Hannah Mermelstein writes:
“The war is with the Arabs.”
I saw this sign as I was entering Nablus last week, again on my way to Ramallah, and again near Bethlehem. The phrase is printed in Hebrew, presumably by Israeli settlers, on huge signs throughout the West Bank. Israeli racism rarely shocks me anymore, but its blatant display still makes me stop and catch my breath as I translate it into other contexts. Imagine driving through the middle of a predominantly black neighborhood in a US city or town and seeing a humongous sign that says, “The war is with the Blacks.”
I think about security. Israel’s abuse of the word has rendered the concept almost meaningless in the region, but the importance of security on individual and communal levels cannot be underestimated. However, most discussions I see in the media about security ignore the Palestinian people’s right to security. “The war is with the Arabs” is a new sign, as far as I know, but for years in the West Bank I have seen stars of David scrawled on Palestinian shops and homes, and signs like “Death to Arabs” and “Kahane was right” (Kahane was an extremist political leader who promoted ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people; this sign is essentially equivalent to “Hitler was right” in the middle of a Jewish neighborhood).
But signs are not only created; they are also destroyed. Since 1948, Palestinian people inside Israel have experienced erasure and denial of their identities that is perhaps stronger than that of any other group of Palestinian people. I visited a friend in Lyd last week who lives on Giborai Yisrael (“Heroes of Israel”) Street. Driving around the Palestinian neighborhoods in Lyd, we passed roads bearing the names of Herzl, Jabotinsky, and other Zionist leaders. None of the old Arabic street names remain. Even the large cities with considerable Palestinian populations are now seeing the Arabic names officially erased from the signs. In Arabic script, “Yaffa” will become “Yafo,” “Nasra” will become “Natzeret,” and “Al Quds” will become “Yerushalayim.”
Lack of security goes beyond denial of identity and history as visually expressed through signs. A Palestinian friend with Israeli citizenship told me he has heard a rumor that a huge piece of land in Jordan is being cleared and built up for the eventual arrival of the Palestinian population of Israel after they are transferred from their homes. “It may be conspiracy theory,” he said, “but I don’t know.”
“I’d like to think that Israel couldn’t get away with that,” I responded.
“Of course they can,” another friend from Lyd said, “and if the conditions are right, they will.”
Imagine living day to day thinking you might be expelled from your country in the near future. Or in Gaza, wondering if you will be killed tomorrow, or if you will ever be able to come in and out of your country at will. Or in the West Bank, if your son will be arrested, or if you will be able to get through the checkpoint in the morning to get to work. Or in Jerusalem, if your residency will be stripped or your house destroyed.
Imagine little correlation between choice and consequence, an arbitrary relationship between cause and effect. If you are just as likely to get shot and killed sipping tea in your doorway, or sitting in your fourth grade classroom, or participating in a demonstration, or joining the armed resistance, is it any surprise that some choose each?
A friend of mine from the West Bank once told me that she never feels safe, so safety is not a consideration for her in making decisions. As much as I may try, I cannot truly imagine this lack of control.
I met a woman in Jerusalem who was displaced from her home by settlers, physically removed from her house by dozens of Israeli soldiers in the middle of the night. Twice a refugee (1948 and 2008), Um Kamel currently lives in a tent near her house that has been destroyed and re-pitched six times in the past six months. This is perhaps the height of insecurity, and yet Um Kamel stays strong and determined. Many in Palestine would call it sumoud, or steadfastness.
This kind of strength is seen remarkably often in Palestine, and indicates a deeper security that comes in part from faith. Faith in God, sometimes, but also faith in each other, in the justice of one’s cause, in the tide of history that has shown that no single occupation in Palestine lasts forever. This, of course, is also Israel’s deepest fear. That no matter how many walls they build, how many people they imprison, how many homes they destroy, how many signs they erase, and how many people they expel, true security will remain elusive, and eventually, Zionism will fail. As many older Palestinian people have said to me, with security, “We have lived through many occupations. This too shall pass.”
I have no real problem with Arabs calling Yerushalayim Al Quds. Quds is like Kadosh KDS meaning holy. No problem to me. The city though is historically Jewish and named Yerushalayim thousands of years before Islam and Mohammad
But that's not the issue Ms. Mermelstein refers to in that passage. The issue, in this case, is Arabic script on street signs, especially in cities where there are still significant Arab populations. As far as I know, Arabic is still an official language of your country, is it not? Whether or not those Arabs can read Modern Hebrew isn't really relevant; what's relevant here is respecting Palestinian Arab cultural in Israel, respecting international consensus and Palestinian claim to East Jerusalem, and if you recognize neither of the former, respecting Israeli law in that Arabic is an official language of the State, and that it is that way for a reason: to represent the Arab population of said State. That is why, at the very least, Arabic script needs to remain on Israel's street signs. I say "at the very least" because it's clear you don't hold in the same regard any Palestinian history to cities and towns currently within the borders of the State of Israel, a historical claim I feel also warrants leaving the MSA script on the street signs.
You may be right about the signs. I do not recognize the former as you say. The Arab claim to Jerusalem or international consensus.
Yeah, and dinosaurs once ruled the earth.
I don't dispute that. Jews once ruled Israel and Jews have our native land back and we rule our aboriginal homeland. This is really a unique occurance in human history where the revivification of a whole nation happens in such a short period of time. A miracle really.
Jerusalem as named thousands of years before Judaism. Does that mean Israel has no right to Jerusalem?
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the Jewish nation has the highest claim to the area
Jews lived in Palestine, but never ruled it and before the Jews, there were the Canaanites and other peoples. After the Jews, there were the Muslims who rules Palestine, so the Jewish control came to an end. There was no revivification of Israel by Jews and it was no miracle.
Jews did rule the land. Jews are the native inhabitants of the land. The Muslim invasion and rule over Israel has come to an end. Jews rule the land and will continue to rule.
You should study Eitan, before talking. Abraham MIGRATED. The community that left Egypt was largely non-Hebrew, slaves emancipated. Kahane says the land belongs to Jews. He's a REVISER of Torah. You are taking a great spiritual risk by following the rabbis that you are currently relying on.
Why are you stating that the community that left Egypt was largely non-Hebrew? You are basing that on…?
Jews are not native to the land. The Jews are native to Iraq, where they came from. Jews can rule in the State of Israel. The West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza belongs to Palestinians.
Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel. Israel has a claim to Israel. Nothing more.
"Why are you stating that the community that left Egypt was largely non-Hebrew? " Because there is no evidence that the Hebrews were even in Egypt. That is just a Biblical Myth.
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Jews have the highest moral and legal claim to the land of Israel
I like Kahane. I think he died too soon
“This is what archaeologists have learned from their excavations in the Land of Israel: the Isrealites were never in Egypt, did not wander in the desert, did not conquer the land in a military campaign and did not pass it on to the 12 tribes of Israel,” summed up Professor Ze’ev Herzog, director of the Institute of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University. “The many Egyptian documents that we have make no mention of the Israelites’ presence in Egypt and are also silent about the events of the Exodus.” http://mideastfacts.org/facts/index.php?option=co...
The nation of Israel was forged in the Land of Israel. We are the natives of the land.
Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel, which is why there are no Embassies in Jerusalem. Israel has a claim to Israel. Nothing more.
The nation of Israel was forged in Palestine. Jericho and Jerusalem existed long before Judaism was invented. The natives of the land are the Palestinians.
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Embassies don't make a capital. Jews have the highest moral and legal claim to the land of Israel
Those particular achaeologists are wrong. Our ancient history is well preserved in archaeological evidence.
Myth to you. Not to billions of others.
The nation of Israel was forged in the Land of Israel. It is anachronistic to say it was "forged in Palestine" since that was a Roman contraption. If you mean the Philistine areas you would be talking about Gaza and Ashkelon but that is not the area I am speaking of. If you are claiming that the Arab "Palestinians" are hittites and Jebusites? I thought you said they were Jews forcefully converted by the sword? Either way your argument is muddled and unclear. We are building strong every day. Come to Israel and see.
Full disclosure: That website is an anti-Israel website. mideastfacts.org
The nation of Israel was forged in Palestine in 1948, long after Palestine was named,a and long after historic Israel ceased to exist. I am not claiming that Palestinians are Arabs, but they were Judeans who converted to Islam. Either way, my argument is factual. Israel is a right wing, fascist, apartheid state heading for destruction. I could not help but noticing when I visited.
Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel, which is why there are no Embassies in Jerusalem. Israel has a claim to Israel. Nothing more.
There is no archaeological evidence to supoprt your mythical version of history. Those particular achaeologists are right. mideastfacts.org is a scientifically based community that is devoted to truth.
Look buddy just because they call the website mideastfacts.org doesn't make them facts. It's an anti-Israel website full with propaganda. ok ok so now Palis are Jews that converted to Islam. I hope you stick with that. In that case I think some Jewish outreach programs are needed. We can help them rediscover their roots and convert. I know there are many Palis who want to be Jews but are too afraid to say so we can rescue them. Israel is a pluralistic democracy, a just state and will be around long after you are.
mideastfacts.org is an anti-Israel propaganda site. If that is where you are getting your info on this you're gonna have to dig deeper.
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Embassies don't make a capital. Jews have the highest moral and legal claim to the land of Israel
I totally agree with you Shingo!
Here's Professor Herzog from the original Hebrew article in 1999: http://www.hayadan.org.il/wp/bible-no-evidence-29... Hayadan is an Israeli science website in Hebrew.
Here you go http://www.israel-academia-monitor.com/index.php?...
RE: "I cannot truly imagine this lack of control." MY COMMENT: See the works of Kafka!
So you complain about "propaganda sites" and then link one of your own? What a hypocrite. From their "About Us" page: "To expose these extremists, Israel Academia Monitor …monitors abuses of academic freedom and politicalization of Israeli campuses by radicals who collaborate with anti-Semites and bashers of Israel from around the world. The purpose of Israel Academia Monitor is to bring to light abuses of academic freedom in Israel, including on-campus indoctrination in political extremism. It is modeled in part on the highly successful "Campus Watch" in the USA."
The Israelites who left Egypt were non-Hebrew? Witty, your Chabadnik son will be dismayed to see his old man is such an Am HaAretz. Do you know what were the three things that preserved the identity of the Jews in the hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt? Look who is revising both history and Torah…
Clearly, for those who believe that the Israelites were non-Hebrew, it is easy to also believe that Egypt never existed. They might even say that it still doesn't exist! Flat-earthers…. what a riot!
Hebrew Grafitti is not a sign of Israeli racism but rather a reaction to… Islamic intolerance and Official Arab and Muslim Racism. Arabs and Muslims scream "Allahu Akhbar! Itbakh al Yahud!" (Allah is greater than your god! Slaughter the Jews!). They do this in prayer sessions, they do this from Muezzin, they do this in their newspapers, they do this in their schools, they do this at their festivals and celebrations. They have been doing this for many centuries, since the times of Mohammed. When some Jews stand up to counter this, MondoBrains points to this as Jewish racism!!!! Like that horrible girl who dared to scratch the face of the rapist. What a nasty little girl! MondoBigots.
The period in the desert was the formation of the Jewish community. It included a majority that was not of Hebrew origin. Ask your rabbi. Don't just make this up. If you like Kahane, then you like and apparently follow a reviser of Torah. Ask a real rabbi about it.
That is NOT the basis of assessment of the population of Israelites that left Egypt. Exodus 12:37-38 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Sucoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children. And a MIXED MULTITUDE went up also with them, and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. In study of the MANY events subsequent to the exodus that were regarded as sinful, the neo-nationalist religious expounders attribute the distractions to the mixed multitude, that also "heard" the commandments at Sinai, but were confused by their mixed loyalty (habit of thought and action, rather than the radical submission to God). Being Jewish is not so one-dimensional as to believe the 7 year-old heroes/villains approach.
And just because you say anything it does not make what you say factual. The bible is not a geographic map. It's a work of fiction like Wagner's operas. Israel as it exists today is not a pluralistic democracy, nor is it a just state; it will go the way of the 1st and 2nd temples–and for the same self-inflected reasons.
Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel. Similarly, Berlin is not the capital of Germany. Palestinians have the highest moral and legal claim to the land formerly under the British mandate.
IDF Doctor Goldstein too.
And they thought the world was flat too.
"Nazi grafitti is not a sign of Gentile racism but rather a reaction to historic Jewish intolerance. "–Julius Streicher
And not even that, freakin' thieves!
Why are you stating that the mixed multitude was greater then the number of hebrew men, women, and children?