horrific earthquake and Fukushima Tsunami, "Shinto" rarely comes to people's minds, it is just not relevant for people to say "oh look what a disaster happened to the Shintos" - then why is it that whatever happens in Israel, good or bad, people immediately refer to "the Jews"?
That is an unhealthy attitude and state of affairs.

Israelis have a life besides that dry incidental fact that most of them were born Jewish - if you like to understand how they now feel about the world's attention, just imagine how you would feel for example if the media reported, "a pile of books fell on a Catholic librarian"...