What's the IOI - "If Only Israel" - syndrome?

It's the misguided notion, peddled in the name of Israel's best interests by some in the diplomatic, academic, and media worlds, that if only Israel did this or that, peace with its neighbors would be at hand. But since it doesn't, then Israel constitutes the principal, perhaps only, real obstacle to a new day in the Middle East.

Striking, isn't it?

Poor Israel. If only it had the visual acuity of these "enlightened" souls, then all would be hunky-dory. After all, according to them, Israel holds all the cards, yet refuses to play them.

The thinking goes: Why can't those shortsighted Israelis figure out what needs to be done - it's so obvious to us, isn't it? - so the conflict can be brought to a screeching halt?

Dear Prime Minister Erdogan

Dear Prime Minister Erdogan,

I write as a friend of Turkey.

These days, though, I'm finding it harder to feel well-disposed. I've been stunned by things I've heard, seen, and read in recent weeks. The outburst of animosity for Israel and the anxiety awakened in the Turkish Jewish community make me wonder what's going on and what the future holds.

If this only emanated from the "street" or from an extremist fringe, it would be worrisome enough. But it goes deeper - and higher. It starts at the very top. Yours has been the loudest voice, and you have used it to attack Israel in a manner that is not only vicious, but also disconnected from the facts.

Take Hamas at its word

There's the story of the mother determined that her five-year-old child should one day be headed for a top college. She decided to pump him with new vocabulary words at every opportunity. When little Charlie came home from school one day, his mother promptly asked, "Charlie, what's the difference between ignorance and indifference?" Totally uninterested, he shrugged his shoulders and muttered, "I don't know and I don't care."

At times, that's the sense I get about today's response to Hamas.

It's as if there is an ignorance - perhaps a willful ignorance, perhaps just intellectual laziness - about what Hamas, which rules Gaza, really means. No, it is not just another political party in some far-off place, but something far more ominous.

Targeting Jews - again

Once again, Jews have been targeted simply for being Jews.

This time, the victims were in Mumbai.

Though some in the media were slow to identify what should have been obvious - the New York Times speculated that it might have been an "accidental hostage scene"- they weren't killed randomly. They were sought out in a carefully planned operation.

The jihadist murderers were looking for Jews, and found them.

A window into Israel's soul

If all we knew about Israel came from the media, which seems to have an aversion to upbeat stories, how would the country be portrayed? Images of war, conflict, corruption, and domestic fault lines would dominate.

And if all we knew about Israel came from international organizations, which make a habit of singling it out for vilification - especially each November, when Israel's very creation becomes an annual target for its enemies at the UN - what would we see? A nonstop litany of accusations of every conceivable evil known to humankind.

For many, these are the only sources of information about Israel.

Israel at 60: reasons to celebrate

Israel is about to mark its sixtieth anniversary.

Some friends say they're in no mood to celebrate. The timing isn't right, they complain. The country's political circuitry is overloaded. Danger lurks on the Gaza and Lebanon borders. Iran's nuclear ambitions - and annihilationist threats - loom large. Disputes over the current peace talks with the Palestinian Authority are daily fare. Israel continues to take a beating in UN forums. The drumbeat of anti-Zionism grows louder. A fractious social climate creates long-term and seemingly insoluble fissures between Arab and Jew, not to mention Jew and Jew. And global market volatility spells trouble for the Israeli economy.

All true, perhaps. But the story mustn't end there. Milestone anniversaries offer the chance to step back, however briefly, from the news of the moment and take stock of the larger picture.

Hamas: words and deeds

There's the story of the mother determined that her five-year-old wunderkind should be well-educated and one day headed for a top university. She decided to pump him with new vocabulary words each day. When little Charlie came home from school, his mother promptly said, "Charlie, what's the difference between ignorance and indifference?" To which he, totally uninterested in the exercise, shrugged his shoulders and muttered, "I don't know and I don't care."

At times, that's the sense I get from the world about Hamas.

It's as if there is an ignorance, perhaps a willful ignorance, about what Hamas, which rules Gaza, really means.

About this blog

In the Trenches American Jewish Committee (AJC) Executive Director David Harris assesses challenges to Jewish security worldwide.

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michel israel: lula's goverment is a corruption champion even in brazil. lula himself is seeking a one party minded dictartoship in Brazil. don`t trust him. his goverment is partner with the most horrific things in south america, including drug traffickers and terrorists. he is a lier.
Victor Galindo: A delightful story. I have experienced a touch of the same. Growing up in NYC, my family was the only Galindo (in our case it is Sephardic). But since then (80 years ago), I have encountered many Galindos' from Puerto Rico and Mexico and elsewhere. Quite a few with the first name Victor. Some famous like the ice skater. Generally, though, it is a bother when I am mistaken for someone with unpaid debts. Best of luck.
Janet Kasten Friedman Kohav HaShahar Israel: My husband's name is Yehoshua Friedman which is a very common name in Israel. We sometimes get other people's mail, etc. but since he's not famous (or, G-d forbid, infamous,) it makes little difference. Your tale was cute and fun to read. If it really bothers you, you can, as many people suggested, change your name. I recommend NOT changing the name completely. If you did that people would not recognise that your accomplishments were indeed yours. Adding an extra middle name, or even a nickname would do the trick, if you insisted that people use it. (e.g.the M.K. Arieh, Lova Eliav)