For far too long too many of us have been biding out tongues. We hedge our bets. We change the topic. We fudge a bit, and we answer in vague wording so that we cannot be called on it. Obviously, prominent pieces of great concern in this befogged world are the topics of Israel, the United States, Trump, and BiBi.
Some areas so are so delicate in feeling, so complicated in the interactions, that, in fact, it is really, truly, difficult to speak one's feelings in specific terminology. Because most of us are caught up and entangled in the connotations and denotations, hesitant to be convinced nor convincing, we are often pushed to the wall by those who are sure, absolutely convinced, of their rightness.
How to vote and to whom to cast your vote? What are the issues of importance and how do we rank them? Do we owe loyalty or gratitude, and how do we value that as well? Where do we draw the lines? How much leeway do we factor in when assigning the votes? With whom can we discuss these issues, so delicate are they? So confusing are they. What words and statements and declarations can we believe? How many barrels of salt must we include when making up our minds, if we indeed ever reach that point.
Those of us who are dual citizens and have the responsibility and the challenge of placing votes in both countries, have these problems in stereo. Can we try to mesh them together or to negate ourselves, so undecided, are we?
Yesterday morning, this morning, I sat here before my computer and paused the writing in order to listen to the planes fly overhead. They are so high we cannot see them, but we can hear the roar and the length of time that roar persists. The constant attempts of Hamas terrorist beasts to cross the yellow ceasefire line, have caused gunfights and unfortunately, two of our brave soldiers were killed, and three more were wounded. Israeli soldiers fired at the Hamas violators who were approaching in hostile and threatening manner.
What now? This is not the first violation of live fire, along with their refusal to honor the ceasefire agreement to return all of our hostages, including all of those murdered by them, even as we somewhat foolishly released those of theirs we were holding. We rightfully have sent those planes over their heads and given them a sample of what they deserve, but for how much longer? Even as they violate their words -not a great big surprise - our responses are either equated or are deemed violations and once again the backstabbers, the crazed, the JewHaters, those desirous of our disappearance, are right there, front and center.
And now the Gordian Knot. How do we untangle the messes facing us? Is there anyone capable of such a feat? The man who boasts that he has made peace in eight war-torn areas, despite the fact that the fighting has resumed in those places, who has portrayed himself as the unelected King and final decision maker in both America and in Israel, who has threatened Hamas with Hell, should they not disarm or should they not return the hostages, now has put pressure upon Israel. To not give them the Hell he threatened them with! Hold off - again!
When threats are not carried out to completion, they lose their power of deterrence. Thus, when Hamas has made it very clear they will not honor the ceasefire - as usual- and their main motive in crossing the line is to capture and kidnap as many soldiers as they can, all the better to gather live prisoners and again, use them as bargaining chips in demanding absurd concessions as we tremble in fear for IDF captives, seeing, knowing their brutality, how they slaughter all, no exceptions, in barbaric manner, their use of torture inflicted upon their declared enemies. They have killed, tortured, starved and burned. They have slaughtered babies and the grandparents. They have raped and decapitated. They have mutilated and disrespected basic human values.
So -here we are, in a quandary. We have ransomed our souls to Trump, treated him as if he were the signal to the oncoming of the Messiah. We have tied our fate and our free will to the USA, and that nation is itself in the midst of a growing potentiality of civil war as the nation splits between the NO KING movement and those who follow as lackeys to Trump. Or, who feel a sense of debt to thank him for this ceasefire now trembling on the brink of breakup.
What then? The man is visibly in the throes of dementia. He has demolished an historic part of the White House, is building himself an Arc de Triomphe, paved over the Rose Garden, spoken of reverse bathtubs, segued off numerous times into nonsensical verbiage, built a ridiculous monster ballroom when the country is shut down and people are in crisis. and adds to this his corruptive values and rampant greed, now violating rules in buying over 100 million dollars' worth in bonds even as he pushes for the interest rate to change, all the better for his pocket!
Will he do one of his demented turnarounds and sell Israel down the river? Will he be forced to resign or be ousted or induce that civil war growing on the horizon?? Will we then have an extreme right or extreme left with nary a one of those politicians honest or sincere enough to trust? With so many willing to discard support of Israel and ramp up the enmity towards it? With Democrats viciously buying into hatred against Israel, the desire to see it gone? Do we look backwards or forward? How are we, the dual citizens, to see our place in this, where our duty lies? Do we go with Trump, till now mostly beneficial to us, or do we go with our fear and hatred of a possible destruction of democracy within the USA, the realistic possibility of this man taking all power into his hands and who knows then what will happen? There is no assurance for either side and yet a decision must be made.
Finally, we come back to Israel and Bibi. Do we believe he lengthened the war to strengthen his odds to retain office? That is a harsh accusation, yet it is bolstered by certain episodes, decisions and actions, taken or not. The mess with his unbelievably lengthened trial, with every day of testimony due being pushed off - and yet this man has served the people for most of his life. What can we prove? Or refute? What can we do before this nation that has finally come together again, splits apart again? What message are we sending to our young, and into the present and future.
The other issues here are equally a necessity to solve, and perhaps the most critical to solve as they involve the unity and permanence of the nation of Israel. I believe that if we do not solve the issues of the Haredi, the pandering of them within proposed changes of the justice system, in the lack of service to the army, or national service, in the funds dispensed to those who do not serve, do not work, do not contribute to the economy, we will squander the goodwill and unity this terrible war inspired as we fought together, lost our people, our sons and daughters, our parents, our siblings, mourned as one, as one nation, one people.
The Haredi faction must do its part, make their contributions to the nation, just as all other citizens of the nation must do. Service in the army or a year of national service. Support for Haredi schools only to those who are proven to teach all subjects including secular, through high school, so that the children within are raised and taught and know enough to support themselves and the rightness of it. Our need for soldiers is critical and the answer to that need is the people of the Haredi faction. Why should they be exempt from obligations to the nation in which they reside, from which they are given money and discounts that others do not get?
Is BB doing this to keep his seat and thus failing the nation, paving the way for a crisis within Israel? Does he pander to that faction in order to retain his position? That would be indeed heartless due to the consequences, the ultimate unfairness to the rest of society. Can his values be so skewed that he would, with his allies, twist the Justice System into a pretzel formed of twisted rights, and differing obligations for its citizens?
Does he not know, nor care, that it would be the end, once again, of a Jewish state in the land . given to us by G-d, and a victory for those who have hated us through the millennia? Can he be so distorted and skewed in view that he could simply weigh his position and adjudge it as weightier, more critical to the nation than all other considerations?
What do we then say to our ancestors, our descendants, who died early, before their time, who gave so much of their lives, their selves, in defense of that nation? To the pioneers who left their families behind and rebuilt those sacred lands promised to our forefathers and foremothers? How to explain that once more our land is lost to us, our home forsaken, via errors, on purpose or accidental, by the constant arguing within those of the nation, throughout the millennia, by the persistent eternal hatred and oppression upon us by other nations of the world?
These are questions that we must answer before we cast the vote.
Are we capable of making that decision? Dual citizens and single citizens, I believe the fate of the world is actually at stake.
We had tough times in our yesterdays.
We are having similar tough times in our todays.
We must make our tomorrows better.
For if not, they will be lost.
Never to be found or repaired or regained.
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