You Just Don't Get It, Thomas L. Friedman

Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.


In his column titled: “I believe I can fly,” (N.Y. Times, November 14, 2010) the predictable anti-Israel rhetoric remains strong and vibrant. It doesn’t matter that what he writes deals with today with no regard for yesterday. It doesn’t matter that what he suggests is rooted in disdain for a people and their ideals and ideas. It doesn’t matter that he places Israel at the top of his list of distortions neglecting the other more important aspects of human tragedies that are too numerous to mention. What matters to him is that Israel be singled out for public denunciation and disesteem.

He writes about the Prime Minister of Israel, referring to him as “Bibi, “a nickname given to him by friends, not using his formal name, Benjamin Netanyahu. If this does not smack of irreverence, I don’t know what does.

Once again the issue of “settlements” is raised and brought to the front of the issues facing Israel and its neighbors. We have President Obama to thank for that because until he made this a cause for condemnation, it never really was a true issue as it has become. How forgetful we conveniently become when all we have to look back and remember is that at each turn in the long struggle for survival new obstacles are put in the road. New speed bumps are added to the equation bringing us to the undeniable conclusion that accommodation is not the order of the day.

It is ironic that the liberal commentators and the liberal media, claiming to be impartial and unbiased, refuse to listen to their own distortions of truth and fabrications. Liberalism today does not allow for differing opinions. Their mantra has become ensconced in the dogmatic approach to subjects they hold dear.

There was a time when true discourse was part of the American political agenda. There were always extremists on both sides, but there was a respect that enabled people to bring to the forefront their vision of a world of common decency. From the very beginning of our existence as a nation we understood the value of opinions and how they can be instrumental in determining our future. But we also knew that when the dust settled the will of the majority prevailed.

No we see recriminations and distrust that permeate our thinking and attitudes.
We are no longer civil. We no longer continue life content that tomorrow may bring another set of standards. The system of government we designed gives us the opportunity to continue the debate because there are many sides to every discussion. And while we join together in adjusting to the order of things, we still have the ability to make changes through a process called elections.

Conservatives make their point and liberals argue just as forcefully. That is the American way. However, we have become a fragmented society with no room for give and take, no room for maneuvering or compromise. Government has become polarized to the extent that we shout at each other rather than taking a considerate approach.

All this leads me back to the original premise of this article: getting it wrong because of prejudice and bias; disseminating information that is slanted and perverted. Israel has become the Goliath of Biblical proportions. No matter its desire and need to live in peace with its neighbors. At every turn in its existence it has been singled out as a pariah. If only Israel would disappear all would be right with the world. Look at the list of accomplishments of the U.N: The single most discussed issue deals with Israel. On numerous occasions in its sixty-five year history, this body has condemned and demonized this tiny bastion of hope and redemption.

History is replete with lesson after lesson of futile attempts to annihilate Israel and yet we survive. Is there a message here? I believe so. And the lesson is simple and comes straight from Scripture: “Those who curse Israel will themselves be cursed, but those who bless Israel will receive the blessings they so richly deserve.” (Genesis, 12:1-3) And if Scripture is not sufficient to draw any conclusions then perhaps short walks down the lane of history will give you pause to reflect.

To begin, Israel is no saint among all the sinners. It has contributed its share of mistakes and will probably do so in the future. That is because we, like everyone else, are human with human frailties and human fallibilities. But the rest of the world has demonstrated this rush to judgment. The fact that these pronouncements are motivated by fear and intimidation and not by truth surely makes them exercises in futility. Truth is the one fabric in the weave of human existence that remains central to the salvation of civilized society. Without truth there can be no expectation of connection and survival.

Israel stands at the crossroads of civilizations quest for acceptance. It wants to be part of an ever shrinking world. Its citizens are primarily interested in surviving an onslaught of vilification from every corner of the globe. Our own country, which stood by it from the very beginning, seems to be joining in the chorus of damnation starting from the very top. It is not a comfortable situation because we know the value of the Jewish experience in America. We learned from hard work and perseverance that success is not to be taken for granted. We learned, only to well, the meaning of “There arose a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph.” (Exodus, 1:8)

It seems that at every chapter in our history as a people we had to justify our worth and demonstrate over and over again the contributions made to the societies in which we were sent and even fled. And here in the United States these advances only reinforced our belief in the goodness and justice we found and a feeling of gratitude owed for this benevolence.

When you look at the map of the world and focus on the middle-east there is a tiny country. And when you spell out its name it extends into the ocean because it is so small and the word Israel does not even fit in the space of its entity. This is the same country that Thomas L. Friedman considers a threat to all of us. This same country who, time and again, offered itself up for sacrifice all in the name of accommodation. This is the same country which endured untold hardships as it attempted to find its place in the deliberations of human survival. This is the same country that extends its hand only to have it slapped because it shouldn’t be here at all. This is the same country that has fought valiantly to maintain its identity not only as a nation born out of the ashes of despair to realize its true redemption. This is the same country that has offered its scientists and technicians and humanitarians for the betterment of humankind through its research and development from irrigation to medicine and mathematics and literature and the arts.

So, Mr. Friedman, and all and whomever you represent, I suggest that you look to history to understand what you have described as a fantasy waiting for the impossible. In your zeal to make sense of the insensitivity that surrounds this tiny bastion of democracy and freedom and acceptance of all, you have neglected to remember from whence we came and how the world makes little effort to hide the contempt. Could it be that we don’t want to face the truth and realize that without Israel there is no future for anyone?

We are a people who believe that “pigs can fly.” We are pragmatists who understand that they can if you put wings on them. Yes, I believe we too can fly – that is who we are – that is what we represent – that is what makes us survivors regardless of your desire for us not to. Perhaps that is why we are at the top of your list.

You just don’t get it and it’s a guarantee that you never will.