To Racheli

On May 16, I wrote a satirical blog about the Arabs desire to live in peace with the Jews here in the Middle East. Following that article, there was a little comments war between Ezra, myself, and a woman named Racheli. Here's what Racheli wrote:

"...but you know there are heightened risks associated with life in the West Bank and Gaza. I'm not saying leave- live your lives in peace and prosperity whether the political authority is Palestinian or Israeli. But don't kid yourselves that what you're doing is worth state protection or that it is good for the State of Israel or the Holy Land. If you could live with your Arab neighbors I might feel differently, but to plant yourselves among them and spew invectives and create further division creates an impossible situation."

And here's what I wrote:

"...Thanks for posting regarding my blog. It's a shame to see a seemingly intelligent mind utterly warped by blatant rhetorical garbage. If you think that it is we Jews, who occupy a place the size of New Jersey, who can't live with the Arabs whose dictatorial empire comprises 10% of the world's land mass, well, I don't know what to say to you. Try and get some historical and cultural perspective. Read their newspapers and don't pay lipservice to respecting them - ACTUALLY respect who they are by believing what they say and stop treating them like children or puppies who don't know any better. And get off your duff, come over here, and actually see how we "settlers" live, who we are, and what we're up to, instead of regurgitating CNN's agendified swill."

Now, upon a lot of reflection, and some discussion with my husband, I have determined that I was too harsh on Racheli. RACHELI, I'M SORRY.

But just so you can understand why I wrote what I did, albeit too offensively, let's hit the points, one by one.

"but you know there are heightened risks associated with life in the West Bank and Gaza".

Well, sort of. On the one hand, yes, we live amongst Arabs (not because we move near to them, Racheli, but because they move near to us. For example, look at Beit El - word from residents here is that the overwhelming majority of Arab homes surrounding our yishuv didn't exist here just 10 years ago...), but on the other hand, so do Yerushalmis... and Jews in Ramle, etc. (these are places which can not be considered Yehudah or Shomron). And (G-d forbid!), the bombs aren't blowing up out here, they're blowing up in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. So you might say that there are heightened risks living in Tel Aviv as well. Facts are facts.

"I'm not saying leave- live your lives in peace and prosperity whether the political authority is Palestinian or Israeli."

If only. The day I'm handed a Palestinian residency card is the day I jump out of a huge baklava in a belly dancing costume singing "Habibi" for Yassir at the Mukata. The Arabs just aren't into the Jewish dhihimi thing anymore. If there's one thing that couldn't be anymore clear, from all of their speeches and all of their press articles and all of their hundreds of murderous terror attempts thwarted EVERY SINGLE DAY by the Israel Defense Forces, it's that WE'RE NOT WELCOME HERE. If we were, we'd have peace already. Why not suggest such a philosophy to the Arabs? Live here, dear cousins, whether the political authority is Palestinian or Israeli... what, don't you think it'll work?

"But don't kid yourselves that what you're doing is worth state protection or that it is good for the State of Israel or the Holy Land."

Now just one minute there. As for the Holy Land, I'm going to have to pull the Bible card on you. There's no discussion on this one. If you're going to be talking Holy Land, talk informed. There's no dispute amongst Torah authorities. The Holy Land loves the Jewish presence. End of story. As for my life being worth state protection, well, if mine isn't, yours isn't. And if it isn't the state's job to protect Jews in Israel, exactly what IS their job? Mill around Netanya with their AK-47s? Any Jewish soldier who is defending a Jewish home anywhere in the Land of Israel should be proud of himself and understand that every moment of his time is engaged in mitzvah. I can't think of anything that's worth MORE state protection than a Jewish village.

"If you could live with your Arab neighbors I might feel differently, but to plant yourselves among them and spew invectives and create further division creates an impossible situation"

Please see the land ratios I supplied in my initial comment. This is kind of like wanting to take away Tribal Land in Oklahoma because the Native Americans "can't get along" with the United States. Furthermore, the "plant yourselves among them and spew invectives" thing could just as easily apply to the whole State of Israel as it could to Yehudah and Shomron. What I mean is that teeny weeny Israel was also transplanted into a sea of Arabs. And we fought a few bloody battles with them. That being the case, it would have to be said that our Jewish existence here creates an "impossible situation". If that's so, in order to "right the wrong," we have to leave.... What about Arab "invectives," by the way? Somehow more acceptable? Why?

Anyway, Racheli, I'm sorry about the meanness. I shouldn't have spoken to a sister like that. I hope you'll forgive me.


I hope you'll come out to our neck of the woods for a visit. I'll make some baklava.