Muslims and Israel

 Despite the last few years of intensifying Muslim kill Muslim wars, despite the increase terrorism around the world, despite Isis and Boko el Haram, Israel is still viewed in the Muslim world -- and, unfortunately, by many in the west --   as the cause for all their troubles.  If only facts made a difference ...

Why do they hate Israel so much?

This is a re-post of a blog I posted in 2010. Other than another 400,000 Muslim killed by Muslims since this was posted, nothing much seemed to have change.



I have just returned from a couple of weeks in Europe – a continent in distress. The financial crisis is felt in every city in Europe, and may result in default on debt of some of the European countries. It may even lead to the collapse of the EU altogether. Iran’s plans to continue with its nuclear program will soon put Europe in the range of the Iranian nuclear warheads. The rise of extreme Islam in Europe threatens to change the face of Europe and the European culture forever. Many real problems that may threaten the European lifestyle, and yet anti-Israel sentiment is still prevalent.

My question is why? Why is anti-Israel sentiment high on the public agenda in a continent with so many urgent problems? Is Israel really such a risk to Europe, or alternatively, are Israel’s actions so horrific that Europe simply cannot ignore them for moral reasons, and put then high on the agenda, despite the more urgent problems?

Let’s look at some facts. Israel’s birth at 1948 was out of war. Like most other wars it’s controversial, and there are numerous viewpoints and interpretations of the events. Undoubtedly, both sides had their fair share of atrocities. Yet, no other birth of a nation has created such one-sided hatred.

Nowadays the existence of Israel is a fact. None of those who took part in the birth of the country is in a position of power any longer. Most of them are dead. So even those who feel that Israel birth was in sin must admit that most living Israelis had nothing to do with the birth of their country. Yet they are still a target of hatred.

There is no doubt that the Arab-Israeli conflict is ugly. There is no doubt that this has been a horrible war in which both sides have committed many atrocities. But there is also little doubt that either side is the sole responsible. The situation is rather hopeless, and nobody, absolutely nobody, has a solution. Yet, Israel is hated.

The Arab-Israeli conflict is far from being the bloodiest conflict in the world. It’s far from having the worse record of atrocities. Let’s, for example, look at some numbers (all taken from the Historical atlas of 20th century Matthew White):

The total death toll of the Israeli Arab conflict in over 100 years claimed about 60,000 people, out of which 7,000 Arabs were killed in the 40 years of occupation. It’s a horrible number indeed. However, in the same period 83 million people were killed as a result of tyranny and genocide. That is, Israel has been responsible for 0.07% of all such killings. Not so bad considering that the country has been in a war the entire period. Let’s compare it to other countries:

In China 40 million were killed under Mao

In Russia 20 million were killed under Stalin

Sudan conflict has consumed 225,000 lives

Somalia 400,000

Romania 150,000

Cambodia 225,000

Algeria 100,000 (fundamentalist Moslem insurrection only, not including the Algerian war)

Kurdistan 300,000

Liberia 150,000

Angola 550,000

Philippines 50,000

Not that these numbers justify the Arab-Israeli war, but one must wonder why the hatred in the European street is focused on Israel rather than on Algeria or Angola, for instance.

How come Israeli scholars are banned from many English academic conferences? Why don’t they ban Burmese, Sudanese or Chinese? And why, when any Muslim decides to detonate a bomb anywhere in the world, let it be London or Bali, calls against Israel are heard?

Is the very same attitude that that led the English to blame the Polish when they were first occupied by Hitler? That is blaming the bombers may lead to more religious hatred, and more bombs, while blaming Israel is safe. After all, no bomb, suicide bomber, airplane hijacking by an Israeli has ever taken place?

Or maybe it’s just the same good old anti-semitism under disguise: “we don’t hate Jews any more; it’s Israel that we hate”?

The Day I Joined the Underground

This is an excerpt from the book I am working on. Here the mother is telling her story to a group of kids sitting in the shelter.


“Soviet Union – yes … Egypt – no … Greece – no … United States – Yes … Grandpa, with a sheet of paper of all the countries in the UN assembly, was adding the numbers. On November 29th 1947 everyone was glued to the radio.

“As soon as the last vote was counted, we all rushed out, flooding the streets, heading for the city center, singing David Melech Israel Chai Vekaiam (David the king of Israel alive and living). Shops and restaurants opened their doors and handed out free food and drinks. Circles inside circles of hora dances erupted, and I, too, was singing and dancing, carried along by the crowd, unable to choose my way. After two thousand years, a dream was coming true; we were going to have a country again. The sight of the brightening eastern skyline startled me and brought me back to reality. Dreading punishment, I rushed back to the Old city. Grandpa was very strict.

“From the street below I could see that the light in the kitchen was on, and I knew that grandpa was awake, awaiting me. As soon as I put my key in, he opened the door. I froze. My throat was dry. I did not know what to expect. This was the first time I’d been out the whole night.

“Grandpa did not say a word. Slowly I looked up. ‘There is someone here to see you,’ he said, his face solemn, not angry. I followed him to the kitchen, my anxiety turning to curiosity. Who would visit so early in the morning? Two men were sitting at the table. Grandpa did not mention their names. Instead, he leaned forward and whispered, ‘These are members of the Haganah. They want to speak to you.’”

“What’s Haganah?” Tali interrupted.

“It’s a secret army when we were not allowed to have a real army,” I said.

“Let her tell the story,” someone hushed me. I looked around. Having pulled the mattresses closer, everyone was sitting in a circle around us.

“Boaz is right,” mom said. “The Haganah was an underground organization that defended us from the Arabs. They were our heroes. I remember one night when Grandpa entered my room with a bag in his hand. He thought I was asleep. From his bag he pulled a gun and tucked under a tile in the floor. That was when I learned that he, too, was with the Haganah.”

“Grandpa was in the Haganah?” I asked, loud enough to make sure that nobody had missed it.

Mom shot at me one of her warning glares, long enough to make me regret my comment. Then she continued. “I was disappointed. The men looked so ordinary, not like heroes at all. One was short and very thin. The other spoke in a secretive voice. He had a pointy mustache and looked like a kibbutznick. They invited me to sit with them, and told me how the Arab Higher Committee did not accept the UN resolution, and that the seven Arab states were planning a war.

“None of this was new to me. Arguing politics was our favorite pastime at school, in the youth movement, and at home. Everybody knew that the League of Arab Nations had promised 'to soak with blood every inch of Palestine' should the resolution pass. I still didn’t know why they came to speak politics with me, especially so early in the morning.

“‘We were hoping you’d help us,’ the short one said.


“I was tall and strong for my age, but could not imagine how a young girl like me could help. Still, I was excited. I didn’t think about danger or war, only that the Hagana was asking for my help. Of course I’d help. What child wouldn't?

“I jumped to my feet, stood upright and saluted. ‘At your command,’ I said

“Grandpa, who had joined us at the table with coffee and slices of cake, laughed.

“The short guy laughed, too. ‘At ease,’ he said. Then he turned serious again. ‘The Arabs do not agree to turn Jerusalem into an international city. They believe that destroying Jewish Jerusalem will break our spirit.’

“He took the last sip from the coffee and, turned the cup upside down, letting a few drops fall into the saucer. ‘You've always made the best coffee,’ he sighed looking at Sabba. Then he turned back to me. ‘The British will be leaving in six months. But they won’t let us prepare. They’ll search and arrest adults, but we believe they’ll let children pass. Your father says that you can find your way around in the Old City with your eyes shut. We need you to help us get ready.’”

Attack on Israel and Calls for Peace, are they One and the Same?

The Syrian killing - the biggest civilian massacre in Middle-East's modern history - is of no interest for most peace movements around the world

The Israeli government has approved the construction of 3,000 new homes in the occupied West Bank. A famous Israeli Rabbi has issued new dressing guidelines for religious women, stating that not even girls as young as three should expose any part of their body or wear bright colors. New regulation undermining human-rights and democracy are commonly raised in the Israeli parliament these days. It is as though Israel is playing into the hands of the anti-Israeli campaigners, whoever they might be. And they love it, especially the government sponsored Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

“We told you that Israel is against peace,” reminded us a French NGO, after the announcement of the new construction.

“Israel prefers to keep entrenching its occupation, expanding its illegal settlements, and devouring Palestinian land, rather than pursue a genuine peace with the Palestinians on the basis of UN Resolutions and International Law.” Cries SABEEL – and NGO sponsored by the Swedish and Dutch governments – in their annual Christmas message.

“Bethlehem, a city of peace, has been disfigured by tanks and soldiers on its streets,” reads the back of a Christmas card issued by War on Want, which receives British government funding.

One might be forgiven to believe that it's values like peace, justice, and human rights that motivated these statements.

But if peace is their genuine goal, why don't they mention Hamas leader, Mr. Haniyeh, who reiterated in his speech a few weeks ago that Hamas will keep fighting Israel until it is annihilated. Isn't he an obstacle to the peace process?

If justice is the motivation, shouldn't they mention, at least in a side note, the number of 'City of Peace'-originated suicide bombers responsible for the killing of dozen Israel civilians.

And if human right is what they care about, aren't they missing the largest civilian massacre in the modern history of the middle east. A massacre of 45,000 Syrians that is still taking place at this very moment.

But it's not truth, peace and justice that they care about. Those are merely excuses for the relentless anti-Israeli attacks that have been going on since the inception of Israel, regardless of what the Israel's policy of the time might have been.

But it's high time to call these organizations to reconsider their position. After all, with the worrisome changes undergoing Israel, it's slipping down the slope of becoming less democratic, more politically extreme and more religious – the very values practiced by the countries these NGOs have been embracing when attacking Israel. If Israel became like Syria, for instance, would it free its attackers to focus on where they are needed the most, like Congo, where monthly 40,000 war-related deaths have already consumed more than 6 million lives?

Goodbye Arab Spring; Welcome Back Misery

 This is not a Zionist agent

Story 1:

In 2010, before the Arab spring, a serious of shark attacks on swimmers in the water of the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh lead to the Egyptian media blaming Israel for training the sharks to destroy the Egyptian economy.

Story 2:

At the onset of the Libyan revolution, Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan tyrant – for years a supporter of anti-American and anti-Israeli campaign – was blamed by the Arab media for working for the Israeli Mossad.

Story 3:

When his father, Hafez al-Assad died, there was a moment of hope that the UK-educated, self spoken new Syrian leader will enter peace negotiations with Israel. Within months, it became clear that his views about Israel are even more extreme than his father's. This, however, did not stop the Arab media from blaming him to be a Zionist agent, when he launches his massacre rampage against his own people .

And today

A group of Jihadist from Gaza attacked an Egyptian post, killed 16 Egyptian soldiers, stole their armored vehicle and used them to break through the Israel border. Once in Israel they where intercepted and destroyed. But who is there to blame? Israel, of course. The Egyptian government is now claiming that the Mossad was trying to destabilize the newly elected Egyptian government. Naturally, nobody even tries to explain why would Israel want to have an unstable Egypt as it south border.

For the last hundred year, nobody has killed, maimed, terrorized or tortured as many Arabs as the Arabs themselves. But until the Arab people start listening to reason and fact, and unless hey wake to realize that blaming Israel for their own misdoings will not solve their problem, their misery is here to stay – probably forever.

War and Childhood

It was the night of the 22nd of May 1967. I had already been put to bed, when our neighbors Hana and Motti stormed in. My bedroom door, muffling their voices, could not mask the heated atmosphere in the other room. Nut my suspense did not last long. Rushing into my room, my mother cried, “Quickly. Put on your clothes. We are going to Grandpa's to watch the news!”

A three-quarter moon lit our way through the valley. A lone male Little Owl was screeching monotonously in the distance and I, holding my parents hands, was dragged up the hill faster than my legs could carry me. “Faster!” my father, my father, kept rushing us impatiently. “We mustn't miss the news.”

My grandparent's door was open, the place full of neighbors. Grandpa, on his knees, attempting to reduce the flickering of the image, was turning the television channel button. All around discussions, arguments, excited voices. “Quiet!” everybody hushed everyone else once the image of a large clock, its second-hand ticking towards the twelve, took over the screen. Five seconds to the English news ... four … three, the room turned silent. Only my father spoke, translating the words of the announcer. In the background Gamal Abdel Nasser, the president of Egypt, gave a speech.

"The Jews threaten us with war and we say to them, ahlan wa shlan, you are welcome. Rabin we are waiting for you. We are ready! We will not accept any coexistence with Israel. Today the issue is not the establishment of peace between the Arab states and Israel. Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel. The Arab people want to fight…”

An image of a map replaced Nasser's speech. The announcer kept talking. Abba did not. “Why did you stop? What's he saying? Can anyone tell what’s going on?” The atmosphere in the room was clearly irritated, nervous, anxious. Everybody's stares were directed at my father.

“It is confirmed,” my father's whisper roared in the silenced room. “Nasser has blocked the Straits of Tiran … Another war is imminent.”

The Fallen Teeth

(Mamila in the 1960's. Photo by Igal Morag)

With its main entrance in Israel, and its far wall in Jordan, the dilapidated old people's home, originally a luxurious mansion, towered over the neighborhood of Mamila. With falling walls and alleyways blocked by piles of debris, it was not the neighborhood of choice.

On summer days, when snipers would hide from the punishing sun and not attempt to shoot the occasional passers-by, the old people would open the metal shutters that protected their large window, and sunbath. It was on one of these days that Mathilda, suffering from a cough attack, had dropped her teeth to the ground below. This would not have been a problem if it were not for the fact that the teeth fell in the no-man-zone between the countries. The old people, crowding at the window, watched the unfolding of events as the army on both sides and the United Nation were summoned.

First to arrive in an open Jeep was an unshaved Israeli Colonel. He was followed by a United Nations car – the one that looks like a white funeral car with big black UN written on it. Soldiers rushed out of the white car and opened the door for an officer, who moved with a puffed chest, as if he owned the border. None of the old people in the window had ever seen so many medals sparkling on a single chest, and a cacophony of animated arguments, pushes and shoves, erupted over what they were for, and how he could move his legs in such overly starched trousers.

The UN officer approached the fence and talked with the Israeli Colonel, until a convoy arrived from the Jordanian side. A Jordanian General emerged from an armored car and approached the fence. With shouting and a great deal of hand movements, the sides communicated over the many rolls of barbwire that separated the countries. Eventually, the three sent their soldiers to stand back, while they started moving the wires aside, making their way towards each other through the slippery dirt. As they didn't have gloves on, it was a painful job, and the occasional rude word turned into a flood when the UN officer spotless uniform got caught in the barbwire and ripped. He was French.

When they finally found the teeth stuck deep in the mud, a new discussion erupted. The Jordanian General pointed his walking staff at the soldiers and then at the teeth and back at the soldiers. The UN officer, clearly upset, argued vehemently. The Israeli Colonel, ignoring the two, simply bent forward, plucked the teeth from the mud and waved them triumphantly. On both sides, everyone cheered and clapped. That is, everyone except for the UN officer. He was still in a foul mood, shouting at his poor soldiers even when they drove off.”

The old people secured back the metal shutters. One by one they reclined on their straw mattresses in the room lit by a single dim yellow bulb. They were happy. That night they would have something to dream about.

Israel Palestine 1000:1

A great celebration in Gaza is anticipated, as a thousand prisoners are about to be released. Prisoners with many heads on their belts: heads of butchered children, of toddlers, of people who took the wrong turn; prisoners who planted bombs in school busses, or knifed civilians and cut their hearts out.

In return for these prisoners, a single Israeli soldier will be released. And the Arab street is rejoicing. Not only does it celebrate the release of sons and daughters. It celebrates bringing Israeli to its knees. A thousand to one, can there be a bigger victory against the empire of evil?

The world, as well, does not understand. How can a country be so irresponsible? How can it release a thousand, many of whom will, undoubtedly, return to commit more atrocities and murders?

It was, no doubt, a painful decision, which no other government would have taken. But it was a brave one.

For over five years, an entire country cared about the captured soldier, stood by his family, demonstrated day and night for his release. Pain, disagreements and political disputes do not change the fact that a lost son is everyone’s son. This is the very reason that despite the wars and the terrorist attacks, Israel is a lively vibrant culture. When bombs blew up coffee shops and bars, Israel night life remained like no other. When war called people to their military service, and budgets away from the people, Israel has turned itself into a high-tech power house, second only to the Silicon Valley. A place where the daily encounter with death makes it alive. So in times when Arab governments are busy sacrificing thousands of their own people, Israel is sacrificing its own safety to save one. This is a culture that the Arab world could never accept, and has always tried to destroy: a culture where the life of a single person is worth the world.

Israel - the benevolent guardian

I wonder if it is the right timing for the Palestinian to demand their own independence now, while the Arab Spring is devouring its victims, and the Arab summer is likely to get worse.

After all, the way the Arab are treating their own people (Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, …) as they have always done (Hamas in Gaza, Lebanon Civil War, Algerian Civil War, Jordan 1973, Egypt invading Yemen 1960s, to name a few ) makes Israel look like a benevolent guardian.

Egypt, Israel, and how not to solve problems

The internal problems that infest Egypt are likely to lead the country into a chaos or religious tyranny. Yet, in a typical Middle East fashion, a million people are now called into the streets to protest against the relationship with Israel – the only country in the region that free economic relationship may help Egypt break out of its cycle of illiteracy and poverty.

Israel has nothing to do with the social problems in Egypt, nor with the killings in Libya or the massacre in Syria. But after nearly a century in which the Arab world (with the moral support of many of the western countries) has blamed Israel for all their problems, it’s hard to drop old habits and start taking responsibility. But unless they do, the future they are facing will be graver than the past they fought to leave behind.

Syria and Israel

Syrian protesters remain along the Israeli border despite the 23 killed there in the last few days. It seems that these days, the Israel border is the safest place for Syrians. Definitely safer than staying in Damascus.

Media: The War Israel Has Lost

The Middle-East war is fought in many fronts. While Israel has maintained its militarily superiority,  it’s been continuously defeated on the PR and Media fronts, which it tends to neglect.  The way the recent flotilla event was conducted PR-wise, is merely the tip of the iceberg of Israel inability to comprehend the importance of International Media and PR as a legitimate warfare strategy.  In this case, for instance, assuming that Israel needs to maintain the siege on Gaza, let’s see how it could have conducted a Media-savvy operation.

1.       In the months prior to the flotilla voyage, Israel could have preempted and published the identity of those passengers with links to Al-Qaeda and Hamas.  This would have made it apparent that the intentions of the Flotilla passengers were not necessarily peaceful.  It would have also made some of the genuine humanitarian activists on board reconsider the trip, as I believe that many of them were unaware of the terrorist affiliation of their crew mates.

2.       When the Flotilla neared Israeli water, all communication with the ship should have become public.  This would have made the non confrontational alternatives known. That is, that Israel didn’t object to the transportation of the humanitarian aid, and that the flotilla was welcomed to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where it would be inspected, and the cargo, accompanied by some of the flotilla’s members, would be shipped to Gaza by land. It would have also made it clear that sending in troops, was the last option, only after every other compromise had been declined by the ship.

3.       The preparation of the Flotilla passengers for violent confrontation should have also been broadcasted live, before the commando boarded the ship. After all, Israeli helicopters were flying above the ship and could easily have broadcast the violent intentions of the passengers.

4.       The Israeli commandos themselves should have made it visibly media-clear that their guns were paint-guns rather than real ones. Trying to fix the wrong perception after the event, once the public had made their mind, was predictably ineffective.

The result of confrontation with the Israeli professional army was known in advance. This leaves us to believe that the purpose of the confrontation was to be defeated, and thus score another win on the PR front. This is a war that Israel has been neglecting for too long, and must master, at least as much as it has mastered the military front. 

A naive question about Israel, Gaza and hypocrisy

The Rafah Crossing

The Israeli attack on the flotilla to Gaza has heated up emotions around the globe. But leaving emotions aside, the Gaza situation raises many question. 

The first one that comes to mind, is about the siege itself.  Because, while Israel is condemned for the marine siege of Gaza, a territory from which thousands of rockets have been launched onto Israel cities, Gaza has another border, a border with Egypt. Rafah is the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. However, except for a few short periods, the crossing has been closed since 2007. 

Egypt, a country of brothers to the Palestinians, has stopped any access to Gaza. Do they have a reason that Israel doesn’t? Why don’t we see attempts to break the into Gaza through the Egyptian border? Why aren’t they condemned? 

Gaza, the Israeli invasion, and some soul searching

I'm not going to delve into the complexity of the Middle East, and the futility of the solutions offered by the mass-media-informed citizens of the world, who believe they have a deep secret knowledge of the way to solve the problem between the two sworn enemies. Most believe that the an Israeli withdrawal from the territories will solve all problems.

Well, those deep thinkers seem to forget that  Israel did withdraw from Gaza a couple of years ago, and the world  celebrated the birth of HK of the Middle East. It did not happen, and the launching of missiles into Israeli cities has only intensified since then.

Other believe that Israel opening of the boarder would not solve all problems. Again they forget that whenever Israel tried it, suicide bombers from Gaza blew themselves up in Israeli cities. They also forget that Gaza has a border with Egypt. Egyptian, worried about the spread of terrorism, close their border, as well.

Anyone who claims that Israel should let missile fall on its land, and suicide bombers explode in its cities, is a hypocrite, what would you have done if bombers would explode in a regular basis in your own city, if rockets landed in your streets? Would you demand your government to deal with it? Would you demand kill on of theirs whenever one of ours is killed? Or would you demand your government to do everything in its power to make your life safe?

I am most perplexed about the heated emotions here in England. Why weren't there any demonstrations in the weeks leading to the Israel attack, when Hamas had fired dozens of missiles into Israel and Israel made it clear that it would respond if the firing continued. Why didn’t the English demonstrate to stop the attacks on Israel then, not to protect Israel but merely to stop the unavoidable?

And why didn’t we see demonstrations against Shiites killing Sunnis (and vice versa) in Iraq, against the war against PKK in Turkey, against the genocide in Darfur; against Hamas killing the Fattah supporters in Gaza, against Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Iraq-Iran War, the massacre in Algeria, Russia in Chechnya, the war in old Yugoslavia, and many others. There were no demonstrations in London, regardless of the death toll, even when it was a clear genocide.

Is it possible that under the intellectual and liberal veils, some good old anti-Semitism is raising its head? Why are you more emotional about Gaza than about  the PKK or Sri Lanka? Are you the product of the mass media brain washing, or maybe you are not the liberal you want to believe you are?

Jerusalem under snow

A beautiful city is Jerusalem. Even more so when it snows.