What's Going on There, Anyway?

February 12, 2009
A non-Jewish friend read a recent column in the International Herald Tribune and thought to share it with me for my thoughts. The December 30 (a few days after the onset of the action in Gaza) column is by Benny Morris, an Israeli historian known for his often critical analysis of Israeli policies and actions toward the Arabs, as far back as the War of Independence in 1948. Morris described two fundamental aspects of foreboding in Israel—the Arab world has never accepted Israel’s legitimacy and favorable public opinion in the West is gradually declining. Morris cites four specific causes for these unsettling feelings—Iran’s nuclear ambitions, fundamentalist Hezbollah in the north, Hamas in the south, and an increasingly radicalized Arab minority in Israel itself. I appreciated the fact that my friend reached out with genuine curiosity to learn my views. One effect of being here is that friends and colleagues find themselves thinking about an area of the world, situations, and dilemmas that either would not ordinarily enter their consciousness or would not stimulate them to inquire. I confirmed the analysis by Morris. I added that given what Morris says about these stresses it is remarkable what Israel has accomplished, much less survived. What is bewildering and troubling is how easily Israel's cultural, social, and economic contributions to the world are ignored. I am not at all suggesting that because Israel does so much good, it's o.k. if 100 or 10 or even 1 child dies when Israel tries to defend herself. Actually a lot of newsprint has been consumed in Israel debating that very issue. Rather, I think there is a need for more clarity and more nuance—more substantive, curiosity driven dialogue--at the same time about a conundrum that will require conflicting interests to be served. That’s why I was glad that he reached out to begin a conversation.