My first reaction to reading your piece was to think of my daughter's rhetorical question when addressing my grandson and eliciting no response: am I talking to the air? And the answer to her as to you is: yes, you are talking to the air. But it is good to read what you have to say because it is the most eloquent rejoinder to all the idiots out there, big and small, educated and ignorant, stupid and lazy and downright morally reprehensible, who still think Israel is both wrong and responsible for Palestinian misery. Why even the Vice-President of the United States and candidate for president does not have the intelligence to ask of the Palestinians what you ask of them. But have no fear. Your words released into the air like a thousand bottles into the sea will make their way into the history of the pathetic human race's sojourn on this planet. So thank you for talking to the air.
"Why even the Vice-President of the United States and candidate for president does not have the intelligence to ask of the Palestinians what you ask of them." This! This is what bothers me as a voting citizen of the US and all those who have turned their backs on Israel and the Jewish population. Most of those who come out and have something to say about this war are not asking the right questions of Hamas, the Palestinians, Hezbola, the Arab world. Thanks for your comments.
Unfortunately, cogent arguments aren't working, because the Palestinians and their supporters are manipulated by decades of indoctrination, amplified by tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Their emotions are at work here, not their reason.
Also, it's as if the entire nature of war has changed, as far as the that left is concerned. I constantly see the mainstream media with interviewers in Gaza being told about the death, destruction and suffering. Yet, I have never heard one interviewer ask "How about you free the hostages, turn over Hamas, and surrender?". That's how wars used to work.
An excellent analysis of why we Jews are where we are and why the Palestinians are where they are. We are the success story and they have had millions of dollars poured into their countries with nothing to show for it!!Ask why!!!
That letter should be posted to everyone through whatever means possible. Along with this question: How come Israel can live with people of all religions, genders, cultures, etc., and they live their lives and plan their futures. But why is that Muslim Arab countries can't abide not only Jews, but Chrisitans, Hindus, Bahai, Gays, etc.? There are many religions in the world, but only know of one that says, follow my rules or die. I won't state that false faith, but I think we know what it is!!! 99% of those foolish pro-Hamas protestors would not be allowed to live in those countries either. Am Yisrael Chai!!
You of course are correct in all of your points. You also know that the chances of the Palestinians turning over a new leaf at this point are slim and none. They are a captured society, held hostage by generations of lies, a supremacist religion with a political agenda, and an historical cultural mythology that they revel in. How they can continue to exist for generations solely fueled by hatred is a puzzle to anybody who is trying to lead a constructive life. I’m sure some of them have suffered injustices. We all have. That’s not an excuse to behave like barbarians.
The political structures in the Palestinian Territories have to be completely dismantled whatever it takes. The Arabs need to learn that it is not worth the trouble to attack Israel, that they are better off moving on with their lives. The only way at this point is not more understanding. It’s more ass kicking. Understanding and incentives - money, offers of nationhood, have not worked. In the absence of civility, respect or love of one’s fellow humans, fear is a functional substitute. Horrible to say, but I don’t make the rules. The Palestinians made the rules. Now they must live and die with them. As for the UN or the Western ruling class, they can go hell. The treatment that Israel has received in this conflict is an abomination, at least on the level of what’s made available to the public.
Well said Joshua. With absolute minimum research Jew haters Palestinians can look up all the false narrative and realise that it is Hama's who is the enemy not Israel.
What makes their narrative even more absurd and self-destructive is that it is an easily acquired FACT, via the internet, that the three top Hamas leaders together are worth 11 billion dollars in stolen aid money (I wonder who is inheriting Haniyeh's yacht?!) In a sane world, this would make all of the donor countries and the UN, who pour all of that blood money into Gaza, just a tad angry, and make the Gazan people, who are ill-used by their terror masters, even angrier, but the world is not sane...
Outstanding! Kol Hakavod! Am Yisrael Chai! Living side by side in peace doesn't have a chance in hell of happening as long as the terror regime in Iran continues to exist. Simple as that!!
That was brilliant, eloquent, and totally on point. What you didn't directly mention is the bias against Jews always just beneath the surface, much like 'isms' against any minority group, a bias that makes suspicion and hate easy. Nowadays it's not polite to be an antisemite - being "anti-Zionist" is just a more polite way to express Jew hate while patting oneself on the back for being a humanitarian. A win-win for small-minded and ignorant Jew haters.
Joshua, Its unfortunate that your audience is probably 99% supportive of Israel whether they are Jewish or not. This is the kind of article that needs to be read and distributed to the Palestinians, the Arab world and the world at large. It truly is a reflection of where we are today and more importantly why we are where we are today.
Until the Palestinians give up their doctrine of hate, there can never be peace and there certainly can never be a two state solution.
I feel like I am repeating myself every day so let me add a "call to action" ..... Apparently we drop pamphlets warning the Pals if we are going to bomb an area. Why would it not be incredible PR and perhaps even somewhat effective, if we dropped articles like this in Arabic every week or day or month or hour?
I dont know .... isnt there so so so and so many things we can do to improve our PR as well as perhaps get these brainwashed Pals to open their minds just a little bit? and if not them, at least open the minds of some of the media? papa j
💯 It was with something like this in mind that I made my very slight “suggestions” for this excellent letter.
Airdropping this letter or similar in Arabic would be inexpensive and brilliant. Propaganda doesn’t HAVE to be full of evil lies and it can be a force for good. Voice of America is a force for good. Why not a Voice for Palestine (because Voice for Israel wouldn’t get much of an audience) spoken in Arabic but with the message that so-called Palestinians or formerly Israeli Arabs can CHOOSE life and liberty.
I’m an American Jew and this is obviously reflected in my words.
But I don’t think I’m wrong in thinking that we have a propaganda war to fight against Iran and other funders of Jew hate and Jew death. If we don’t even FIGHT that war, all of the bellicosity in the world will never be enough to protect Israel and protect worldwide Jewry.
There are random, independent-thinking “Palestinians”. See Bari Weiss’ recent interview with one who spoke out and now lives in danger.
We can shield and nurture this viewpoint. We can show that the way to prosperity is through tolerance and acceptance. And we can show that the alternative to tolerance and acceptance is being bombed back to BCE.
The current state of things is untenable. Why don’t we work harder at the information war?
This article is really perfect. I hope it circulates wildly. I’ll do my part.
One thought - if persuasion is the goal here - this is a very persuasive piece - why not change up the order of your arguments to adversaries (“Palestinians” and their worldwide fans)?
What I mean is putting the political arguments -your rationale for supporting the Israeli leaders you do - on the second page. And move the arguments designed to appeal to the emotions of the adversaries to the first page.
That way you don’t risk losing the reader before they get to the arguments most likely to persuade.
Just throwing this idea out there, mostly because i like this piece so much and thought it had real possibilities for reaching people I mostly see as unreachable (anti-Semites in Gaza and beyond).
Highest compliments for this marvel of writing is shown by the 15 previous Comments. Someone mentioned the “four letter” word that needs repeating and replace a term that has exceeded its use-by date i.e. “cease fire”. The replacement mentioned in a Comment was “surrender”. And may that surrender begin with a particular “summary execution” of a particular cross-dressing shy to come out of hiding scum bucket from hell. Torah and its favorite 4-letter word are central to the solution. We all need to get with the program - each in our own way says this particular champ of dilly-dallying (me). I request yet another fab essay or pamphlet or book from you - using as a starting point your statement “… since the State of Israel’s founding in 1948, we Israelis have tried to accommodate the Palestinians every which way — territorial concessions, peace agreements, financial aid, work opportunities, and more — but nothing seems to work. If anything, these gestures had the opposite effect: more vile terrorism against mostly innocent Israeli civilians.”. Although personally I do not accept “palestinian” as a valid term. I’m fine with it’s replacement of “so-called ‘palestinian’ “. I am okay with “Arab- Israeli”. I also only prefer Samaria and Judea as terms for that piece of The Land of Israel. Jewish persons en masse need to accept that most of us or our parents or grandparents threw the baby out with the bath water. ie Torah; and it’s breadth of meanings. “The We” need to understand that our Orthodox Rabbis and Rebbetzins are Our Keepers of Our Cultural Knowledge. etc.
What a great read. Thanks for writing and sharing!
I am not opposed to Palestinian statehood on principle. It’s just that there is no plausible scenario in which a Palestinian state would not immediately become a terrorist country bent on genocide of Israelis.
Israel has offered a lot in good faith, in the name of humanity, to have peace. They ended the occupation of Gaza, they ethnically cleansed THEMSELVES from Gaza, they left the farms and settlements intact and paid a stipend to Gaza to make it economically vital, they evacuated Hebron, and the list goes on. The Palestinians have given nothing except for vague promises that at some point in the future they won’t act like criminals.
There may never be peace talks again. There are some good arguments for why there shouldn’t be. But if the peace talks ever do restart, the Palestinians need to give up something as a show of good faith. Something meaningful. Not “East Jerusalem,” because there is no such subdivision and they have no legitimate claim to any of Jerusalem. Not the “Right of Return” because this is a fiction; they have no such right.
Make them give up something that hurts. When they are willing to give up something meaningful, you’ll know they are finally serious about peace.
My first reaction to reading your piece was to think of my daughter's rhetorical question when addressing my grandson and eliciting no response: am I talking to the air? And the answer to her as to you is: yes, you are talking to the air. But it is good to read what you have to say because it is the most eloquent rejoinder to all the idiots out there, big and small, educated and ignorant, stupid and lazy and downright morally reprehensible, who still think Israel is both wrong and responsible for Palestinian misery. Why even the Vice-President of the United States and candidate for president does not have the intelligence to ask of the Palestinians what you ask of them. But have no fear. Your words released into the air like a thousand bottles into the sea will make their way into the history of the pathetic human race's sojourn on this planet. So thank you for talking to the air.
"Why even the Vice-President of the United States and candidate for president does not have the intelligence to ask of the Palestinians what you ask of them." This! This is what bothers me as a voting citizen of the US and all those who have turned their backs on Israel and the Jewish population. Most of those who come out and have something to say about this war are not asking the right questions of Hamas, the Palestinians, Hezbola, the Arab world. Thanks for your comments.
Wow!
Perfect!
Another excellent article, Joshua!
Unfortunately, cogent arguments aren't working, because the Palestinians and their supporters are manipulated by decades of indoctrination, amplified by tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Their emotions are at work here, not their reason.
Also, it's as if the entire nature of war has changed, as far as the that left is concerned. I constantly see the mainstream media with interviewers in Gaza being told about the death, destruction and suffering. Yet, I have never heard one interviewer ask "How about you free the hostages, turn over Hamas, and surrender?". That's how wars used to work.
An excellent analysis of why we Jews are where we are and why the Palestinians are where they are. We are the success story and they have had millions of dollars poured into their countries with nothing to show for it!!Ask why!!!
Billions!!!
Right especially after the war ends!!
That letter should be posted to everyone through whatever means possible. Along with this question: How come Israel can live with people of all religions, genders, cultures, etc., and they live their lives and plan their futures. But why is that Muslim Arab countries can't abide not only Jews, but Chrisitans, Hindus, Bahai, Gays, etc.? There are many religions in the world, but only know of one that says, follow my rules or die. I won't state that false faith, but I think we know what it is!!! 99% of those foolish pro-Hamas protestors would not be allowed to live in those countries either. Am Yisrael Chai!!
You of course are correct in all of your points. You also know that the chances of the Palestinians turning over a new leaf at this point are slim and none. They are a captured society, held hostage by generations of lies, a supremacist religion with a political agenda, and an historical cultural mythology that they revel in. How they can continue to exist for generations solely fueled by hatred is a puzzle to anybody who is trying to lead a constructive life. I’m sure some of them have suffered injustices. We all have. That’s not an excuse to behave like barbarians.
The political structures in the Palestinian Territories have to be completely dismantled whatever it takes. The Arabs need to learn that it is not worth the trouble to attack Israel, that they are better off moving on with their lives. The only way at this point is not more understanding. It’s more ass kicking. Understanding and incentives - money, offers of nationhood, have not worked. In the absence of civility, respect or love of one’s fellow humans, fear is a functional substitute. Horrible to say, but I don’t make the rules. The Palestinians made the rules. Now they must live and die with them. As for the UN or the Western ruling class, they can go hell. The treatment that Israel has received in this conflict is an abomination, at least on the level of what’s made available to the public.
Well said Joshua. With absolute minimum research Jew haters Palestinians can look up all the false narrative and realise that it is Hama's who is the enemy not Israel.
What makes their narrative even more absurd and self-destructive is that it is an easily acquired FACT, via the internet, that the three top Hamas leaders together are worth 11 billion dollars in stolen aid money (I wonder who is inheriting Haniyeh's yacht?!) In a sane world, this would make all of the donor countries and the UN, who pour all of that blood money into Gaza, just a tad angry, and make the Gazan people, who are ill-used by their terror masters, even angrier, but the world is not sane...
Outstanding! Kol Hakavod! Am Yisrael Chai! Living side by side in peace doesn't have a chance in hell of happening as long as the terror regime in Iran continues to exist. Simple as that!!
That was brilliant, eloquent, and totally on point. What you didn't directly mention is the bias against Jews always just beneath the surface, much like 'isms' against any minority group, a bias that makes suspicion and hate easy. Nowadays it's not polite to be an antisemite - being "anti-Zionist" is just a more polite way to express Jew hate while patting oneself on the back for being a humanitarian. A win-win for small-minded and ignorant Jew haters.
Joshua, Its unfortunate that your audience is probably 99% supportive of Israel whether they are Jewish or not. This is the kind of article that needs to be read and distributed to the Palestinians, the Arab world and the world at large. It truly is a reflection of where we are today and more importantly why we are where we are today.
Until the Palestinians give up their doctrine of hate, there can never be peace and there certainly can never be a two state solution.
I feel like I am repeating myself every day so let me add a "call to action" ..... Apparently we drop pamphlets warning the Pals if we are going to bomb an area. Why would it not be incredible PR and perhaps even somewhat effective, if we dropped articles like this in Arabic every week or day or month or hour?
I dont know .... isnt there so so so and so many things we can do to improve our PR as well as perhaps get these brainwashed Pals to open their minds just a little bit? and if not them, at least open the minds of some of the media? papa j
💯 It was with something like this in mind that I made my very slight “suggestions” for this excellent letter.
Airdropping this letter or similar in Arabic would be inexpensive and brilliant. Propaganda doesn’t HAVE to be full of evil lies and it can be a force for good. Voice of America is a force for good. Why not a Voice for Palestine (because Voice for Israel wouldn’t get much of an audience) spoken in Arabic but with the message that so-called Palestinians or formerly Israeli Arabs can CHOOSE life and liberty.
I’m an American Jew and this is obviously reflected in my words.
But I don’t think I’m wrong in thinking that we have a propaganda war to fight against Iran and other funders of Jew hate and Jew death. If we don’t even FIGHT that war, all of the bellicosity in the world will never be enough to protect Israel and protect worldwide Jewry.
There are random, independent-thinking “Palestinians”. See Bari Weiss’ recent interview with one who spoke out and now lives in danger.
We can shield and nurture this viewpoint. We can show that the way to prosperity is through tolerance and acceptance. And we can show that the alternative to tolerance and acceptance is being bombed back to BCE.
The current state of things is untenable. Why don’t we work harder at the information war?
This article is really perfect. I hope it circulates wildly. I’ll do my part.
One thought - if persuasion is the goal here - this is a very persuasive piece - why not change up the order of your arguments to adversaries (“Palestinians” and their worldwide fans)?
What I mean is putting the political arguments -your rationale for supporting the Israeli leaders you do - on the second page. And move the arguments designed to appeal to the emotions of the adversaries to the first page.
That way you don’t risk losing the reader before they get to the arguments most likely to persuade.
Just throwing this idea out there, mostly because i like this piece so much and thought it had real possibilities for reaching people I mostly see as unreachable (anti-Semites in Gaza and beyond).
Spot on!
Highest compliments for this marvel of writing is shown by the 15 previous Comments. Someone mentioned the “four letter” word that needs repeating and replace a term that has exceeded its use-by date i.e. “cease fire”. The replacement mentioned in a Comment was “surrender”. And may that surrender begin with a particular “summary execution” of a particular cross-dressing shy to come out of hiding scum bucket from hell. Torah and its favorite 4-letter word are central to the solution. We all need to get with the program - each in our own way says this particular champ of dilly-dallying (me). I request yet another fab essay or pamphlet or book from you - using as a starting point your statement “… since the State of Israel’s founding in 1948, we Israelis have tried to accommodate the Palestinians every which way — territorial concessions, peace agreements, financial aid, work opportunities, and more — but nothing seems to work. If anything, these gestures had the opposite effect: more vile terrorism against mostly innocent Israeli civilians.”. Although personally I do not accept “palestinian” as a valid term. I’m fine with it’s replacement of “so-called ‘palestinian’ “. I am okay with “Arab- Israeli”. I also only prefer Samaria and Judea as terms for that piece of The Land of Israel. Jewish persons en masse need to accept that most of us or our parents or grandparents threw the baby out with the bath water. ie Torah; and it’s breadth of meanings. “The We” need to understand that our Orthodox Rabbis and Rebbetzins are Our Keepers of Our Cultural Knowledge. etc.
Best letter ever! 🇮🇱
What a great read. Thanks for writing and sharing!
I am not opposed to Palestinian statehood on principle. It’s just that there is no plausible scenario in which a Palestinian state would not immediately become a terrorist country bent on genocide of Israelis.
Israel has offered a lot in good faith, in the name of humanity, to have peace. They ended the occupation of Gaza, they ethnically cleansed THEMSELVES from Gaza, they left the farms and settlements intact and paid a stipend to Gaza to make it economically vital, they evacuated Hebron, and the list goes on. The Palestinians have given nothing except for vague promises that at some point in the future they won’t act like criminals.
There may never be peace talks again. There are some good arguments for why there shouldn’t be. But if the peace talks ever do restart, the Palestinians need to give up something as a show of good faith. Something meaningful. Not “East Jerusalem,” because there is no such subdivision and they have no legitimate claim to any of Jerusalem. Not the “Right of Return” because this is a fiction; they have no such right.
Make them give up something that hurts. When they are willing to give up something meaningful, you’ll know they are finally serious about peace.
Outstanding article and should be widely shared.
Very eloquently stated.