Is Raf OK? -- Installment #135
2024-09-04 -- Seattle, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Chicago & Philadelphia
First Time Here? Readers suggest starting with the expanded Gaza Explainer in #133 and the context shared in #120.
Updated text: The section on Hamas’ manipulation of polling data and footnote [2] have had a few words adjusted for clarification. Meaning and intent are unchanged.
Tags: 4 Min Read; Raf’s U.S. Tour; Big Relief Area
Raf's multi-week tour of the U.S. is winding up. Amazing. Heaps of time with family immediate, intermediate and distant. Absorbed chill in California, sincerity in Seattle, pluck in Philadelphia and madness in Manhattan.
Americans raising the topic of Israel had one topic:
When Do We Get Rid of Bibi?
I can't count the times I heard this.
Raf's Perspective: Bibi and his coalition will probably serve their entire term. While Bibi (and his ministers) are responsible for their actions and omissions, it is Israelis who elected them. It is Israelis who continued to vote Likud (Bibi's party) long after it became a cult of personality (many years ago). It is Israelis who continued to vote for a leader first recommended for indictment in 1997 (and again in 1999, and again, and again, and again...). It is Israelis who "don't trust <insert non-Bibi candidate here>" to keep Israel safe (forgetting that in a parliamentary system the Prime Minister is not the Commander in Chief[1]).
A saw of my mother's: "America gets the government it deserves."
There are multiple political parties in Israel that have peace and peaceful coexistence near the top of their platforms (Meretz, Labor, etc.). In the 1990’s and into the aughts, such parties often held power (and made big moves toward peace and coexistence). But in recent years, while controlling large chunks of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) these parties have not been in the political driver’s seat.
Given the Israeli public’s avoidance of investment in long term peaceful coexistence (via its voting choices), my mom’s saw reflects how I feel about Bibi. Some leaders serve (c.f. servant-leadership). Others crave power. Bibi and his ministers are… not the former.
The reasonable expectation, from my chair, is that they will hold on to what they have.
Israel gets the government...
(The rest is commentary.)[2]
He (Bibi) Has Been In Power So Long!
Is the next thing I hear. To which I reply: So has Justice Clarence Thomas, an agent of destruction happy to allow machine guns on the streets of America (via mail order, no less) and prevent agencies from implementing regulations.
Recall that Justice Thomas turned down a one-million-dollar-a-year-for-life offer to resign a few months ago. So what is he in it for?
But that peaceful-coexistence thing… is there a partner?
Peaceful coexistence is a principle and a practice. It doesn’t happen by itself. It acknowledges reality (that there are violent enemies of peace). Having principles means…decision making is guided by values. Security can be a value. Also peaceful coexistence. Looking forward, “around the corner” of the short term, is a leader’s primary responsibility. As is principle based decision making.
The excuse “there is no partner for peace” is focus shift and foreclosure. The response (never made) is: Are you a partner for peace? Yes? Show me in what ways. The excuse is a choice to forgo responsibility. (What do you do if there is actually no partner? You improve what there is or foster its creation. Doing nothing [e.g. making an excuse] is both giving up and ceding initiative to others. [And we know who the others are likely to be….])
Burial of Hersh Goldberg-Polin
I can't begin to unpack the role of Hersh and his parents. He became a symbol. His family shared many meals with my girlfriend's. Free Hersh posters have been all over the Baka neighborhood (and others) for nearly a year.
A few photos from his burial in Jerusalem:
Here are the parents of Hersh speaking at his burial. What are they discussing? Servant-leadership. 38 min. In English. (To read the transcript, click here, the New York Times article on the the topic [PDF here])
Hersh’s death and burial, as discussed in a second New York Times article (PDF here);
From The Islamic World
Hamas Covenant
I read the Hamas Covenant of 1988. Not quite sure why. Reading it makes me feel that very few of those demonstrating for a "Cease Fire" have read it.
Mail
"You jinxed it!"
In response to the observation in #134 that Abu Obaida, the spokesman for the military wing of Hamas, had been invisible for over a month, M.T. wrote: "You jinxed it!" as there was an announcement by Abu Obaida within a day of the release of #134.
A counterpoint:
Abu Obaida only tweets and does not appear in video or voice. Something that anyone with access to the twitter account can do. The last time a sign of life (a video) was posted by him was early in July.
Abu Obaida has tweeted 3 times since the assassination of Haniyeh but has not refered to the assassination of Haniyeh at all.
We will see...
Postmark
Gaza: Level of Support for Hamas Falsified in Polling Data
The IDF revealed: Hamas falsified the data of public opinion polls in Gaza. The truth: Support for the organization is at an all-time low
The IDF found files on captured Hamas computers that show Gazan pollster Khalil Shakaki’s data was manipulated by Hamas to more than double the apparent support for Hamas and the October 7 attack among Gazans.
For example, in March, the actual polling data shows that 30.7% of Gazans supported the October 7 attack, yet Khalil Shakaki's published account falsely stated it was supported by 71.3% of Gazans. Similarly, the unmodified polling data shows 31.9% as "satisfied" with Hamas yet the manipulated published number was 62%.
The information war: Larger than the shooting war?
Tunnel Clip of the Week
It is said that destroying the whole tunnel network will take years.
Hey siri? What does true happiness look like?
Brother of rescued Beduin hostage Farhan Al-Qadi running through the hospital complex to meet his brother after more than 300 days in captivity:
Relief Area
Alef: Iranian Opposition....
Opponents of the Iranian regime on social media mock the fact that the Iranians have not yet responded to Haniyeh's assassination despite the dramatic threats.
(G-d help us for joking about threats of lethal force and indiscriminate weapons pointed at civilian targets.)
Bet: And a Gazan twist
Gimmel
Dalet
In Hebrew, 5 min, turn on Hebrew subtitles, then turn on Auto Translate to English. The auto translate is %80-90 there. Some translation tips:
Otzma: This refers to the “Jewish Power” political party which is one of the extremist parties in Bibi’s coalition. “Otzma” means “power.”
Judith: This is a mistranslation of the word for Jews.
Hey: Her Shirt...
Vav
Zayin
Chet
We take out six hostages to kill them.
(Thank you A.K., M.T.)
[1] ...the commander-in-chief of the IDF is the chief of general staff who, despite being subordinate to the minister of defense, holds the highest level of command within the military. (And, in a parliamentary system, the role of “chief” is held “by the government” which is the cabinet.)
I just discovered, that in 2002, Netanyahu testified (under oath as a private citizen) before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding the nuclear threat posed by the Iraqi regime: "There is no question whatsoever that Saddam is seeking and is working and is advancing towards the development of nuclear weapons – no question whatsoever", he said. [History has shown that in the 1999-2003 time frame this assertion was false. -R.Z.] "And there is no question that once he acquires it, history shifts immediately." In his testimony, Netanyahu also said, "If you take out Saddam, Saddam's regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region." [Also turned out to be false, unless you consider the dramatic increase of Iranian influence and power in the region to be "positive." -R.Z.]
[2] I should explain the expression: "The rest is commentary." In Yiddishkeit (Jewish Tradition) there is a "thought leader" named Rabbi Hillel the Elder. It is written in the Talmud (Shabbat, 31a) that a prospective convert to Judaism once asked Rabbi Hillel to explain the Torah while standing on one foot. Rabbi Hillel replied:
"What is hateful to you, do not do to others. This is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary. Now go learn it."
This is commonly called The Golden Rule.