On March 31st, WNYC‘s On the Media discussed the 70+-year-old war with her Arab neighbors and the political issues swirling around Benjamin Netanyahu. You can listen and draw your own opinion.
However, I ask that you have an open before making a decision. What I will say is that this war is more about prejudice and antisemitism than anything else.
P.S. As we all know, today is Easter Sunday. Israel is the only country in that region in which Christians (and people of all faiths) can openly and freely practice whatever they believe.
Among the many virtues of democracy is the ability to openly criticize those in power without fear of persecution or death.
Recently Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the decision to do a mass overhaul of the country’s judicial system. In response, millions took to the streets to protest the move and the concern that the right is taking control of the government. Yesterday, it was a segment on WNYC‘s The Brian Lehrer Show.
This is democracy in action. This is the voice of the average citizen who disapproves of the actions of those in power and speaks loudly. Unlike other nations (cough, Iran, cough) in which protesters are jailed, tortured, and killed, there is no such action from the military.
The only thing that I disagree with was the reporter’s statements about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict (which is another topic for another time).
If I was advising Bibi, I would tell him to think long and hard about continuing on the path he is on. If he values his position and the voters who (again) put him in power, he would not listen to a minority whose beliefs differ from the rest of the population.
P.S. The video below speaks for itself in regard to the lies that the Palestinians tell themselves and the rest of the world.
Many of the Jews protesting Netanyahu in London were calling for peace with Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the anti-Zionists protesting Netanyahu were calling for Israel's destruction. pic.twitter.com/rCAPyH1ZTw
— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) March 28, 2023
There is nothing like a first hand experience to change hearts and minds. But unless one has that experience, it is unknown if hearts and minds can be changed.
Over the years, Israel has been a regular destination for members of the United States Congress. She has also experienced more than her fair share of criticism, prejudice, lies and half truths.
The latest news regarding Israel is that Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) have been banned from visiting the Jewish state with their colleagues.
The reason, as per the Israeli press is as follows: “Israel has decided. We won’t enable the members of Congress to enter the country,” Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told Kan News. “We won’t allow those who deny our right to exist in this world to enter Israel. In principle, this is a very justified decision.”
This decision, in short, is a huge mistake. While I disagree with both Representatives’s opinion of Israel, I also strongly disagree with this ban.
The ban feels like it was more than the decision of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his cabinet. The invisible hand of you know who also played a role in choosing to ban the Representatives.
I want Representatives Omar and Tlaib to see the Israel that I know and love. My Israel is a beautiful, thriving and vibrant democracy. My Israel is a land that is both ancient and modern. My Israel is a nation in which one can walk in the footsteps of the Bible while experiencing modern technological breakthroughs.
Like any nation, Israel has her fair share of problems. However, she deserves to be seen for what she is without relying on momentary news bites or flashy headlines.
I believe that it would be a wise decision by Prime Minister Netanyahu to lift the ban. But that may not happen and if it is does not, I am concerned that it may negatively impact both the United States and Israel for years to come.
Democracy is not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. But it is the only form of government that gives the average man or woman a voice in the leadership and direction of their country.
After a tense election season, Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected for a fifth term as Israeli Prime Minister. His opponent, former Chief of General Staff for the IDF Benny Gantz put up a good fight. But in the end, the Israeli voters chose to continue the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
I have to be honest, I have mixed feelings about the results of the election. As the face of Israelis and Jews all over the world, Prime Minister Netanyahu has from my perspective has done an excellent job. But he has also been accused of corruption and many are wary that he is turning to the political right. Neither of those sit well with me.
One of the things that I have been reminded of over the past two years is that just because the election is over, that does not mean that the voice of the average citizen is now silent and will remain so until the next election. We still have the right to protest if we do not agree with our leaders. I’m sure that the Israeli voters will have a thing or two to say to their elected officials in the coming years.
Any politician that climbs the political ladder will no doubt have a controversy or two attached to their name. Benjamin Netanyahu, also known as Bibi, is the Prime Minister of Israel.
Earlier this year writer Anshel Pfeffer published a biography of Benjamin Netanyahu entitled Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is the first Israeli Prime Minister to be born after the state of Israel was created in 1948. Born in Jerusalem and partially raised in the United States, Netanyahu is used to political controversy. A political animal who learned his political lessons in both Israel and the United States, the author argues that not only is his subject’s political career will soon be in pieces, but that modern Israel, for better or for worse, is defined by his leadership.
This book is part biography, part analysis of the subject’s political career. I think this book is an important read, especially if one is interested in world politics. It shows that a politician is a politician or a politician, regardless of the country they lead.
The Iranian government has made no secret of their nuclear ambitions. In signing the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in return for the lifting of severe economic sanctions.
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced to the world that Iran lied. 55,000 pages and 183 CDs tell the truth.
The Iranians have continued their nuclear program in secret while pretending to go along with the terms of the deal signed 3 years ago.
Nuclear war is one of the biggest threats to the survival of our species and our world. If Iran is not stopped, I fear what may happen.
Israel is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to world politics. Instead of mocking or disregarding the facts that have been revealed, perhaps the world should examine what Israel took the time to research and reveal.
If we don’t, I fear that Iranian nuclear bombs may one way destroy everything we hold near and dear.
In today’s news, the United Nations has once more proved how useless it has become.
The United Nations Commission On The Status Of Women accuses Israel of denying Palestinian women their rights.
That’s rich.
The areas that the Palestinians have claimed for their own (if claimed can be the right word) are ruled by a fundamentalist government who do not believe in democracy. In a fundamentalist society, women are second class citizens. They have no rights.
Israel is a democratic government. We all saw the headlines earlier this week about Benjamin Netanyahu being re-elected. There is no law, either on or off the books that states what a woman can or cannot do. Golda Meir, a woman was Prime Minister from 1969-1974.
So please tell me how a democratic government where a woman was in charge can be accused of being anti-women. Unless, that is, the accusations are coming from the same neighbors who spread hate and lies and make no bones about wanting to destroy Israel.
Writergurlny 
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