Reflections of a Homeless Man Waiting for the Plane

The lull in posting is due to not having a home, or a computer, to use to write. That, and the headless chicken race that was foisted upon us with the Foreign Ministry strike being resolved...

I have come to an interesting conclusion though, after much thought and mental exploration.

We, as Jews, have a need for public acceptance and world regard. It is destructive, it is harmful, and it is slowly eroding Israel's precarious position in the Middle East.

"Hasbarah" is an unnecessary tool, one that tries to fight a war it cannot possibly win, on a battlefield rigged against it, with the weapons of yesterday's public relations trying to change today's opinions.

Those who are anti-Israel are (generally) uneducated, leftist romantics seeking to remake the world in line with their fantasies, who ignore the large segments of reality that dont fit the narratives they've constructed; they do not care for logic, do not care for facts, and do not care for practicalities. They will not change their minds no matter how much you prove them wrong - look at Alice Walker (she of the great alien lizard colonization beliefs), or Sarah Shulman (a gay rights activist [and a professor, despite not having an advanced degree] who thinks Israel's forward treatment of gays is a calculated coverup for its abuses of Palestinians), to name two of many.

No amount of narrative-setting, or data provision, or editorials, or social media advertising is going to accomplish anything. In fact, it alienates those in our camp, while we spend all our energies talking to those who do not listen, and are actively trying to undermine our standing (if not outright trying to dismember our State).

It is far better to make friends, to spend money inviting young leaders to see the facts on the ground, to engage in Israeli society, than it is to attempt communication with those who do not wish to interact, but only to destroy.

If only there was a program, some money, to fly in politicians and policy wonks from around the world to see what tings are like, and allow them to educate themselves. Those who are open to reality will accept it.

And above all, my fellow Yisraelim, stop. Stop wasting your time and energy chasing approval from idiots, from delusional people lost in their own emotional stupidity, from those who want you dead. Develop relationships with those who are open to having them. Build on your strengths. (And to my leftist Yisraelim, its okay to have strengths, and okay to be strong!) Accept some people arent going to like you, protect yourself from their attacks, and work on positively building lasting and meaningful relationships and institutions.