Staying Real in Israel
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Most of Israeli society is thriving, and the movement is in all the right directions…

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Listen to how the divides and social riffs in Israel are narrowing, as Israeli society and the Israeli economy moves forward on all fronts…How the role of women and the ultra-Orthodox is evolving and advancing…contrary to the much reported problems in the religious vs. secular realm…

Also…As Israeli TV hit “Still Standing” is exported to the US and 30 other countries…A special look at Israeli TV…how it is growing and expanding

And…A riveting feature on Official Palestinian Authority-sponsored TV…From Sesame Street to the praising of murderous terrorists, to Israeli parliament members joining in the praise of terrorist-murderers of Israelis…

Plus…Turkish television breaks ground with their programming…From Holocaust documentaries to Israeli chefs…to Jewish singers representing Turkey to the international community on Eurovision…

All this and more on The Marty Roberts Show

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Archeologists just found an item actually used by the Jewish priests in the Temple Service in Jerusalem…

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Every thing you ever wanted or needed to know about the history of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel..

From the binding of Isaac by the Jewish patriarch, Abraham, Jacob’s Dream, the Tabernacle in the Wilderness…

King David, King Solomon, Daniel the Prophet, Ezra the Scribe…And, finally, liberation by Israeli paratroopers…

Two Jewish Temples…

A half-century of Jewish temple service on Mount Moriah…

Now we have the destruction of artifacts by the Muslim Wakf…No Jews are allowed to pray on the site of the Jewish Temple…and the government of Israel allows this…

We’re waiting to build the Third and final version any day now…

All this and more on The Marty Roberts Show

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We’re talking the likes of Hizbullah and Al-Quaeda here…Why isn’t anybody doing anything about this???

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Not Twitter, not the American State Department, not the U.S. Department of Justice…They seem to be more concerned with going after on-line poker sites and catching people downloading episodes of TV shows and computer games than international Jihad…

But leave it to the Israelis…Nitzana Darshan-Leitner and her Shurat Ha-Din Israel Law Center is going after Twitter BIG TIME!!!…Details of the battle on the show…

And let’s not forget Facebook…terrorist “Fan” pages and causing divorces…

Than there’s the case of Facebook threatening to sue Mark Zuckerberg…Thought he was the founder of Facebook?…not THIS one (AND he happens to be Israeli)…

Also…Israeli lawmakers are being offered their own training in use of social media (we can only hope, using it for good…)…not to mention social etiquette, like eating with utensils and keeping their mouths closed while chewing…no kidding…

Plus…Saudi hackers gain access to personal and financial information of thousands of Israelis and publish it all on the web…They call it their “gift to the world for the new year”…Listen to the show for more, and other Arab hacking of Israeli websites…for better AND for worse…

Also…The Tagli-Birthright trips to Israel launch the winter season with lots of surprises, plus record number of female Israeli Air Force pilots…

All this and more on The Marty Roberts Show

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Jewish life…Better in Israel?…

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As new immigrant “olim” to Israel continue to arrive, just in time for Hanukkah, questions arise about Jewish life in the diaspora, and especially America, where the second largest Jewish community resides.

The show explores the disturbing realities of American Jews and others living outside of Israel.

If you are Jewish and living in exile from Israel, will your children still be Jewish 20 years from now? Your grandchildren?

Also…Programs to urge Israeli Jews living abroad to come back home to Israel…some successful, others cancelled at the order of the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu…

And…U.S. President Obama addresses America’s Reform Jewish Movement…Does anybody really believe Obama’s fairy tales about his relationship with Israel?…Apparently, the American Reform Jews do…or, maybe they just don’t care all that much…

Plus…President Obama has the White House kitchen made kosher for Hanukkah…and…How is the first Afro-American U.S. President managing to alienate almost ALL of Africa?

All this and more on The Marty Roberts Show

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New heights of religion-mandated modesty, or just cultish craziness?…Depends upon which religion you ascribe to…

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With more and more women in Israel covering themselves from head to toe in black burkas, it would be a good time to look at what this phenomenon is all about. What are the roots of female dress in Islam historically? How is this affected by modern fundamentalist interpretation of the Koran and other Islamic writings? What are the implications for Muslim women?…

And what about the small cult of “Jewish Taliban” that seem to be imitating the ways of Islam? Any basis in Jewish law for such uber-modest dress in Jewish women, married and unmarried alike?

A look at the history and current status of the cult of Jewish “Veiled Women”…

Happy Hannukah

Plus…Some special Happy Hannukah thoughts…

All this and more on The Marty Roberts Show

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What do all three of these “statesmen” have in common? (other than having been appointed to jobs for which they are incompetent to perform by an incompetent president)

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They have all made headline-grabbing statements about Israel in public forums in the past week…All of which were mis-informed, ignorant, wrong and harmful to the Jewish State…

Find out what they said and why they should have kept their mouths shut…

Also…Honor killings in England…Driving women in Saudi Arabia…

Plus…Barbara Streisand to sing to Israeli soldiers…

All this and more on “The Marty Roberts Show”…

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You might miss out on the world’s first vaccine and cure for cancer!!!

Breast cancer cells

If you want to boycott Israel, do so at your own risk…the risk of being left behind, swept back to the dark ages…stripped of most of the benefits of modern science, technology and medical research…much of which comes out of the tiny little country called ISRAEL…

Boycott Israel…No, I don’t think so…not if you have even half a brain…

Eureka: World’s First Vaccine and Cure For Cancer Developed by Israeli Medicine Company

The BIG NEWS of a Cancer Curing Drug is coming in from Israel.

Reprinted from techie-buzz.com

An Israeli company has come up with a vaccine against cancer that is both safe in terms of no side-effects and can be administered as a drug. Vaxil BioTherapeutics has developed a vaccine that is now undergoing clinical trials and not yet available in the market. It is being tested at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem and the trials could take as long as six years to conclude.

A vaccine that is also a drug

The vaccine also acts like a drug, i.e. it can be administered to a sick person as a cure. The vaccine is being tested against a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma and it is generating enough success. Vaxil says that it could be used against other types of cancer as well, including the common prostrate and breast cancer. The primary immune technology, called VaxHit, can then be developed for other forms of cancer.

How the drug works

The problem with cancer is that the immune system of the body doesn’t know what exactly it should do. The Vaxil product, called ImMucin, “trains” the immune system to act in a specific way. Cancer cells have a marker called MUC1 that is unique to cancer cells only. ImMucin trains “T-cells” of our immune system to attack only those cells that are marked by the MUC1 marker. The success rate of the vaccine has not been revealed, but it is supposedly phenomenal. The diversification of the vaccine stems from the fact that MUC1 marks more than 90% of the different cancer cells. Furthermore, since only those cells marked with MUC1 are targeted, the drug has no side-effects and is completely safe to use.

This may be the ultimate magic bullet that scientists have been working towards for a long time. However, there are still a few clinical tests to go.
Vaxil’s Homepage: http://www.vaxilbio.com/

In some tests, like war, for instance, you only get one chance to do or die, but, given a second chance, it pays to learn from your mistakes…

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And that is exactly what Israel has done in dealing with repeated attempts to illegally break the Naval blockade set up to prevent arms smuggling into Gaza, flotilla or airlift…

Israels successful thwarting of “Summer Flotilla II” and the attempted “Human Airlift” of protestors to Ben Gurion Airport…

As Borat would put it, “Great Success!!”…

Also…I-Pod apps…The good, the bad and the discontinued, including some hot Israeli ideas and some not-so-hot palestinian ones…

And…Paul Simon, The Yardbirds and Ziggy Marley…in Israel soon…

Plus…Israel’s first Air Force pilot wearing a long skirt…Religiously observant AND female!…

All this and more on “The Marty Roberts Show”…

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Smart Jews plus Divine Providence…a potent combination…

Morgan Stanley raises Israel growth forecast

The US investment bank sees 4.8% growth in both 2011 and 2012

Reprinted from globes.co.il

US investment bank Morgan Stanley today raised its growth forecast for Israel. A report by analyst Tevfik Aksoy entitled “Israel: Macro Smile – Say Cheese” began “Without doubt the Israeli economy remains one of the robust and well managed among both the developed and the emerging market economies.”

The report continued, “Having shown an excellent track record in weathering the most recent crisis via timely monetary and fiscal policy responses, the country earned well deserved respect and confidence among global investors.”

After visiting Israel and meeting with Bank of Israel and other economic officials, Morgan Stanley said it had come back with positive impressions and is raising its growth forecast to 4.8% for both 2011 and 2012 from its previous growth forecast of 4.3%.

On the downside Morgan Stanley noted that house prices remain a concern due to supply-side constraints, and also warned against possible repercussions from the Palestinian plan to seek UN recognition for its independence in September.

More evidence of the importance of the Jewish State to the world, not just to the Jews…

The Israeli economy continues to be strong, offsetting the economic collapse taking place in the rest of the world.

Israel ranked 14th in global innovation

Jewish state gains nine spots over last year’s position in GII, which recognizes key role of innovation as driver of economic growth and prosperity

Reprinted from ynetnews.com

The results for the fourth edition of The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2011 have just been published and Israel is ranked number 14, a significant improvement over its number 23 position last year.

The GII recognizes the key role of innovation as a driver of economic growth and prosperity.

Launched in 2007 by INSEAD eLab, the GII has become an important tool in benchmarking continued progress in countries. The GII provides advanced metrics and approaches to better capture the richness of innovation in society and go beyond traditional measurers.

With a population of 7.3 million, Israel is ranked number 96 in global population.

The top three ranked countries in the Index are Switzerland, Sweden and Singapore. The United States is ranked seventh with Canada below them at eight.

The only other Middle Eastern country in the top 30 is Qatar at 26.

Never have to buy gas again…Ever!!!…

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The story of Shai Agassi and his revolutionary “Better Place” start-up…How it happened, how the system works, why it’s better than hybrids…
The first step towards eliminating the world’s need for arab oil?…

Better Place Founder Shai Agassi

Also…The Dutch parliament takes the first step towards banning kosher meat in The Netherlands…What does this mean to the Jews?…Is there possibly a higher message being sent here?…

Ban Shakira Facebook Page

Plus…Shakira…Banned in Egypt?…Why?…Because she visited Israel!…Welcome to the new Spring-time arab democracy in Egypt…

All this and more on “The Marty Roberts Show”…

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The government of Israel is considering releasing from Israeli jails scores of arab terrorists…terrorists that have already murdered hundreds of innocent Jews…

Gilad Shalit

Our hearts are torn over the pain and suffering already endured by Gilad Shalit and his loved ones, after being held in captivity in Gaza for five years by heartless, inhumane palestinian terrorists. We MUST do everything possible to obtain his release…NOW.

Jewish law and Jewish morality places the redeeming of Jewish captives amongst the highest priorities of any Jewish community…but not at any price. We are required to be certain that the redeeming of one precious life does not become the cause of later, even greater LOSS of life…

It is the responsibility of the government of Israel to do everything in its power to obtain the immediate release of Gilad Shalit. It is also the responsibility of the government of Israel to protect and defend the lives of the rest of Israel’s citizens. The government must not only think about Shalit today, but must consider tomorrow, the DAY AFTER his release…What is likely to happen?

This nightmarish “day after” scenario posited by my friend Dr. Aaron Lerner at IMRA seems all too likely to occur, should the government decide to free arab terrorists of the most dangerous variety in return for the release of Gilad Shalit…

Observation: The day after release of Shalit in huge trade

The following is a reasonable prediction of what will happen after Gilad
Shalit is released in a huge trade:

Reprinted from imra.org.il Dr. Aaron Lerner

1. Every terrorist group and even freelancers make absolutely every
effort to grab someone to replace Shalit.

2. The country is on high alert due to intelligence reports of plans to
kidnap another soldier.

3. Many of the attempts are foiled.

4. Thursday is a nightmare for both soldiers and their families as
soldiers make their way home for the weekend from their bases. Ditto for
Sunday as soldier return. In both instances the roads are clogged with the
cars of parents who opted to transport their children themselves rather than
rely on public transportation.

5. Within a relatively short period, a soldier is dragged off the streets
of Israel but the terrorists kill the soldier because they find that they
are unable to hide him.

6. Ultimately one of the kidnappings succeeds when a soldier dragged off
the streets reaches Gaza after being smuggled out to Egypt – all this before
it is even certain that a soldier is actually missing.

7. The IDF carries out various attacks but since Israeli intelligence is
clueless as to where the soldier is being held and since Israel wants to
avoid condemnation at this time for a massive operation, most efforts to
gain the release of the captured soldier are diplomatic and via PR.

8. The country is depressed, frustrated and there are articles in the
paper that many families with children slated to enter the IDF are seeking
ways to keep their kids out of the army.

9. There are calls to meet the demands of the terrorists to gain the
release of the new kidnapped soldier.

10. Some former senior defense-intelligence officials issue a call to
release all terrorists now being held by Israel once they have been
interrogated for information so that there is no longer any reason for the
terrorists to kidnap Israelis.

11. Under the banner “Peace Now: For the safety of our soldiers” former
senior defense-intelligence officials issue a call for Israel to make every
and any conciliation required to reach a final status agreement with the
Palestinians.

The above series of events might not transpire, but the odds that they do
are magnitudes greater than optimistic scenarios.

The former senior defense-intelligence officials who assert that Israel
knows how to deal with security threats are correct. There will be security
alerts, etc. but none of these activities will stop the kidnapping from
taking place with every terrorist group and even freelancers making
absolutely every effort to grab someone to replace Shalit.

Now that’s not to say that the recommendation of the former senior
defense-intelligence officials who are pushing for Israel to carry out the
trade aren’t right.
Its just that they should have the intellectual honesty to concede where we
may find ourselves after the deal.

Attacks on the proposed ban to criminalize Jewish ritual circumcision (brit milah) in San Francisco, California, USA spread to the legal and federal legislative fronts…

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But the King of the Zulus has requested (and received) Israeli aid in achieving his goal of circumcising 2.5 million adult Zulu males in the next 5 years…Purpose…To prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa…

And now, a serious move in The Netherlands to ban kosher meat, while the European Union attacks Judaism through labeling (again)…

Shakira

Also…Special coverage of the “Presidential Conference: Facing Tomorrow” in Israel…

Shakira debunks her alleged anti-Israel bias…

Shakira

But an album in Arabic?…Really?

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman manages to restrain herself, while proposing a peace plan of her own…

Amos Oz, Daniel Kurtzer, Jimmy Wales, Tony Blair and others…

Plus…Israel…World leader in social networking, a daughter named “Like”…

All this and more on “The Marty Roberts Show”…

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Maybe yes…maybe no. At best, we could certainly do better, considering the importance of the mission…

This article, by my good friend David Sinigaglia, presents valuable insights for those Jews contemplating aliyah/immigration to Israel, as well as lots of food for thought for those of us fortunate enough to already be “living the dream”, making our homes here, where we belong…in Eretz Yisrael…

Your comments and discussion are more than welcome…

WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

By David Sinigaglia

Our mission is to fulfill our vision: to cause the State of Israel to become the home of most of the Jewish People.

To date, the State of Israel has a population of ca. 6.3 million Jews, while the Diaspora holds 9 million Jewish residents (amongst whom are 1.5 million Israelis).

Our national mission, to bring our brethren to the Jewish Homeland, is not going well, despite all our many attempts to do so. Though Israel welcomes Jewish refugees, Holocaust survivors and other Jews drawn by their belief in God, those still considering the possibility of making aliyah (choosing to live in Israel) remain quite hesitant. Many of these potential immigrants (olim) even purchase significant properties when visiting, yet decide not to live here. If they were to join us, they would strengthen our security and enhance our economy.

Jews residing in the Diaspora do not usually feel that they belong to their place of residence, though it is hard for them to admit it, especially when their families may have been there for generations. The situation is different for Israelis residing abroad, who generally admit feeling alien where they live, because they naturally belong in the Land of Israel.

Our brethren in the Diaspora lack a sense of belongingness and responsibility due to the geographical distance between themselves and Israel, and also due to differences in the culture from where they reside.

Nonetheless, living in the Diaspora (when there is no physical threat) has certain economic rewards, often surpassing those possible in Israel, and offers the peace-of-mind of the “guest”. This does not mean that our brethren are not concerned about the situation in Israel, nor that they do not express these concerns, but their concern and care dwindles with the geographical distance…

No doubt that, despite the State of Israel’s small size, it causes a great stir amongst our brethren abroad, but they choose to support what best serves their interests from a safe distance, where they need not take responsibility for the outcomes. Make no mistake, though they care, they choose to live a life of tranquility—not one of pressure. This changes when they come to visit Israel, especially when they come to settle as olim.

Visitors reaching Israel for the first time, testify that they immediately “feel at home” once they have gotten off the plane and that this sensation is accompanied by feelings of ownership and belongingness. No doubt this is also quite satisfying, but it is overshadowed by other things not to their liking. These visitors undergo a process of comparison between their prior expectations and what they actually experience during their stay. The evaluation of the outcome depends on the size of their expectations, as opposed to the striking reality they face. What they feel is first internalized and then followed by a process of confirmation, depending on the answer to the question—Is what I see and hear the norm or are these merely unusual incidents?

150 assorted cultures (galuiyot)

Another difficult process undergone by the visitor is a direct result of his/her comprehension of the common denominator between us—we are all Jews. Despite this fact, our guest may feel some discomfort among us, because he/she will still find it hard to identify with the strange Israeli surroundings. This difficulty stems from the multitude of cultures we have gladly absorbed. We must understand our visitors’ inability to easily recognize his/her identity when surrounded by unfamiliar cultures. Our visitors must internalize their various ongoing emotions throughout their stay, until they are either accepted or forgotten.
This process causes our guests to ask themselves where they belong, which greatly effects the decisions they make—on the one hand. In the Diaspora, they feel different, in Israel they feel a sense of belonging, but they find it hard to identify with the surroundings. Not knowing Hebrew makes this even harder. However, those who often visit Israel know what to expect and it is their frustrated expectations that keep them based in the Diaspora. The case for Israelis that live abroad (yordim) visiting Israel is different; Israel is entirely familiar and holds no new expectations. Nonetheless, yordim-visitors are always comparing the goings-on in Israel to the Diaspora, strengthening their reasons for choosing to reside abroad and forcing them to justify their return to the Diaspora after their trip.

There is no doubt that Israeli culture, which has been forming over the years, is an amalgamation of all the cultures from which the immigrants came from, and places in which the yordim currently reside. Israeli culture has integrated some 150 different cultures brought to the Homeland by returning Diaspora Jewry. It would be wrong to say that Israeli culture today has taken its final form, because it is still undergoing transformation and it has not yet fully coalesced. It is being affected from many directions; some claim that there is a significant Middle Eastern influence, but this is not true. Certainly the Anglo-Saxons and Europeans here are very influential in fashioning Israeli culture.

It is not a surprise that most of the visiting Israeli yordim do not choose to remain, but return to the Diaspora, because this is the very reason they left and reside abroad, in different cultures. Those yordim know and feel that Diaspora culture is foreign to them, yet they still prefer it to current Israeli culture, which they had a hand in fashioning.

The burden of responsibility

Add to the cultural differences existing between Israel and the Diaspora one more significant factor—the acceptance of responsibility. Diaspora Jews do not bear the burden of responsibility for actions of their governments. The Jewish minority in the Diaspora always feels that it is the government who dictate the guidelines, and that the Jewish community has little or no influence on policy matters. However, in Israel, Israeli citizens have significant responsibility, manifested when determining the form of government, the kind of election process (direct, by parties, etc.), in matters of national security, regarding issues of religion and state, medical services, education and more.

The emotional process experienced by those Jews not presently living in Israel, whether they are visiting yordim or Diaspora Jews, is both complex and ambivalent. On the one hand, the visitor feels he/she has finally reached “home”; on the other hand, “home” is far away. Most of the “Children of Israel” know that, even if they have not been asked directly, He has commanded them to make aliyah and to reside in His land—the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisra’el). The Jewish People accepted the commandment to “act and hear” [Exodus 24:7]—our legacy, whether a Jew is a believer or not. This is not easy for those not living in Israel and feels even worse for those attempting to escape from admitting it.

Many Diaspora Jews are troubled by the fact that they are subconsciously aware that they were not “consulted” before being commanded to make Israel their home. This is not a simple test of faith, because were it not for that Biblical injunction, Jews would not have been persecuted in the Diaspora and our People would never have established the Jewish Homeland in the Land of Israel. Therefore, it is possible to understand (though not to accept) the reasons behind the ongoing Jewish criticism of Israel, as being part of the Jewish character. Remember that, even in Biblical times, ten of the twelve “emissaries” sent to spy on the Promised Land did not want to enter and live in Israel …

There are those who claim that Israel’s situation, existing surrounded by enemies, has affected Israeli culture. Clearly, the constant threat to the State’s existence has great influence on the state of mind of Israelis. It is hard to point to any particular culture negatively affected. To the contrary, adversity has made us stronger. The I.D.F. gives Israelis a sense of security and pride, and the nation always pulls together when threatened. In fact, it is the polarity between observant Jews and secular Jews that has had the greatest impact on the presiding atmosphere. It was said in times of old: “Your destroyers and those who laid you waste will go forth from you” [Isaiah 49:17]. Indeed, we have witnessed serious situations caused by our own lack of support for one another. Since we know who our external enemies are, their influence on Israeli culture is relatively insignificant; our culture is primarily derived and shaped by internal forces.

Size is another factor influencing the formation of our culture. Our nation is one of the smallest amongst the nations of the world, making us feel like a “baby brother” who should mind his older siblings. One concrete expression of this sentiment is the endless infiltration of foreign terminology into daily, spoken Hebrew—supposedly letting us feel more “international”. Stores with English names have sprouted like mushrooms all across the country; this is meant to convey the feeling they are offer everything “not Israeli”. The trend today is to give newborns foreign names, indicating a lack of trust in the Hebrew language and low self-confidence. By choosing to say: Ahlan! (an Arabic greeting) and Yallah, bye! (a mixed Arabic & English parting phrase), Israelis denigrate our marvelous, ancient language.

“You can take the Jews out of the Diaspora, but it’s hard to get the Diaspora out of the Jews.”

Why have I written all this? In order that we may fulfill our mission. We must get all our brethren in the Diaspora to want to come and participate with us in the building of our common Homeland, for the glory of the Jewish People in the Jewish State of Israel. The real challenge, even before we convince our brethren to make aliyah, is for those of us living in Israel to reach a state of rest and security. However, in order to attain such a supreme state of mind, we must first sense that this is our “chosen land” and that we truly have no other. Only then will we be able to honestly recommend to others to come and share our wonderful country.

Sadly, a large portion of the Israeli population does not feel this way and even has contrary beliefs. A significant number of Israeli citizens would prefer to live abroad if they could do so. This fact is evident in the manner in which returning Israelis are received. They hear questions such as: “Why did you come back?” “Wasn’t it good there?” Such comments are typical and frequently heard. This, instead of a gracious reception: “Welcome home!” In regard to olim, Israelis are a bit more cautious, yet they warn the newcomers of intimidating absorption problems they will encounter.

A lack of consideration for our fellowmen/women

This social problem is not related to the matter of national security, nor to the economic situation, since most olim now come from wealthy countries, and are professionals with prior occupational experience; most of those who have already settled in are making a decent living and successfully supporting their families. The problem begins and ends with the fact that those who come to visit, who are considering aliyah, are unable to identify with Israeli the culture they are experiencing.

There is a rampant lack of healthy interpersonal relations, a deficit of brotherly love and mutual respect, and too much egotism. These are manifested in virtually all areas of life: in the way people speak, by the littering, by irresponsible driving behavior, in the way people shove into elevators, by the poor service offered by government clerks, especially those who deal with new arrivals, by the bad service given by waiters and waitresses in restaurants, hotel receptionists, medical personnel, etc. Guests in Israel come in contact with this bad behavior from the moment they reach passport control in the airport, when the official does not even glance at the person whose passport he/she is stamping—never mind a smile and word of welcome …

Even when visiting Israeli synagogues, this lack of genuine welcoming spirit can be felt, especially when compared to the warm welcome received by newcomers to any synagogue in the Diaspora. The (unjustified) reason for this is that the Diaspora synagogue also serves as a Jewish social/community center, where Jews go to meet their brethren. Here, in Israel, we are overwhelmingly all Jewish, even in the supermarket, so it is erroneously presumed that there is no need to radiate warmth and to joyfully welcome guests in the synagogue.

Most Diaspora Jews currently reside either in European countries or in the Americas. The cultures to which they are exposed differ radically from Israeli culture. If we wish to draw them here, we must first mend our ways and change our behavior. We should do this not only to promote aliyah, but because our present behavior is unseemly. We should begin by changing the behavior of government agencies and all the red-tape encountered during attempts to get business permits or building permits for a new home.. How must a newcomer or a returning Israeli feel after being shunted around from one government office to another, not to mention the generally disappointing reception.

Israelis who reside in the Diaspora hope to succeed economically, but are also taking the opportunity to escape the very cultural environment they helped to create. We have heard, over and over again, that many Israelis prefer to take their vacations abroad, where they are less likely to run into their fellow Israelis, or, at least, so they say. The facts indicate otherwise, because those same vacationers feel more secure and are later pleased when they encounter their countrymen/women during their travels. So from what are they really running? Israelis go because they actually prefer the way they are treated by foreigners, rather than the disgusting way they themselves and other Israelis usually treat each other.

It is true that the economies of the large wealthy countries, supported by 3/4 billion citizens, are larger than the Israeli economy and always will be. Therefore, the supposed “revelation” that it is easier to make a decent living abroad is questionable. However, with all the challenges before us, if we could only increase the Jewish population of Israel from six to nine million, our economy would grow significantly stronger, as would our national security and proprietorship in our Homeland.

Every delay in beginning our mission engenders more dangers. We know that the rate of growth of the Jewish population in Israel is small in relation to the rate of growth of the non-Jewish population. It is possible that in 30-40 years the Jewish State will no longer exist, as long as we remain a democracy. It is not realistic to compete economically with other countries, and we certainly cannot compete with the relative growth of the global economy, but we can and must strengthen our country—so we do not collapse socially and economically.

A large threat hanging over us is the brain-drain, the migration of Israeli minds to the Diaspora. Meanwhile, the rate of aliyah is decreasing from year to year, because we have failed in our mission to bring our brethren here.

The “product” that will captivate the customers’ hearts

Thus far, our mission has failed because the methods were faulty. Over the years, we tried to push our brethren to come, rather than drawing them here; this was our tactical error. No one likes to be pushed, but everyone likes to be enticed. We invest massive sums in promotional public relations and send many ambassadors and consuls to improve our image and convince Jews to come. Meanwhile, many Israelis live abroad (yordim), without attaining the economic success they had sought in the Diaspora, and so they malign Israel to justify their residence abroad. What chance of success does this give the Israeli emissaries?
(There was an increase in 2009, but only because the economic situation was worse elsewhere. Especially, there was an increase in “returning”
Israelis for the first time in over ten years.

The thing that most damages the image of Israel in the eyes of Diaspora Jews (and others) is our own poor social behavior. The most significant investment we can make is right here in Israel (not in the Diaspora)—we must change our behavior (for our own good) and the image we convey of our behavior (for all our sakes). This does not mean that we should imitate them to find favor in their eyes, because Israeli culture has many virtues of its own. But since we are the “product” and they are the “customers”, to make them “buy” us, the “product” must be built and packaged in manner attractive to the eye, ear and heart of the “customers”. This can be done at no cost, but solely by means of changing our way of thinking and behaving in our country. This does not suggest that Diaspora Jews are better human beings than we are, but if we want them to fall in love with us and our country, we must better understand what is preventing them from having such feelings.

It is clear that the State of Israel will continue to welcome Jewish refugees from anti-Semitic lands, from all the surviving tribes of Israel. However, potential olim from developed countries and Israeli yordim who sought economic advancement abroad require a different approach; we must learn how to best bring them here. In the capitalistic world in which we live, the formula proposed herein is easy—a no cost solution that will provide a flourishing economy for residents of Israel.

The recipe for success

So, how do we start to fulfill our mission? First, we must begin treating ourselves and others decently, properly, politely and respectfully; only then do we give credence to the saying: “I have loved my neighbor as myself” [paraphrasing Leviticus 19:18]. Who would want to be like me, while my behavior is inappropriate? Let us make Israel the cleanest country in the world, one in which the citizens radiate love and good fellowship, peaceful ways and friendship. In this manner, we can draw our brethren to us from the Diaspora, to join us in building our Land, as it is written [Hosea 11:4]: “I led them with chains of human kindness and bonds of love.” Underneath our tough “shells”, the citizens of Israel are warm-hearted. We must receive our guests with love, thank all those who invest in building our economy and see to their proper return on investment.

The decision is ours, that of the residents of Israel, to act immediately to realize our vision. I know and believe in all that our People have accomplished during the 60 years of the State of Israel’s existence, supported by the achievements of the Diaspora Zionists and the early settlers (halutsim), is unique in the world. There is no other nation that can point to such accomplishments. Nonetheless, our mission is not to brag about our past actions, but to bring about Jewish population growth in Israel from other countries. (Again, we will always gladly absorb Jewish refugees seeking a safe-haven from those countries where they feel threatened.)

We need not demean our past achievements, but we must view this entire process as an ongoing means of enhancing our “existence” and our “survival”, both in the world and in the Land of Israel. The rate of assimilation of our brethren abroad rises every year and is currently over 55%. Thus, the suggested, self-sustaining action can also save our People, not just our Homeland.

“May the salvation of Israel come from Zion, when the Lord restores His People; Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.” [Psalms 14:7]

The Author

David Sinigaglia, was born in Florence, Italy, and made aliyah to Israel in 1935. He was raised and educated in Israel and England, served in Israeli wars and also spent many years in the Diaspora.

David has founded companies and factories in Israel and abroad, managed companies and factories in Europe and the United States, and has been responsible for the livelihoods of thousands of employees. Sinigaglia and his wife returned to Israel from Las Vegas, and built their home in Meitar, in the Negev, with the intention of helping their brethren realize the vision of returning the Jews to Zion.

Today, he is encouraging financiers and investors to support Negev development. David is also involved in business consulting to promote local companies, based on his wealth of international experience.

Sinigaglia has resided alternately in Israel and abroad, seeing Israel from near and far. All that he has presented here, he has experienced personally—physically, spiritually and emotionally. His feelings and those of countless friends and acquaintances brought about his vision and the method for its realization.

“It is not my intention to preach to my Israeli brethren, but to present them with a hopeful solution to a problem recognized by all of us.”

david@sinigaglia.com david@hanegev.com

Don’t they have something more important to worry about, like maybe saving Greece or Spain from economic collapse?

Ramat Shlomo, Jerusalem

Besides, haven’t the French learned yet that Israel’s building of homes, communities, or even cities has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with peace or the lack thereof in the Middle East?

But I DO hate to see those Frenchmen so deeply concerned over anything…

France deeply concerned over Israeli settlements

France is deeply concerned about Israel’s authorization for the expansion of 2,000 settlement homes built on occupied Palestinian land in east Jerusalem, the Foreign Ministry said Monday

Reprinted from dailystar.com

“Our position is constant: Settlement building is illegal in the eyes of international law, in the West Bank as well as in East Jerusalem,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero.

Jerusalem’s municipal council Sunday approved the expansion of 2,000 homes in the settlement district of Ramat Shlomo, allowing each home to add a room. The Ramat Shlomo neighborhood lies in an area of Arab East Jerusalem, which Israel captured during the 1967 war and later annexed in a move not recognized by the international community.

France called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume peace talks based on proposals made by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe when he visited the region earlier this month.

“We call on the parties to resume negotiations based on principles contained in the French initiative … and to refrain from unilateral gestures,” Valero said.