Parties, Memories and Politics in the Holy Land

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Before I get into my adventures in Israel – surely amongst the most unique and fascinating countries you could ever visit – I need to make something clear:

I did not travel to Sri Lanka to engage in a heated discussion about the Tamil fight for independence. Nor did I take sides with various tribes fighting in Ethiopia., or harp on about the FARC’s misguided quest for…something, in Colombia. Israel’s turbulent history is far more complicated than most people can imagine, and most people, unfortunately, don’t imagine much further than what they read in the headlines. Try explain to a kid in Canada why the face of an aging monarch, on an island thousands of miles away, is painted on a $20 bill. Or why most of South America speaks Spanish, but Brazil speaks Portuguese, there’s Dutch in the Antilles, English in Belize, and French in Guadeloupe. Fact is, the world is shaped by geo-political events. Through battles and conquest, through culture and art, history unfolds and creates its nations. Which brings me to my point. Despite the best efforts of its enemies and lost revolutionaries trying to find a cause, Israel is not going away. It will always be, because it has always been. You just need to walk the streets of Old Jerusalem to see that.

I believe that Anti-Zionism is a different pitch toss in the same ball game as anti-Semitism. The former is steeped in ignorance, the latter steeped in racism. How else can I explain the Gays for Palestine march I saw in Vancouver, where homosexuals proudly aligned their solidarity with their Palestinian brothers, using anti-Israel slogans and placards. Did they know that Israel is the only country in the entire Middle East where homosexuals have equal rights, can run for office, can serve in the military, and not live in fear of being beaten or executed? The ignorance of these marchers is sad. Meanwhile anti-Semitism continues to spread its ugly message – that Jews are somehow responsible for all the world’s ills. A few weeks ago, synagogues in Montreal were vandalized. A Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires is bombed, a Rabbi and his pregnant wife are gunned down in Mumbai. The Elders of the Protocol of Zion, a hate-fuelled pamphlet published by Tsarist forces in the 1800’s, is blamed for stirring up mobs, spreading hate, and costing thousands of Jews their lives. Long ridiculed as a hoax, I nevertheless saw the book on sale at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, along with anti-Semitic ravings by Henry Ford. My dear friends, Jews don’t rule your lives. For decades, we weren’t even allowed to be members of elite country clubs.

All people deserve a homeland, where they can be free of persecution and aspire to something great. This includes the Kurds. This includes Palestinians. History will bring them their day, just as surely as it brought Israel to the Jews. Far more talented writers have written libraries about the history of Israel, and it’s current state of affairs. If you want to understand the conflict, I hope you read them, although you’ll probably read the ones that reinforce your point of view – Israel is the hope of all nations / Israel will be the death of all nations. Personally, I found Rolling Stone writer Rich Cohen’s Israel is Real to make the most sense, in it’s profile of the land, the people, and the characters that play on Israel’s stage. I agree with him that the narrative of Israel has been hijacked by religious extremists, political faddists, and too many people who haven’t done their homework, doing no service to Jews nor Palestinian. Still, despite the best efforts of fundamentalists in Gaza, campy protestors in Vancouver, or mad-dog presidents in Iran, Israel will not be destroyed, and Jews, persecuted for thousands of years, will not stand to be bullied.

Israel, this tiny sliver of land, captures the imagination, and world headlines more than anywhere else. Like the Jews themselves (only 14 million, compared to 2 billion Christians, 1.5 billion Muslims, and 900 million Hindus), its impact is completely out of proportion to its size. To call it a Jewish state negates its secular achievements. To call it a political state negates its spiritual centre. To understand any of this, you need to visit this country. You need to see its sites, meets its people, taste its food, and trip over the rocks of its history. I was deeply upset that political ignorance denied me the opportunity to do this with TV cameras. Finally, it was time put it all aside, pack a bag, and go see for myself. Lets forget the politics, but say a little prayer: Let everyone – Jew, Arab, Druze, Bedouin, Christian, Baha’i, and Atheist - in this important, vital, and historical holy land finally know peace and prosperity.

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