Passover Message

It's Passover. As Jews the world over sit at their Seder tables and recall their ancestors' exodus from Egypt, I would encourage all families to spare a thought for those Jews who are disaffected.

Introduction
In the late 19th century, Western European Jewry began to flourish. It embraced secularism, affluence and acquired a sense of national identity. Indeed, their auto-emancipation was so comprehensive that many suppressed their Jewish roots. A German-Jewish soldier, venerated for bravery during World War I, famously observed "I am a German citizen of the religion of Moses". This cultural abandonment was also coupled with a sense of indifference towards the plight of their Eastern European brothers. Many Jewish-born intellectuals arrogantly expressed disdain for the humiliated Eastern Jewry, suggesting that they must shed their persecution complex and earn their place in society. Others, less publicly, adopted the "am I my brother's keeper?" mentality. While I reject the notion that the Holocaust was God's divine manifestation, I do, very carefully and respectfully, acknowledge the irony that all 'Jews' (according to the Nazi definition), irrespective of nationality, wealth or even religious persuasion were collectively bound to experience the same horrors.

Sixty years on, and sensitivities aside, the ugly face of apathy rears its ugly head.

Double speak
A detraction from objective journalism is a lack of context. The role of the News is to merely state the facts, not extend an analysis of the situation. Accordingly, when one reads of a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, one simply absorbs the number of causalities, the circumstances of the attack, a verbose ideological statement from the relevant terrorist organisation and a statement of resolve from the authorities. Hidden within the text are the indirect effects of the conflict.

Constant Arab reprisals have created a fractured Israeli society, riddled with poverty and inequity. In 2005, Israel spent US$9.45 billion on defense. That equates to US$1500 per head
or 7.7% of GDP, the highest military spending anywhere in the world. 21% of the Israeli population live below the poverty line and thanks to the Intifada's decimation of the tourist industry, 8.9% of the labour force is unemployed. Moreover, amenities for disabled people are desperately under funded and equal access is a mere pipe dream. The privileges that are so ingrained in Australia as to be taken for granted are a result of 150 years of peace. In order for a nation to be socially aware, compassionate and prosperous peace is absolutely essential.

Few diaspora Jews acknowledge, or even recognise, that in 2006 Israeli Jews go hungry. We must ask ourselves whether present day Israel is what Herzl envisaged in 'Das Judenstaat' (a citation of modern Zionism). Yet, to do so is often confronting because it involves a critical analysis of Israel. Personally, I believe that Israel should be unrelenting in its pursuit of social equality and the alleviation of poverty. Since the conflict with the Palestinians is inevitable and will never be resolved through diplomacy, Israel should focus on settling people in homes and investing in sustainable development [please read adjunct below for explanation]. The current meshuga policy of ceding precious land to terrorists and displacing Jews in order to appease the disinterested international community is counter productive.

Less land equates fewer resources and fewer opportunities.

Adjunct
Gaza was home to beautiful costal settlements. The settlers, unlike the Palestinians, who use the terrain to launch Qasam rockets into Israel, were industrious. Using sophisticated irrigation techniques (necessitated by Israel's infertility and aridness, Israeli agricultural scientists are the foremost specialists in the world), the settlers established efficient greenhouses. These were used to grow fruit and flower exports to Europe. Prior to Israeli disengagement, a contingent of wealthy American Jews purchased the greenhouses from the settlers and donated it to the PLO. The idea was to encourage Palestinian self-reliance and stimulate job growth (the greenhouses required 250-350 employees to maintain). These greenhouses, along with abandoned synagogues were savagely destroyed within minutes of Palestinian resettlement. The Palestinian hatred of the Jews far outweighed their love of a prospect independent Palestine.