Dear
Readers,
These columns began on my area of America Online, called: Judaism
Today: Where Do I Fit? People anonymously
sent me E-Mail, and I began to choose one for a public response
in my Jewish E-Mail of the Week column. The column has become
quite popular and is now syndicated internationally in many
Jewish papers and websites. I hope you find they help you
as you think about the Ethics, Spirituality and Peoplehood
components of the Jewish way of Life. I welcome your
comments... see the end of the column.
Gil
PS
Teachers and others, feel free to copy my columns and forward
them or use them as you see fit. Please see the friendly
copyright notice at the end. |
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THE
DAY AMERICA WAS AWOKEN
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Readers:
Today's column is not a response to an
email. Rather it is a response to the
events, many comments I have heard and
my personal sorrow ...
Not
long after the second World Trade
Tower collapsed, I sat overwhelmed by
the images on TV, when the phone rang.
I half expected the call. One of my
many relatives from Israel was
calling. I could hear their TV in the
background, they were watching CNN.
After
suicide bombings and other traumatic
news in Israel, I often call relatives
in Israel. I just want to hear their
voices and to tell them that though
thousands of miles away, my heart
aches for them and the victims.
And
now, he was doing this for me. He too
was grieving and told me
"Americans now know what it's
like to live with terror." I
asked him in Hebrew if you can say
"the shoe is now on the other
foot." He did not understand the
words but did understand the sentiment
as do all Israelis. No wonder Israel
has declared a national day of
mourning for America's victims.
For
many years, Israel and our own experts
have spoken about how vulnerable the
US and all free democratic societies
were to terrorism. Most of us in our
blissful state of distance from the
problem, did not give much of a
thought to the threat.
When
the media or world governments did
address terror in that oddball country
Israel, somehow Israel was blamed or
her victims where lumped together with
the murderers. As author Naomi Ragen
noted in a column she wrote after the
attacks on the US:
"Just
the other day in reporting Sunday's
multiple suicide bombings in Israel,
the BBC reported: "Eight died in
Mideast violence." And this is
what they meant: Three suicide bombers
and their five Israeli victims who
were murdered in cold blood. I imagine
they won't be counting the suicide
pilots in the body count of the
American victims."
Now
we bitterly understand that the death
of victims and the death of terrorists
are not the same. Watching the news
all day, I couldn't help but think
over and over again of the US
Government's warnings to Israel to
"use restraint" as Israelis
have endured attack after bloody
attack of terror. "How much
restraint will the US use?" I
thought as I watched victims jump to
their death rather than burn to death
in the Trade Towers.
Suddenly
our eyes are opened to Israel's
cautions for years about the threat to
free people everywhere from terrorists
and the countries that support them
like Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq,
Afghanistan, Libya.
And
have we learned anything about
Palestinians (whose children watch
Sesame Street like programs on
Palestinian TV encouraging them to
become suicide bombers) who celebrated
the mass death in the US by whooping
things up in the street and handing
out candy. Will we be fooled by
Arafat, when he expresses his
condolences? This is the guy in charge
of Palestinian TV, the guy in the
1970s who introduced the world to the
term "terrorist" as well as
plane hijackings and killing innocents
in schools, malls and buses.
I
can only hope that civilized people
everywhere have awoken. We too have
now borne the brunt of terror on our
soil, in our own capital. Our peaceful
slumber is over. Now our country is in
pain and my heart aches for our
victims and their familles. Unless the
US, Europe, Russia, China and other
countries unite with Israel's resolve
and seriousness to fight terror,
further nightmare and pain awaits us
all.
Gil
A FRIENDLY COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© Copyright Gil Mann
These columns can be found at www.beingjewish.org. Not
only do I give you permissions to copy these Jewish Email
columns...I HOPE YOU WILL and that you share them with others!
All I ask is that you never charge anyone for them and that you
also include this little copyright notice. Thank You!
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