You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Life Thoughts' category.
With the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, Jews finally had a homeland. And with that, came the inevitable question: how do I move there?
The Right of Return – as it is unofficially known – is the right of Jews to return to their ancient homeland, Eretz Yisrael or the Land of Israel. Enacted under David Ben-Gurion in the 1950’s, it basically guarantees automatic citizenship for any Jew that wishes to move to Israel. Not only does it do that, but many organizations have been established that provide certain benefits to those that make Aliyah (move to Israel) like job-training, Hebrew language courses, financial assistance, housing help, amongst others. Also, Israel’s laws require military conscription so depending upon the situation, those that make Aliyah must also serve in the armed forces.
Not a bad deal, right? Well…
For me, it is a very complex situation. For multiple reasons (since I am sure you are aware of the complexities that amass around me).
First, I am adopted. Second, my mother wasn’t raised Jewish. Problems A & B. First dealing with the second problem (wow I confuse people): As long as my mother has completed the conversion process, I am considered a Jew and therefore am eligible for Israeli citizenship. And since I have successfully been converted as an infant (my parents took me to a Mikvah as an infant. To digress… “A Mikvah is a specific type of bath designed for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism.” Thank you Wikipedia. So I was basically converted – against my will as an infant [I kid... pun intended?] – but I have basically affirmed my religious beliefs in Judaism. I had a Bar Mitzvah, I was confirmed, I know Hebrew, so basically I am Jewish… digression ending…) I am eligible to become an Israeli citizen! Although I can’t marry in Israel… minor details… but yes.
Should I want to, I can walk into Israel tomorrow and become a citizen.
Now that it’s settled the biggest question is: do I want to?
I have pondered this ever since January when I went on Birthright. I have always been taught (unconditionally, of course) that everything Israel does is right. From Hebrew school to regular school (in some instances), American support for one of their best friends is essential. Israel does no wrong. Every act – define it as you wish – is justified in the realm of protecting the Jewish state from the atrocities experienced by the Jewish people. I mean we are the most oppressed people in the history of the world. Don’t we deserve some leeway?
Like any good salesmen, Birthright has a pitch. I don’t know… free ten day trip to Israel, all expenses paid, in return for ten days of learning the history of the land, experiencing the rich culture, interacting with society, and, oh don’t forget, BLATANT DISREGARD for the facts. I won’t divulge any raunchy details because I respect the integrity of the program (read: I like free things. I’m Jewish). Birthright is a program meant to entice Jews to Israel, which really just adds another element to the evolving political crisis in Israel. Yes, I said crisis.
For the organizers of my trip in particular, I don’t hold any of them accountable for the overall “selling me Israel” deal. We are all involved in something that is opposed to something or critical of something else. That is the complexity of human thought, but my blame is more reserved for the ideology associated with entirety of the present function of Israeli immigration. I can’t think off the top of my head of any nation that accepts any new citizen simply because of their religion. I don’t disagree with the notion of Jews attaining automatic citizenship, but I wholeheartedly disagree with utilizing new citizens as a political bargaining chip. I am pretty sure you can’t find that anywhere in the Talmud.
Blame is a harsh word, and clearly I blame no one because it is life. We all make decisions for our well-being. Do I think they are only making the situation worse for the overall peace process? Absolutely. Lets put the pieces together. Give a Jew a free trip. Check. Encourage them to make Aliyah. Check. Help them settle. Check. Provide services and benefits. Check. But… the more new Jews that settle in Israel (both in legal and illegal settlements) only add fuel to the fire.
In an article today in The Daily Star out of Beirut, Israel is yet again building settlements in East Jerusalem in an attempt to tighten Israeli control over Jerusalem. Declared illegal or not, I honestly cannot see any purpose other than trying to undermine the peace process. What reasoning could Ehud Olmert have to continue building settlements when he just declared in Annapolis the intentions to create an everlasting peace? My opinions aside about Jerusalem, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you continue to build settlements in areas that are set to be under Palestinian control that a problem will arise. Quick background note: Jerusalem is located high up in the mountains and the settlements being built north & south of the city centre are sometimes government sponsored and sometimes just Israelis (mostly Jews) that go into the areas and buy land and build settlements. So it isn’t all the responsibility of the government, but Israel is very westernized and has laws. Israel continually cites previous plans for years or decades illustrating their right to build these settlements. That’s fine. Israel has the right to do whatever it wants. It still has authority over the land. But you may have the legal right but that doesn’t calculate into a moral right.
Plain and simply: Israel will not give up Jerusalem. They have been establishing these settlements for decades and in my honest opinion, the Israeli government will not give up Jersualem – either as an international city or East Jerusalem. And since the Palestinians want some part of Jerusalem as their capital, by the transitive property of equality, no peace. Digression. I apologize.
But yes. How can I honestly support Israel and their every move when they are blatantly disregarding necessary steps towards creating a peaceful solution? I will admit both sides have undermined the peace process with Israel building settlements and the Palestinians utilizing suicide bombers, but much of that – as of recent – isn’t government sanctioned like settlement building is. Like I mentioned earlier, I would love to live in Israel, in an uncontested area doing my thing. Maybe a kibbutz. Maybe in Eilat with a view of the Red Sea. Maybe in an apartment tower overlooking the Mediterranean. Or maybe in an apartment in Jerusalem with a view of the Old City (with access to the Kotel, of course).
I just recently had an internship interview with the Middle East Institute in Washington DC (I think it went well… I will keep you updated) and one of the main reasons I have decided to study the region is because of the unconditional support one way or another that people have regarding Israel and Americans opinions about the Arab world and Muslims are based on – yet again – blatant lies. I feel like it is almost my duty to prove everyone in America wrong. Islam isn’t evil. Arabs don’t hate Americans. We need to stop being so hateful because it is our own hatred that is the real problem. We have been a society of open arms until recently and our perception of Muslims is flagrantly based on terrorist attacks and radical Islam. Muslims here are able to distinguish between the American government (support for Israel, the disaster of Iraq, and Bush’s pure stupidity, until recently, with Iran) and the American people and welcome us with open arms and kind hearts. Americans, however, blame every atrocity committed by a handful of religious extremists on the entire Muslim population and refuse to admit fault in that thinking. It’s wrong. And un-American. And un-Christian. And un-Jewish. It is anti everything that we should believe in as Americans.
I still believe in a lot of the same things I believed in prior to coming here but I have become so much more accepting of everyone from here. I can’t blindly stand behind anything anymore. No longer can I stand behind an American government that has no respect for a human life. Or no longer can I stand behind an ignorant American public in their brash opposition to Muslims. And no longer can I believe that everything Israel does is justified.
At the present time, I will not be making Aliyah because I don’t unconditionally support every action the Israeli government takes (not that I do for the U.S. either). But in a situation that has so much gravitas, I simply wouldn’t be able to stand as an idle citizen in a situation that I knew I put myself into. So for the time being, I will only continue to hold one passport.
—Comments are much appreciated on this post. Anonymous or not, this is an important topic that I want to hear your feedback on!
… for a rant of sorts. Part of studying abroad is adjusting one’s life to the surroundings and being able to function normally far, far away from home. So – in typical Adam format – I am going to complain; not about Egypt (yes, I actually like it here), but about America. True to my personality that so many of you have longingly missed in my four-week absence, I have a problem: American television.
So brace yourself… brace yourself for a possible TV Writers Strike. Yes. Not metro workers or school teachers, or even sanitation workers, but the Writers Guild of America is threatening to take to the picket lines (can you actually picture them with signs) should they not agree to a new contract by October 31 with their respective studios. You know what that means, dontcha? Enjoy the new seasons of The Office, Law & Order and Desperate Housewives while you still can (don’t worry, Lost doesn’t premiere until February. I know, I was worried too). What would American television viewers do if their precious prime-time slots aren’t filled with their favorite shows on the tube?
Have no fear, America, should this improbable strike actually occur, your evenings will be filled with a wide assortment of reality television shows (Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? Probably not if you are mourning over the loss of primetime TV) as well as possible imports of British and Canadian television series (for once our imports will actually be cheaper… the free-falling Dollar, anyone?), because G-d forbid we don’t have several hundred television channels on DirecTV or digital cable. The article then goes on to ensure Americans that the mega-billion dollar entertainment industry is doing everything it possibly can to work out an arrangment with the writers.
To be fair, the writers do have a point. They do only receive half of their incomes from residuals (reruns and re-airing of episodes) and the fact that many series have now moved online [either on networks own websites or via iTunes (that's another story with NBC...) or Amazon's new Unbox] where viewers can either pay a modest fee or view episodes free online as long as they sit through a quick three or four advertisements per episode. Standards for residuals have not been updated since studios began releasing television seasons on DVD’s a few years back, so the whole residual system is simply outdated. Yes, outdated, and yes it needs-a-changin’ but why do you have to delay my season of Two and a Half Men???
Well instead of paying Charlie Sheen $350,000 per episode for Two and a Half Men, why doesn’t the network renegotiate with their writers, because clearly Charlie Sheen has to get his jokes from somewhere (we all know he isn’t that funny). I don’t pretend to know much about the entertainment industry. A friend from high school went on to record an album in Hollywood, so that is about all of the experience I have in that field, but I am pretty sure that these writers for primetime television aren’t starving, part-time waiters in Burbank who can’t afford their rent.
For all of you primetime television fans out there — I profess my love too, but not enough to freak out about not seeing CSI: Miami broadcast at 10pm on Tuesdays? Mondays? whatever day? — may I suggest reading a book? I mean I clearly understand that if you cannot see… I’m running out of television shows I can name… um… Crossing Jordan, oh wait that was canceled… (now I am looking on ABC’s website)… Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday nights at 9pm, your entire world may be over, but honestly, is it really that important? Yes, Meredith is going to end up with McSteamy, right? No, seriously, when did we become such a nation obsessed with television? I adore my Lost and any show on Bravo, but half the time I am involved in activities that either require me to record the show (thank you TiVo) or watch it online (thank you Broadband).
So I guess out of this jumbled mess I could call a blog post, I would like you to basically get out and do something. Be involved. How rewarding is watching Charlie Sheen and Holland Taylor argue over everything under the sun? Is it really going to improve your life? Don’t worry about the possible strike; the writers won’t do it and the networks won’t allow deep cuts into their pockets. Jews would never allow it!
By the way… here is the link to the article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07267/820141-237.stm
Just another day. I’m not unpatriotic, but I completely forgot the date, until say two minutes ago, when I saw the post date on my “Displayed ID Only” post. This post is clearly an afterthought; just the fact that we have FINALLY (although Decision 2008 is just around the corner) returned to normalcy and we have not replayed the images of six years ago, is evidence that we are able to move on and not let that date be the defining moment in our generation. Props, Millennials. I may admit, being halfway around the world may have something to with the coverage (or lack thereof), but I still feel we were able to overcome. Hopefully everyone had a great day; I know I sure did.
