The Jews are clearly unforgivably atrocious at PR, because it’s obvious that we’re the subjects of a very intentional, well-oiled, well-funded attempt to destroy us. And yet even with the piles of evidence that billions of dollars per year are being funneled into the terrorist organizations attempting to annihilate us, there are far too many of the ‘intelligentsia’ arguing that this isn’t the case, and - in fact - we’re the bad guys.
As someone who is not Jewish Eve, I think that anything that reinforces the memory of the Shoah is extremely important. Branding is important in Israel’s PR ( which has unfortunately been eclipsed by the left) and the term ‘Never Again’ resonates with me time and again.This is what Hamas is all about. Doing it again. So if we ( Jews and nonJews) keep the mantra ‘Never Again’ and add it to the message about hostage release then the Shoah will never be forgotten
Why should UNRWA be different from every other UN agency? UNESCO denies Jewish heritage and history. UNICEF(!) accuses Israel of human rights violation in Gaza. The UN Human Rights Commission was so riddled with antisemitism, they had to take it down to the studs and start over with the Human Rights Council. With predictable results. The UN as a whole voted overwhelmingly to declare that Zionism is racism. UNRWA exists only to perpetuate Muslim hostility to the Jewish state. Imagine referring to 3rd generation Jordanian, Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, etc. nationals as "refugees". It is literal nonsense. And it is the UN. Anyone and everyone who funded the Jew-hating UNRWA--America definitely included--knew exactly what they were paying for. It paid off big-time on Oct. 7. NOW we cut them off? Evil and hypocrisy make strange bedfellows.
"People are acting stupid because they’d rather be liked. Liked at work, idolized online, retweeted on social media. They value being socially accepted over being intelligent. They’re incapable of dealing with reality. Too weak to stand in the face of it by themselves."
Says it all, what I've espoused for decades. Set 6th grade social interactions onto the world stage among erstwhile adults, we live with the consequences. With wolves amongst the sheep, who's left to protect the innocent amongst us?
Good that you touch on Holocaust Memorial Day and agree, never sure what to make of it as it was a day established by the UN. I think Yom HaShoah is the better day to remember, the date coinciding with the start of the uprising in the Warzaw Ghetto.
Aside from UNWRA's direct involvement in the perpetuation of war against Israel, it seems to me that the endless gusher of Western guilt money funneled to the Palestinians via UNWRA functions very much as a society-wide unemployment benefit with no strings attached. It allows the Palestinians the luxury of indulging in their fantasies of destroying the Jewish state, instead of taking responsibility to do the hard work of building an independent, self-sufficient functioning society and economy.
Every time I read the phrase "polar bear Jew," I kept picturing Eli Roth (as in Inglorious Basterds) dressed in a puffy winter coat, fuzzy hat and mittens wielding a baseball bat.
Very thoughtful, well-written piece. I have never understood how we can run so many successful businesses that specialize in communication yet cannot get normal people to understand the fundamental issues in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Are the misogynistic, homophobic rapists and baby killers of Hamas THAT much more appealing than Jews, who travel the world helping even their enemies in times of need? Do the existence of
Baruch Goldstein and Benjamin Netanyahu cancel out Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the tens of thousands who populate other Palestinian organizations dedicated to completing Hitler's mission?
Is there ANYTHING Jews can do, other than die, to end this?
Piping up as a Jewish, Zionist, trauma therapist. I’m not shocked that peace is what the Maté brand is espousing. I am disappointed. I think being Canadian makes us limited in understanding what Jews in Israel are living with day to day. It’s very unfortunate that Daniel has not put himself in the shoes of our sisters and brothers and imagined more than a hundred days of shelling, even during a declared ceasefire. But there you have it. Some of us can’t summon the denial required to call for a ceasefire. I want to LIVE a lot more than I want to be liked.
I didn't like the penguin metaphor. I saved one penguin who was trapped in a reef once and turned him back to the ocean (he was cute, but he actually took a shit in my arm while I was saving him lol). Anyway, about UNRWA, if they solve the problem, they lose their jobs, it's crystal clear. Using the money to keep the people they are supposed to help living in tents with false promises is the opposite of humanitarian work. It's cruel and manipulative. Vulnerable Palestinians deserve better.
Another excellent essay with many aspects worthy of thought and comment. I'll choose one. I liked the metaphor of penquins and polar bears, very original. Less original but one I lived with as a law enforcement officer for 28 years was that of wolf, sheepdog, and sheep. As LEOs, we considered ourselves sheepdogs, protecting the sheep from the wolf. The wolfs hated the sheepdog because we kept them from the sheep. The sheep were leery and often afraid of the sheepdog because we reminded them too much of the wolf. I'm proud to have been and remain a sheepdog, but you don't have to be a LEO to be a sheepdog. By your essays and insights Eve, you are not only a polar bear but also a sheepdog, as are many of the folk who follow and comment on Blacklisted.
As exasperating, painful and sad as it is, your "Penguin-premise" is spot on Eve and the only explanation that fits the behavior we are seeing. And this phenomenon is not just reserved for Israel and Jewish issues, it is a global plague fueled by social networking. On the topic of "Israeli PR" I remember having a long conversation with one of our Israeli companions on one of my times in Israel. I asked him then why Israel did not stand up for itself with PR more often. His reply: "We don't feel we should have to".
As someone who is not Jewish Eve, I think that anything that reinforces the memory of the Shoah is extremely important. Branding is important in Israel’s PR ( which has unfortunately been eclipsed by the left) and the term ‘Never Again’ resonates with me time and again.This is what Hamas is all about. Doing it again. So if we ( Jews and nonJews) keep the mantra ‘Never Again’ and add it to the message about hostage release then the Shoah will never be forgotten
Never Again!
Any Jews feeling the need for "warmth and gratitude" like Mate need to read David Mamet's piece on secular Judaism.
Alternately, they could buy a puppy and fuck off.
Why should UNRWA be different from every other UN agency? UNESCO denies Jewish heritage and history. UNICEF(!) accuses Israel of human rights violation in Gaza. The UN Human Rights Commission was so riddled with antisemitism, they had to take it down to the studs and start over with the Human Rights Council. With predictable results. The UN as a whole voted overwhelmingly to declare that Zionism is racism. UNRWA exists only to perpetuate Muslim hostility to the Jewish state. Imagine referring to 3rd generation Jordanian, Lebanese, Syrian, Egyptian, etc. nationals as "refugees". It is literal nonsense. And it is the UN. Anyone and everyone who funded the Jew-hating UNRWA--America definitely included--knew exactly what they were paying for. It paid off big-time on Oct. 7. NOW we cut them off? Evil and hypocrisy make strange bedfellows.
"People are acting stupid because they’d rather be liked. Liked at work, idolized online, retweeted on social media. They value being socially accepted over being intelligent. They’re incapable of dealing with reality. Too weak to stand in the face of it by themselves."
Says it all, what I've espoused for decades. Set 6th grade social interactions onto the world stage among erstwhile adults, we live with the consequences. With wolves amongst the sheep, who's left to protect the innocent amongst us?
Good that you touch on Holocaust Memorial Day and agree, never sure what to make of it as it was a day established by the UN. I think Yom HaShoah is the better day to remember, the date coinciding with the start of the uprising in the Warzaw Ghetto.
Aside from UNWRA's direct involvement in the perpetuation of war against Israel, it seems to me that the endless gusher of Western guilt money funneled to the Palestinians via UNWRA functions very much as a society-wide unemployment benefit with no strings attached. It allows the Palestinians the luxury of indulging in their fantasies of destroying the Jewish state, instead of taking responsibility to do the hard work of building an independent, self-sufficient functioning society and economy.
Every time I read the phrase "polar bear Jew," I kept picturing Eli Roth (as in Inglorious Basterds) dressed in a puffy winter coat, fuzzy hat and mittens wielding a baseball bat.
Very thoughtful, well-written piece. I have never understood how we can run so many successful businesses that specialize in communication yet cannot get normal people to understand the fundamental issues in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Are the misogynistic, homophobic rapists and baby killers of Hamas THAT much more appealing than Jews, who travel the world helping even their enemies in times of need? Do the existence of
Baruch Goldstein and Benjamin Netanyahu cancel out Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the tens of thousands who populate other Palestinian organizations dedicated to completing Hitler's mission?
Is there ANYTHING Jews can do, other than die, to end this?
Piping up as a Jewish, Zionist, trauma therapist. I’m not shocked that peace is what the Maté brand is espousing. I am disappointed. I think being Canadian makes us limited in understanding what Jews in Israel are living with day to day. It’s very unfortunate that Daniel has not put himself in the shoes of our sisters and brothers and imagined more than a hundred days of shelling, even during a declared ceasefire. But there you have it. Some of us can’t summon the denial required to call for a ceasefire. I want to LIVE a lot more than I want to be liked.
I didn't like the penguin metaphor. I saved one penguin who was trapped in a reef once and turned him back to the ocean (he was cute, but he actually took a shit in my arm while I was saving him lol). Anyway, about UNRWA, if they solve the problem, they lose their jobs, it's crystal clear. Using the money to keep the people they are supposed to help living in tents with false promises is the opposite of humanitarian work. It's cruel and manipulative. Vulnerable Palestinians deserve better.
I'd have been far more shocked if it has been established that UNRWA workers were NOT involved in terrorism against Israel.
Another excellent essay with many aspects worthy of thought and comment. I'll choose one. I liked the metaphor of penquins and polar bears, very original. Less original but one I lived with as a law enforcement officer for 28 years was that of wolf, sheepdog, and sheep. As LEOs, we considered ourselves sheepdogs, protecting the sheep from the wolf. The wolfs hated the sheepdog because we kept them from the sheep. The sheep were leery and often afraid of the sheepdog because we reminded them too much of the wolf. I'm proud to have been and remain a sheepdog, but you don't have to be a LEO to be a sheepdog. By your essays and insights Eve, you are not only a polar bear but also a sheepdog, as are many of the folk who follow and comment on Blacklisted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMIyDf3gBoY
As exasperating, painful and sad as it is, your "Penguin-premise" is spot on Eve and the only explanation that fits the behavior we are seeing. And this phenomenon is not just reserved for Israel and Jewish issues, it is a global plague fueled by social networking. On the topic of "Israeli PR" I remember having a long conversation with one of our Israeli companions on one of my times in Israel. I asked him then why Israel did not stand up for itself with PR more often. His reply: "We don't feel we should have to".
This is superb, Eve, and I'm grateful for your writing.
Hope you’re well. Miss reading your important voice.