Articles

by Yosef Ben Tzion (Joel Busner) — Mar. 2001

AN EYE OPENER

As a person who occasionally suffers from insomnia I often go to my office and read myself to drowsiness in the middle of the night.  Such was the case a few nights ago.  After tossing and turning for a couple of hours, I turned on my personal computer to see what I could read on the Internet.  As I skimmed through the latest President George Bush Jr. headlines, I realized that they were too repetitive to read one after another.  I then tried the Israeli news and found nothing that I hadn't already read.  It was then that I decided to turn to my e–mails and see if any of my friends, associates, or enemies had sent me anything new.  After I deleted the unwanted ads I was determined to find something interesting.  Suddenly, I noticed a partial title, 'Violence sparks desire among Amer'.  I clicked on the letter and then the title was clear in full: 'Violence sparks desire among American Jews to support Israel's Arab minority'.  Huh?  I shook my head to make sure that I was reading right.  Indeed I was.  Well, it must be a typo.  My interest was peaked.  It was time to read on.  And read on I did.

It would seem according to an article published by the English version of Ha'aretz that certain supposed mainstream apolitical Jewish organizations are now funding exclusively Arab Israeli projects.  For many years it has been more than well known that certain left wing organizations such as the New Israel Fund have raised money exclusively for Arabs without any concern whatsoever of the consequences these actions would have on fellow Jews.  There seems to be something new and different amidst Jewish fundraising circles these days.  Now the UJA–Federation of New York wants to support projects to empower Israel's Arabs.  They are following the lead of the San Francisco Jewish Federation who have been helping Israel's Arabs to attain 'equality' for quite a while now.  According to Jesse Krasnow head of a new Federation task force to explore Jewish–Arab relations he and his colleagues concluded that, "Programs of people just talking to each other are insufficient."  He claims that the New York Federation is looking for ways to, "Expand its support for Israeli Arabs."  The article winds down with Stephen Solender the president and CEO of United Jewish Communities emphasizing this is not yet an organized initiative by his organization, but rather local initiatives by a few federations.  It ends with Mr. Solender stating that, "The United Jewish Communities still believes an intensive public relations campaign must precede planning or implementation of any initiative in this area."  If I were Yasir Arafat I would be laughing with hysteria.  The problem is I'm not.

I AM A JEW

I am a Jew living in Israel.  I am a Jew living here amongst slightly under 5,000,000 fellow Jews.  It is through living here that I have had the opportunity to enjoy some beautiful Jewish experiences.  On the other hand, it is through living here and working with our organization that I have seen the fruits of 'Peace Dividends' between Jews and Arabs.  I have seen one administration after another cave in to world and local Arab pressure.  I have witnessed Israel's highest court consistently rule against the rights of Jews in our homeland in favor of Arab aspirations.  I have seen Arab murderers of Jews released from prison go on to become 'police officers' in Arafat's army.  I have eye witnessed soldiers being attacked by punks and due to orders of restraint, have seen them retreat in utter humiliation.  I have seen state land illegally occupied by Arabs and then over time become de facto theirs.  I have seen Arab lawmakers in Israel's Knesset, many of them products of Israel's education system, rise up time and time again in support of violence against my fellow Jews in Israel.  I have seen courtrooms torn to shambles with judges escorted out of the room to protect them from violence from Arab citizens of Israel.  I have gone to hospitals and have seen Jews hospitalized from gun shot wounds, stabbings, bombings, and beatings.  I have gone to those very same hospitals and have seen Arab terrorists being treated for injuries acquired while attacking Jews.  I am a Jew who is told by most hospital staff that if my organization won't give gifts to Arab patients as well as to Jewish ones, we won't be allowed to visit and spend time with the suffering Jewish families.  I have seen more and heard more.  However, I am still here and I'm not leaving.

I AM A ZIONIST

I am a Jew living in the land of Israel, as did my forefathers.  I am a Jew who says "Next year in Jerusalem" during the reading of the Passover Haggadah and I mean it.  Not Clinton, nor Bush, not Arafat, nor Tibi, will shake my resolve.  I am proud to be here amongst my brothers and sisters.  I feel no guilt about coming home to help reclaim "Our" Homeland.  Every Jew in Israel is an obstacle to Arafat and Tibi's version of peace.  I believe that the land of Israel is an inheritance for the Jewish People for all time and I have no apologies to make to the rest of the world!  When I'm asked by so many Israelis who wish to leave here why I came in the 1st place I tell them the following: "I heard there is a Jewish state so I looked in an atlas and it seems that it should be around here."  They say that they would get green cards and leave if they could.  I tell them that Tibi and Arafat would only be too happy and I just hate to make them happy.

WE ARE OUR BROTHERS KEEPERS

I would like now to address our do–gooders sitting comfortably in their lush offices abroad.  Your offices and your high paying jobs are supported financially by masses of Jews, many who blindly write you tax–deductible checks throughout the year.  If the rush to help Israel's enemies came from misdirected innocence I would try to be forgiving.  However, we have seen this all too often.  How much money and resources have been poured into the Arab communities both in the State and the territories by Jewish donations and Israeli taxpayers?  Isn't there enough proof that the whole process has failed miserably?  The Arabs who have lived amongst the Jews have had huge increases in their standard of living.  Yet, the overwhelming majority of them are froth with hatred towards Jews.  The Arabs of inside the 67 border have aligned themselves with the Arabs of the territories as one 'Palestinian People'.  It is insulting to them to think that you can buy their nationalism with money, schools, and public utilities.  Their culture across the Middle East has shown time and again that those who are weak lose.  All the while there are so many poor and disadvantaged Jews in Israel who suffer miserably while huge sums of Jewish monies are poured into non–Jewish communities.  If we don't take care of our own who will?  There are millions of wealthy Arabs worldwide.  There are many wealthy Arabs in Israel.  I have yet to see an Arab organization raise or give money on behalf of needy or disadvantaged Jews.  They are normal.  The people who are in charge of the majority of Jewish communal funds are not normal.  We are commanded "Don't stand idly by your brother's blood".  This is part of Ahavat Yisrael, love of your fellow Jew.  Jews are being attacked in Israel every day because they are Jews!  How dare these hypocritical overpaid functionaries continue to misuse Jewish money that will undoubtedly hurt innocent Jews in the Land of Israel!  This must change.

TIME FOR SOME FRESH AIR

My name isn't Stephen Solender and I don't control hundreds of millions dollars of Jewish charity money.  Our organization, B'Ahavat Yisrael can't afford an intensive public relations campaign to brainwash you into giving your money to causes that aren't Jewish at best, and often anti Jewish.  We can however, continue to go with gifts to visit with injured soldiers, injured terror victims and their families.  With your help we will G–d willing give food and clothing to numerous families for Passover next week, many of them in the Shomron.  With more help we will have more vehicles on the roads to give lifts to stranded hitchhiking soldiers and civilians.  Soon we will begin 'Operation Cleanup' which entails taking kids off the streets in poor neighborhoods and getting them involved in volunteer manual labor cleaning up, painting, and gardening neglected areas in their respective communities.  If that works we will be able to use this same program to get youths to pick fruit from the citrus groves next year, thereby solving the labor shortage which has ruined that industry because of its over dependence on Arab and foreign labor.  It is time to refocus on us, the Jewish People.  We are all one family.  I truly hope that like me you are also tired of the same old lines.  "We must educate and empower our enemies and they will love us", is a proven fallacy which has gone stale.  Indeed, it is time for some fresh air.

by Yosef Ben Tzion (Joel Busner) — Jan. 2001

THE ELECTION

Election fever.  Once again the People of Israel are being asked to go to the polls to choose a new savior.  Who will emerge to lead the Jewish People to peace and prosperity?  Which one of the 2 great warriors will make the tough decision on what to surrender?  Which one of the 2 statesmen will sign yet another Chamberlain type agreement with an insatiable bloodthirsty murderer of Jews?  I can't help but shed a tear when I see what this non–contest boils down to.

The incumbent whether you like him or not, would be impeached and thrown out of office in the United States.  Here is a man who lies unashamedly to the public on an almost daily basis.  He has proven to be totally ineffective in all spheres of governing the country including protecting her security interests.  He consults with no one and answers to no one.  He has no legitimate mandate to continue his reign.  In order for him to win this farce of an election, Mr. Barak must do 2 things: Instill the fear of war in a sizable minority of Jews who have little or no conviction for our right to a homeland in the Land of Israel and, convince the Arab citizens of Israel to continue the trend of voting in a huge bloc for his party's now open policy of dismantling the essence of a Jewish state.  It makes one wonder what he was thinking when he was our most decorated Jewish soldier protecting the vitals of the very same State he is now ready to dismantle.

The challenger, is probably the greatest field general in modern warfare.  His strategy in the Yom Kippur war at a time when he went against his superiors and probably saved the country in the process will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest individual military achievements in modern history.  Unfortunately he is a man of many contradictions.  The same Ariel Sharon who destroyed terrorist cells in the 50s and 60s is now sending holiday greeting cards to Yasser Arafat in the middle of his henchmen's non–stop attacks against our people.  It is Ariel Sharon who presided over the expulsion of Jews from their homes in Yamit and who is so easily quieted by the leftists who tell him not to be a hypocrite when they propose to expel Jews out of their homes in Judea, Samaria, Gaza, and the Golan.  It is Ariel Sharon who told Bibi Netanyahu that Israel must not withdraw from more than another 9% of Judea and Samaria or we would risk the entire security for the rest of the country.  He then went to Washington and subsequently signed on to the Wye accords, thereby giving up another 13% of the liberated territories in what was termed to be just an interim agreement, opening the way to even more concessions.  Now he's saying that he will include Barak in his next government.  If what Barak is doing is anathema to what Sharon believes in, then how can he promise to put Barak in his government?  If Sharon is being truthful about his intentions concerning Barak, then their differences can't be too far apart.

THE OUTCOME

Whoever wins, it is obvious that it will unfortunately be another huge waste of taxpayer money.  Neither man can govern with a fragmented and hostile parliament.  Sharon, the projected victor will have to convince the Knesset to dissolve itself and have another election for parties.  While all of these political shenanigans go on, it is a pretty safe bet that Arafat's Peace Corps will continue to attack Jews all over the region with relative impunity.  To add insult to injury, the average Israeli will have the great privilege of watching on television such great Jew lovers such as Ahmed Tibi and his associates berating Jews and the Jewish state which pays their salaries, all in the name of democracy.  Of course, any self–respecting Jew who dares to call for the outlawing of these very same hostile Arabs from serving in the Knesset will be labeled a racist or a fascist from the self–hating media.  From this one can draw some conclusions.

If you are looking for our hope and aspirations to come from the Knesset and our current roster of politicians, it may be time to be 'realistic' and give up on our homeland.  All the time we keep hearing that Israel can't be too tough.  Israel will be chastised, abandoned, isolated, etc.  Interesting.  In other words, successive governments in Israel must keep making policies based on what the world will say or do.  Clinton says jump, Israel's leadership jumps.  Next it will be Bush.  Maybe we don't need Prime Ministers if the President of the United States is going to dictate what goes on here anyway.

If one were to really research the history of the State of Israel, one would learn that it was the few who got together against all odds and took on the British Imperialists and Arab Jew haters.  With the help of G–d, they laid the necessary groundwork for the foundation of a Jewish State.  Then it was a mix of early settlers and sickly looking holocaust survivors who beat all odds and warded off 7 Arab armies in 1948.  It was regular people who did the impossible.  Regular people, G–d, and the 'Jew lover' Stalin who wanted a socialist country to control in the Middle East.  Later it was England and France who supplied Israel with the many arms necessary to defeat Arab armies.  Later it became the Americans.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN'

Countries do what is in their self–interest.  The United States needed a trusted Ally in the region to offset unstable dictatorial Arab regimes in the region.  After all, if the Arabs could be tamed the Soviet Union wouldn't be able to completely dominate the region and its huge oil supplies.  Well, there isn't a Soviet Union anymore.  True, there are plenty of other potential Nuclear hoodlums out there including the new 'democratic Russia', but in the meantime, the United States is the sole dominate force on this planet.  It is with this in mind that we have watched Israel's only real ally become 'even handed' in dealing with despot Arab murderers.  Once a United States veto within a hostile U.N. was taken for granted.  That is no longer true.  Perceptively the United States doesn't need Israel like she once did.  The Jewish lobby in the United States is not what it once was and if you are paying attention to the growth of the Arab population in America, you can envision the growth of the Arab lobby.  The repercussions are being seen and heard worldwide.

All the post Holocaust taboos against attacking Jews and their places of gathering and worship in the Diaspora are breaking down.  Murders, beatings, synagogue arsons and bombings are becoming a too common occurrence in the news these days.  Speaking of news, it is incredible to watch the formerly biased anti–Israel mainstream news become so one sided that we are witnessing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state come into question from such notables as England's BBC and American controlled CNN.  Incredible interviews such as the one I witnessed recently on BBC between the regular correspondent and a journalist from the Jerusalem Post come to mind.  The BBC correspondent berated and belittled the Post journalist for any of his efforts to explain the justification of the Israeli army to quell 'Palestinian' violence.  Of course the onslaught continued with the BBC correspondent denying Israel's claim to Jerusalem.  However, the highlight of this butchering of truth and justice came in a heated exchange between the 2 of them concerning Israel's intransigence to allowing 'Palestinian' refugees to come back to pre–'67 Israel.  The BBC correspondent couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.  The Post writer explained to her that anybody who believes that the State of Israel should be a Jewish State would reject the refugee issue.  She asked why?  He told her that if Israel accepted Arab refugees within her borders it would cause a demographic nightmare and Israel would simply cease to be a Jewish State.  She then responded: "Well, many different peoples have lived as minorities in peace in the region".  I thank her so much for making my point.

THE ANSWER: BE A JEWISH LEADER

It is clear.  The more we try to please the world, the more the same world will expect us to keep bowing to them.  'A nation that shall dwell alone'.  This means that the Jewish People are supposed to be an example for the rest of the world.  Not to be a timid, scattered minority each one looking to assimilate with the hope of being accepted by the Gentiles.  The Germans destroyed the lie of the 'German' Jew just as easily as the Americans can destroy the lie of the American Jew.  No matter where we have lived.  No matter where we may travel.  No matter how loyal we may be or have been to those countries, in the end to them we are 'Jews'.  Enough of the past inquisitions, pogroms, and holocausts.  Let's put an end to today's humiliation.

We have been granted a great inheritance.  For the 1st time in nearly 2,000 years every Jew in the world can come home.  As bad as it is here in Israel, it is up to each and every one of us to contribute to making our homeland the home for all of our people.  Take the lead.  Don't worry about politics and politicians.  They come and go.  But the promise of being a free nation in our land is for eternity.  If you live in the Diaspora, come home.  We need you and you need us.  Buy a home, an apartment, or settle an undeveloped field.  But come home and stake your claim, our claim to our homeland.  For all of us, lend a hand.  Don't wait for leaders to emerge.  Set an example.  Every one of us is important.  Find the time a couple of hours each week to volunteer to help your fellow Jews.  Build up the camaraderie between us by doing positive actions.  Give tzedaka (charity) to those who are doing the positive things for the country and the Nation that you don't have the time to do.  Every morning say to yourself, "I am my brother's and sister's keeper".  An injured soldier is not a statistic.  He's a Jew.  Your brother.  Come with us to visit him in the hospital.  Thank him for taking one for all of us.  Spend an hour with his family and give them strength.  Go to the poorest of poor in this country and help them with food and clothing.  Help supply shelter to the estranged Jewish wives of abusive Arab men.  There is more.  Much more that people can do and must do.  If we can bridge the gaps that divide us by emphasizing what we have in common, we will emerge from this malaise victorious.  Let the myopic excuses for leaders know that if they won't do the job, good people are willing and able to.  You be the leader.  I'll be the leader.  Together, united, tomorrow we will be the Jewish leaders.

by Yosef Ben Tzion (Joel Busner) — Apr. 2001

A BARBECUE

After consuming far too much matzo during the Seder and early days of Pesach our family needed a change.  Why not a barbecue?  Why not indeed?  Off we went with some friends to Ra'anana Park.  "Oh my!" I exclaimed as our car entered the area of the park.  There was practically no parking for miles.  Luckily, someone pulled out not too far from the Park's entrance and we pulled in right after they left.  Before I knew it we were in the middle of the Sharon region's most beautiful and well kept park.  We made our way over to the barbecue/picnic area.  The last time I saw so much grilling going on I was at a Giant's football game at Meadowland's stadium in Rutherford New Jersey.  Only this time the meats being grilled all around me were kosher.

I went to work setting up our grill.  "Oops!"  I forgot the matches.  No problem, one of my new barbecue buddies, a guy I just met from Petach Tikvah threw me his matches.  The wind was a bit too strong and the flame kept burning out.  Here I was a veteran deli and grill man and I couldn't start my own barbecue.  Someone came from behind me, lifted my grill top and tossed in a few hot pieces of charcoal.  I thanked him, and he asked me, "What for?"  Now the wind worked in my favor and within a few minutes we had a roaring fire.  As I placed some marinated lamb on the fire, a few new 'friends' from Kfar Saba came over to trade spice secrets with me.  I later gave some of them samples of veal spareribs with duck sauce.  They simply couldn't understand why a sauce so sweet with no meat in it would be named after a duck.  No matter, they loved it!

As the cooking wore on and I wore out, my friends (the ones I came with from Ginot Shomron) began to take over the cooking to allow me time to eat all the things that I shouldn't.  I looked around at the other picnic tables and noticed one thing in common; While some people were eating rolls made from matzo, no one was eating any bread whatsoever.  What a phenomenon!  Hundreds of people all around me from so many different backgrounds and yet no one was eating bread.

LIKE A WALK IN THE PARK

It was time to take a walk with my wife.  We strolled leisurely from one section of the park to another.  Being curious I couldn't help but make more visual and acoustic observations.  There were literally tens of thousands of people.  I noticed women very modestly dressed and some not so modestly dressed.  There were men wearing black kipot, knit kipot, and no kipot.  By the petting zoo I noticed several Hasidic families and not a few of the men were wearing Shtreimels.  Besides Hebrew I heard plenty of English, French, Spanish, Russian, and a bit of Yiddish.  But mostly, I heard Jews.

BUT WHAT WILL BE?

The sun started to slowly fade and with that quorums of men began to assemble in different areas of the park to recite Mincha (afternoon service).  I ran up a hill to take a quick look at the different minyans.  What a site!  So many people praying in the same direction, Jerusalem.  As the sun bid us goodbye, we headed back to the barbecue/picnic area to pack up.

As I approached my now ash filled barbecue grill, many of my new friends were cleaning up as well.  One of them looked at me and said, "Nu, what will be?"  I stopped what I was doing and thought for a moment.  "It will be good".  I really meant it and I still do.  Not in Borough Park, Flatbush, Montreal, or in a Miami Beach Hotel.  If all the Jews would come home, we could be a free Nation in all the land of Israel as we were for a day in Pesach, in the Park.

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