Arab Israeli Christians

There are approximately 150,000 Christian Arabs in Israel today. (Rosenthal, 306) Christian Arabs in Israel face quite a dilemma. For the most part, most radical Muslims consider them the lesser of two evils (though, evil none the less) when compared to the Jewish population. Many Muslim radicals often deem Christians as Jewish collaborators. The Jewish population is often skeptical of most Arabs and often questions Arabs intentions and loyalties, often prejudging most Arabs as perspective terrorists. This forces Arab Christians into an awkward situation; Arab Christians are in the middle of a cultural battle between Muslims and Jews.







"Criticize the intifada to the wrong person and he may call you a collaborator." (Rosenthal, 308)







"Even the most moderate Muslims are afraid to sell to Christians. People who sell to us or any Jews are called collaborators. Some are shot." (Rosenthal, 309)







These testimonies depict a few of the anguishes the Arab Christians face at the hands of Muslims. Muslim vendors cannot even sell goods to non-Muslims without the risk of putting themselves in danger. Arab Christians have to be careful what they say and to whom or risk being labeled a collaborator with the Jews, a label which seemingly makes an Arab Christian essentially a Jew to Muslims and therefore an enemy to Islam.







"We wanted a nice apartment. With our last name, we knew we'd have trouble finding a place. Which is why we got a Jewish realtor. I work with her sister and the bank. She advised me to wear a big cross when I met the landlord. That way he'll know we're 'good' Arabs. (Rosenthal, 309-310)







This testimony is from Naila, an Arab Christian women looking for an apartment in East Jerusalem. This brief story speaks volumes about the Arab Christians predicament. They must advertise their beliefs to the Jewish population in order to avoid and lessen suspicions that they may be terrorists. There is a level of irony evident due to the fact that Christian Arabs must watch what they say and do in order not to be labeled as a Jewish collaborator while at the same time advertise that they are Christians in order not to arouse suspicion from the Jewish population. "We're caught in the middle," says Naila, "A lot of Muslims don't trust us because we're Christian. And a lot of Jews don't trust us because we're Arabs. They think all Arabs are terrorists." (Rosenthal, 310)







According to interviews conducted by National Geographic Magazine, modern Arab Christians blame Western (American) Christians for making matters worse for Christians living in the Middle East, especially Israel. The article suggests that the wars both in Afghanistan and Iraq are wars instigated by Christians. "To many Muslims, especially the fanatics, this looks like the Crusades all over again, a war against Islam waged by Christianity. Because we're Christians, they see us as the enemy too. It's guilt by association." (National Geographic Magazine)







The credibility of this article seems questionable in that it may be politically motivated though it indefinitely holds truth. No doubt the wars being waged in the Middle East by the U.S. have stirred up and rallied Muslim fundamentalists. The presentation of the article makes it seem as though the Arab Christians were traditionally neutral and that the U.S. involvement in the Middle East has allegedly tied the Arab Christians allegiance with that of the U.S. This would in turn make them targets in the eyes of Muslim extremists. While the United States wars in the Middle East have undoubtedly fanned the flames of hatred towards the Arab Christians, it is important to note that the United States actions did not create the flames. In other words, Arab Christians have always been a target in the eyes of Muslim radicals and now even more so due to the actions of the U.S.



" 'After Saturday comes Sunday.' Do you know what this means? It means 'After we are finished with the Jews, it's the Christians' turn,' " proclaims Naila. "They hate our religion. They call us infidel dogs, Heretics. They want us out." (Rosenthal, 308)

Muslims extremists have made it clear that if you are not one of them, you are against them, which seems to be the predicament Arab Christians, and Jews for that matter, are in.

"Anyone who doesn't get on the Islam train is done for. Anyone who wants to be certain in his life and also after death must convert to Islam. In the end, Islam will be the only religion left in the world." (Rosenthal, 312)

The Haredim- Heros or Hethans?

The Haredim are often considered to be ultra orthodox "God fearing" Jews and the pinnacle authority on living life according strictly to the Torahs teachings. The Haredims strict adherence to the Torah and ancient Judaism have earned them a reputation for being very affiliated with ritual, prayer, and sacrifice. "Haredi Judaism places heavy emphasis on ritual as a way of getting closer to God. Haredim think about how they perform nearly every act, from preparing food to washing hands before eating to making love on a Friday night, because each act is a spiritual link to God." (Rosenthal, 179) While the Haredim are considered by most to be holy figures who help their fellow Jews in Israel by means of charitable acts ranging from helping the disabled to cleaning up carnage after a suicide attack, the Haredim are also attributed as being arrogant, sheltered, social parasites who receive most of their income from subsidizing their fellow Jews tax dollars. So this begs the question: Are the Haredim charitable hero's trying to preserve the core values of Judaism or ambiguous, arrogant, social leeches?

The Haredim pride themselves on their very literal practice of the Torah. Some of the practices seem arbitrary and strange to Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike. Haredim men show no affection for their wives in public; Hand holding or verbal affection is prohibited. (Rosenthal, 182-183) Strict adherence to what is and isn't considered koshur effects purchasing choices for Haredim, ranging from a chicken for dinner to detergent used for laundry. (Rosenthal, 182) Haredim use some modern appliances but avoid popular devices like television and computers (largely because of the Internet). This suggests that the Haredim are not against the use of technology but are against tools that can be used to "poison ones soul," and draw a Haredim away from Ultra Orthodox influence and study. (Rosenthal, 188)

The Haredim seem to hold a grudge against outsiders to their communities including non Ultra Orthodox Jews. Haredim seem to consider themselves "real" Jews and Orthodox and secular Jews as seemingly "lesser" Jews. This is evident by the fact that on the Sabbath when Jews are not supposed to use technology or anything that may be considered "kindling a fire" Haredim Jews may ask a "lesser" Jew to turn on a light or push a button for a Haredim Jew. This suggests that a Haredim will not sin but will ask a "lesser" Jew to sin in their stead. This depicts a sense of arrogance surrounding Haredim.

Haredi "Shabbat cops" police Bar Ilan Street for people who drive cars on the day of the Sabbath. They will throw a variety of objects at people disobeying the Sabbath ranging from rocks to dirty diapers. To throw a dirty diaper suggests an elevated level of preparation in protesting; Clearly the Haredim are deeply offended by those who break Jewish religious law. These actions give rise to a great deal of irony. The Haredi ridicule "lesser" Jews, yet, they rely on these Jews to protect them via the armed forces and also to support them by means of government subsidizes. Haredi Jews are not required to join the Israeli Defense Force like the rest of the population because Haredi Jews insist that it will interfere with their religious studies. Also because of their intense religious studies, most Haredi Jews make poverty incomes and rely on tax dollars to survive. Many of the non Ultra Orthodox Jews recognize these issues and shun the Haredim as ungrateful outcasts who don't contribute. Since the "lesser" Jews are protecting and supporting the Haredi, why do the Haredi look down upon the other Jews that they depend on for so much? In their defense, the Haredi claim that they use prayer as their weapon and are therefore helping the IDF just as much as if they were in its ranks. On the other hand, it can be argued that the enemies that the IDF face are praying just as hard for a IDF defeat and that prayer is not an effective weapon.

Video depicting Haredi culture. Notice the boy hiding from the likely "Outsider" camera man, clearly portraying a isolationist practice in Haredi culture. Also note the extreme measures that Haredi will take to further their religious agenda by torching a pork vendor and a crematorium.

Mizrahi Jews- The Forgotten Refugees

A Mizrahi Jew is the term coined to reflect a Jew who is indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa. The Mizrahi faced a great deal of trouble from the formation of Israel in 1948, which led to a wave of anti-semitism towards Arab Jews in Arab countries. These unique Jewish people are often over looked and their story is largely unknown.

A video commemorating the forgotten refugees:

Interview with the creator of the documentary linked above entitled- The Forgotten Refugees

"With the establishment of Israel, Zionism became a capital crime. In Baghdad, which was nearly a quarter Jewish, cheering crowds gathered to see Jews hanged in the central square. The Iraqi government nationalized Jewish property and jailed and killed hundreds of Jews." (Rosenthal, 116) By 1951, nearly all of the 150,000 Mizrahi Jews in Iraq fled to Israel to escape anti-semitism. Hundreds of thousands escaped from other Arab lands like Cairo, Damascus, Iran, Morocco, and Libya. Their hardships were not over upon settling in the new Jewish state. Many Jews in Israel discriminated against the Mizrahi. They were looked at as being a "apathetic, primitive, backward people who did not like to work." (Rosenthal,116-117) These allegations were largely false; Many of the Mizrahi Jews came from urbanized areas and had educations and skillful work experience.

The Mizrahi were enduring a cultural repression. They were encouraged not to speak Arabic, though most could not speak Hebrew. Many who had been skilled workers in their birthplace were not deemed to be skilled in Israel. Some had to change their difficult to pronounce Arab names in exchange for Hebrew names. The Mizrahi cultural seemed to not count for much in the lands of Israel. (Rosenthal, 114-117)

Loolwa Khazzoom tells his story about the confusing times of being a Mizrahi Jew:

"My family remained on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for [sic] 2,500 years until 1950, when the modern Iraqi government forced Jews to flee as refugees. With a history like that,Iraqi Jews are as authentically Iraqi and Jewish as you can get. Nonetheless, throughout my life, neither the Jewish nor the Middle Eastern communities have been keen on accepting us fully. In Jewish communities in America, I experienced contempt, ridicule and discrimination based on my heritage and religious traditions. I was expected to assume my identity in favor of some kind of pan-Jewish yearning for my European roots. What European roots?"

What Khazzoom describes is a typical scenario for Mizrahi Jews. Though Khazzoom discusses the need to assume his European roots in the eyes of Americans, Ashkenazim Jews also wanted Mizrahi Jews to embrace European like roots. The problem is of course that the Mizrahi have no ties to Europe or European culture, hence the identities they are expected to assume are not familiar to them.

Naomi is a young Mizrahi Israel Jew who has a cultural clash with a non Mizrahi boy in her class who stops by her house:

"He saw the peeling paint and wall-to-wall people. My parents were eating with their hands, speaking Yemeni Arabic, and looking unkempt. I nearly died of shame. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong, but I could tell in his eyes what he thought of our 'backwardness.' He had seen the 'Other Israel,' my Israel." (Rosenthal, 114)

Naomi has a cultural shock at school and while visiting classmates homes, which are much tidier and less congested than her own. The text books at her school speak from the Ashkenazi perspective and go into depth on the horrors of the Holocaust and overshadows all of the history of the Mizrahi. Naomi explains her predicament:

"I was losing myself in their world. I learned about the heroic pioneers, all Ashkenazim, who established a new state and the kibbitzim, but not the stories of the other half of our people- people like me, the poor Mizrahim, the Arab Jews. I wanted to belong but my story was not in the books. Our culture didn't seem to count." (Rosenthal, 114)

The Mizrahi deserve to have their tale told. Michael Grynszpan, director of The Forgotten Refugees, deserves commemoration for his work on exploring these over looked and forgotten peoples history.

The Unique Dating and Mating of Israel

"Israelis tend to have a macho bravado in dating and everyday life and reassure themselves that everything will be fine even if it won't." (Rosenthal, 23) This quote does well in summarizing Israels personality as well as its perspective on life and dating. There is such a grave amount of uncertainty of the outcome of day to day life that most Israelis try to indulge their desires as a means of escaping the horrors of violence and also, in case they become a victim of it. This is best illustrated by Ori, a young boy on the verge of loosing his virginity with his girlfriend when Iraqi scud missiles began raining down in his vicinity. Ori and his girlfriend hid and put on their gas masks and tried again to have sex, though, the presence of the scuds naturally killed the mood. The next time Ori's girlfriend slept over, they once again tried to have sex and once again had to deal with Iraqi scuds raining down. This time, remarkably, Ori did not let the scud threat intervene with his sexual conquest; Ori and his girlfriend made love despite the threat of scud missiles. (Rosenthal,24-25)

Ori and his girlfriend display a common theme portrayed in daily Israeli community which is not to let the threat of terror dictate Israeli life. Ori explains, "We have what I call national Alzheimer's disease-no one wants to remember the morning's news. Life is uncertain, so eat your dessert first." (Rosenthal, 25)

While it may seem as though Israel possesses a very promiscuous generation of youth there is a variety of reasoning for this. While many Americans in comparison also experiment with premarital sex in their late teens and through out their twenties, they are usually starting blue collar jobs or attending college while Israeli young men and women and being drafted into the armed services. Americans are also relatively safe especially when compared to residents of Israel who constantly live with the uncertainty of a terrorist attack. Israelis arguably have more of a purpose for pursuing casual sex than Americans. It undoubtedly helps them find pleasure in a region afflicted with uncertainty and at times, morbid chaos. This perhaps explains why flirting and sexual harassment vary in such a large degree between the two countries. A pat on a woman's buttocks or a comment about her lovely breasts would land some severe disciplinary actions against a man in America though Israelis view it as a compliment or flirting. Israeli women are also promiscuous and look for common encounters with men in order to achieve some temporary enjoyment. One example of this is when Efrat, a woman in the Israeli army, was deeply infatuated with her commanding officer on a romantic level. When she confessed her feelings to him, he told her he must adhere to the rules and could not have a relationship with her. After his military service expired and he was discharged he and Efrat had a relationship. It didn't last long and when Efrat was asked how the romance went she replied "Wonderfully. Intense. After I got out (of the army), I broke up with him. I want to experience lots of men." (Rosenthal, 44-45) In Efrat's case, she ended her relationship with her former commanding officer (which was going well according to her) because she wanted to start all over with another man. Efrat and many Israeli youth treat relationships like a shower, you stay in while it's hot and get out when it starts to get cold. Even if a relationship is going well, once that initial spark of being in a new relationship begins to extinguish, they jump ship.

Many youth eventually outgrow their rampant sexual urges and eventually settle down with a spouse. This is an important aspect of Israeli culture do to the fact that they are a small nation and need to continue to grow. Therefore, "For a strong Israel, Jews need to marry and multiply." (Rosenthal, 36-37) Despite this fact, roughly one third of the population of Israel that is of childbearing age, is single. (Rosenthal, 36) To compensate for this, a variety of Israeli dating sites have been established to help these individuals get hitched. In some instances, these sites encourage foreign Jews to immigrate to Israel to meet their spouse. This way the population will increase slightly more rather than if to Israeli's were getting married. It's also important to note and emphasize the significance that Jews are marrying Jews. Ironically, despite all of the anti-semitism Jews have faced in recorded history, they display a drastic amount of anti-semitism towards couples that consist of only one Jew. Vandalism, threats, and even being disowned by ones family can result from one of these relationships. Naturally, because of the consequences, these relationships are discouraged and are often rare in Israel. (Rosenthal, 37-38)

Nuclear Scientist(s) Defect from Iran to the West

This weeks article suggests that at least one scientist, Shahram Amiri, who had been involved in Iran's nuclear development program has defected to the west. There may also be another, possibly scientist, who also defected though his identity and role are uncertain at this time. The information the individual(s) possessed is unclear though presumably any information ascertained would be deemed classified as not to alert Iran of what information the West has acquired.

The article mentions that these individuals were not the first to have defected from Iran. Ali Askari, the deputy Defense Minister and senior officer in the Revolutionary Guard defected in 2007. As the article suggests, the U.S. and western powers are engaged in a "Shadow war" with Iran which translates to a war for information (largely via espionage) about Iran's ambitions and capabilities as far as uranium enrichment is concerned.

Information collected by individuals who defect can have a resounding impact on global politics and stability. Iran has made clear that any violent attempts to stop their nuclear ambitions, be it from the U.S. or Israel, would result in fierce retaliation. The western powers are relying heavily on diplomacy though both sides do appear to support military action, likely as a last resort.

As the article points out: "Western governments consider Iran's bid to achieve nuclear weapons capability and its support for terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaida, a threat to international peace and stability." Based on this premise alone, it is of dire necessity that Iran's intentions be monitored closely. Even should Iran enrich uranium, to have such a powerful substance available in the often chaotic middle east could lead to the substance changing hands in some manner. Given that Iran supports radical anti-western groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaida it seems a worthy cause to be suspicious of Iran and to not allow them access to such a powerful substance. One could speculate that Global stability would rapidly decline at the mere presence of enriched uranium in the middle east.

The article appears to be relatively free of bias. It speculates that Iran is embarrassed of its people defecting, though this would seems to be a just assumption not based on a skewed or biased perspective. The information the article provides is mainly based on what appear to be facts. Most of the information is not subjective or opinionated so it seems safe to say the source is reliable.

Israel Prime Minister Challenges UN to Confront Iran

The article I have chosen depicts a great deal of concern pertaining to Iran and Israeli relations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel claimed that "Iran poses a threat to the peace of the world and that it is incumbent on the world body to prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons."Ironically, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, "Accused Isreal of "inhuman policies" in the Palestinian territories and of dominating world political and economic affairs." He also, "issued stinging attacks on the United States and its allies without calling them by name." In a final blow he[Ahmandinejad] denounced the Holocaust claiming it was"lies."

The source of these articles, The Haaretz, seems to be favoring the Israeli Prime Minister due to the fact that mentions un-related articles about Ahmadinejad and his recent controversial democratic win in the Iranian election that many are sceptical was tampered with. This calls into question Ahmadinejad's right to rule; no such equal comparison is issued regarding the Israeli Prime Minister's legitimacy. Regardless and despite The Haaretz assumed bias, Ahmadinejad does a pretty decent job slandering himself. His denunciation of the existence of the holocaust (according to Prime Minister Netanyahu, this is Ahmadinejad's third time denouncing the holocaust) is very damaging to his credibility as well as his psych. There is overwhelming evidence that the Holocaust did happen largely due to the disappearance of millions of Jews who were killed by the Nazi regime. The Jews fortunate enough to survive are still brandishing tattoos given to them by the Nazi's as a form of identification.

It is important to note that in the article Ahmadinejad claims his nuclear ambitions are for peaceful purposes yet he verbally condemns the western powers and its allies, which includes Israel. An element of irony surfaces by virtue that most nations seek nuclear weapons as a means to free themselves from being under the thumb of other nations yet the nations who have nuclear armaments do not want any other nations to arise as nuclear powers; countries who have nuclear weapons are taken more "seriously" so to speak, as opposed to those who don't. Ahmadinejad does seem to have suspicious motives as well as a displaced outlook on history, the Holocaust in particular. For his country to obtain U238 depleted uranium and other components necessary for making a nuclear bomb does not appear to be in the interest of global stability, especially after his denunciation of Israel and its western allies. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu states in the article, "Perhaps some of you think [Ahmadinejad] and his obious regime only threaten the Jews," Netanyahu continued. "Well, if you think that you are wrong, dead wrong."

On a final note, Netanyahu praised many of those who walked out during Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN meeting in New York. "History could be reversed if primitive fanaticism acquires deadly weapons," the premier told the UN. "The jury is still out on the United Nations, and the signs aren't encouraging." Netanyahu claims the UN is not doing enough to emphasize the extreme conditions that could be brought about from a nuclear powered Iran. It may be to soon to speculate whether Iran is hoping to use nuclear power plants as a stepping stone for obtaining a functional nuclear bomb, but according to Netanyahu, there doesn't seem to be any doubt.

Israel Attacked by Lebanese Rockets

The article I found pertains to a recent attack on Israel by Lebanese militants that Lebanon claims are radicals not affiliated with the Lebanon armed forces. The rockets did not produce any casualties or injuries though an electric tower was believed to be damaged as a result of the attack. Israeli forces responded to the attacks with an artillery barrage which also was believed to end in no loss of life. Both exchanges seemed to have raised alarm within the countries and investigations are underway by UN officials to pinpoint who was responsible in instigating the initial unprovoked attack.

These attacks come at a discerning time when UN peace keeping forces have been dispatched to keep both Israel and Lebanon from directly combating each other. The attacks have seemingly raised tensions though both sides do appear to be compliant overall with peace keeping efforts.

It seems apparent that Lebanon, while condemning the attacks, shows little interest in finding the perpetrators responsible. Perhaps it can be implied by information in the article ("Lebanese security sources, who reported at least two outgoing missiles and 15 incoming Israeli shells, did not say who might have fired the rockets. Shalev also wrote to the UN that Lebanon's government is not doing enough to prevent the presence of armed groups and weapons south of the Litani River, as outlined in UN Resolution 1701.") that while the Lebanon government appears compliant with maintaining a cease fire with Israel, they are not particularly enthusiastic to find the culprits who are attacking their long time enemy, Israel, from within Lebanese borders. It may even be safe to speculate that the Lebanon’s government condones inadvertent attacks such as this that occur against Israel. In this instance, the Lebanese government can easily claim it wasn't responsible for the attacks and shift the blame to radical militants who are not affiliated with the government yet share some of its traditional dislike of Israel. On the contrary, the Lebanese government can be credited with attempting to prevent terrorist groups like Hezbolah from attacking Israel by dispatching Lebanese armed forces to hunt down those who possess such ambitions, though Israel claims Lebonon is not doing enough which is evident by the fact that the attacks continue to occur.

It seems apparent that one main reason there is so much tension in the middle east is because of cat and mouse games as well as blame games which are always occurring between the countries surrounding Israel. A radical group in a country will attack Israel, in this case by rocket strike, and the government that harbors the assailants will fail to pursue those responsible, deny any involvment or responsibility, but will condemn Israel for retaliating or invading the country in order to stop the assailants themselves. Until joint cooperation from the countries who harbor the assailants and those being victimized occurs, it seems these arbitrary acts of violence are bound to repeat.

Article Link:
Israel Condemns Lebanese Rocket Attacks

Additional Link related to previous rocket attacks on Israel:
Four Rockets Hit Negev