I wish you could write this not on SUBSTACK because Elon Musk shadow bans SUBSTACK posts. But I will post it anyway & on Gettr & TruthSocial. It’s a very important article. A well written explanation of the evaporation of empathy. As an American Jewish woman you have explained my feelings exactly. I have family in Israel and my husband z’l was a Sabra whose family came to Israel before the State as Pioneers. Tel Aviv was only a few streets. He was in the underground as a youth and then the IDF. He fought in the War of Independence & the 6 day War. I have spent much of my life in Israel. It’s time Israel took care of business. Its existential.
When I saw the title of your article I was taken aback, until I read what was written below it. Your perspective is never disappointing. This article educated and enlightened and brought out the absolute ugliness and barbarism of Hamas and so called "leadership". It also reminds me of all the times rockets were fired into Israel and suicide bombers killed people in Israel. The pro Hamas lunatics in he US seem to have forgotten the past violence perpetrated by Hamas. So have our politicians who think they can make demands on the war Israel is fighting. Two of our unJews, Jon Finer and Antony Blinken, giving ultimatums about how long the war should be fought, the "concern" for the Palestinian citizens. I suffer from THEIR incognizance of the situation. But who am I? Just one person in this money influencing world that has turned things upside down. Thank you again, Joshua. Let's keep light in the darkness at all times.
This is exactly how I feel. My only connection to Israel is as a Jew and falling in love with this magnificent country when visiting. I immediately felt home upon planting my feet in her soil. Thank you for writing compelling and provocative essays which capture how I feel as a Jew half a world away in the US. I don’t always share your opinion, but I always know it will be thought provoking, well written and researched and prompt a conversation in my family.
Empathy evaporated. Yup. I always used to feel guilty that children are involved and pay the price for the perpetual leaderless Palestinian existence. But I’m over it, not because children deserve this or that somehow children’s suffering is acceptable, but because I care more about us and our children and I’m absolving myself from the burden of worrying about other people’s children, especially those who endure to destroy us. Oh how I wish we had leaders like Golda and Menachem Begin right now.
The world has NO right to come in and tell Israel not to defend her people. Any other country on this dust bowl we call Earth has the right to exist- and would defend itself from attacks by enemies. Why are we the only ones who have no right to exist- as was once said by a person of infamy "the only good Jew is a dead one"? How dare people criticize Israel for wanting the same thing as every other nation on this planet- to live in peace and watch her children grow up. We have all seen that Hamas cares not for Palestinians- they are just the pawns in a deadly game, used as human shields, and to manipulate the press. Thank you for your voice in a world that seems deaf to the cries of Jewish children and many others facing persecution for just being Jewish. We are the canaries in the mine- make no mistake. This evil goes beyond the only democratic nation in the middle east- every Jew is at risk.
Over 80% of the Palestinian citizenry were delighted with what Hamas did on Oct. 7th and children as young as ten years old participated. Do I feel sorry for them and how they raise their children to hate? No. I do not, they cannot live in peace and enjoy live, they prefer a culture of death, which is anathema to the Jewish people.
The "Palestinians" (they even stole the name) have had a state since 2005 and they built tunnels and bombs and attacked Israel over and over again. Now the evil American government wants to force them to have a state. How insane. I don't want them in the US, and Israel doesn't want them in Israel. Arabs live free in Israel, but not the people of Gaza. Israel needs to be free of them and retake Gaza.
You cannot appease people who want you dead, why didn't Ariel Sharon know that!!!
The foundational principle of the establishment of Israel was to create a place for Jews to be safe and enjoy peace. This was a wonderful goal, but sadly, Israel has consistently failed to fulfill that promise for 75 years.
The founders of Israel were bold, smart, determined people with the best of intentions. This did not however prevent them from making a serious tactical error. If you want your family to live in peace, you don't build your house right in the middle of one of the most dangerous neighborhoods on Earth.
Example: I'm a well to do old white man. If I were to move in to the the ghetto of an American city, and build a big beautiful house that makes my neighbors feel even poorer, what do you think is going to happen? And what if my neighbors have been invaded by people who look like me for 1,000 years. What do you think is going to happen? What if I get attacked on the street, and so I start shooting back? What do you think is going to happen?
What's going to happen is that I will never find peace in that neighborhood. What's going to happen is that I will live in permanent state of conflict until that one bad day when my neighbors get lucky and get the drop on me.
Everyone wants to frame this conflict as a moral question. That's a waste of time. This is a tactical question. If one wishes to be safe, to raise one's children in peace, one does not build one's home right in the middle of a viper's den of psychopathic despots.
There's a special name for this approach to the question. It's called common sense.
I’ve been trying to talk to young people about why they are on the side of Hamas. A lot of it seems to be from pure ignorance of Islam, and b/c they think Jews are “white” (I wonder would that make Hitler laugh or cry?) It is so disturbing to me b/c they seem to have made up their minds and the truth makes no difference. They are unable or unwilling to extend basic empathy anymore.
I can feel the deep emotion in this post: it’s almost impossible to feel empathy for another when our nervous system sees that ‘other’ as the perpetrator of such a colossal, barbaric attack. The problem is - our nervous systems are wired for survival, not truth. And the truth is, those Hamas attacks were perpetrated by a relatively small number of criminals who can and must be brought to justice; not by the over 1/2million people who Israel is now starving to death. The Israeli attacks are anything but surgical. They are total, indiscriminate and often inhumane. The language of Israeli leaders is systematically dehumanising all Palestinians. And Israel of all countries should know what happens when that kind of dehumanisation begins.
I’m not saying you should care about their fate; caring is asking too much of your human nervous system right now, particularly while hostages are still held captive. But I am saying that in the midst of this trauma, emotions are flooding, and truth and reason are being lost. And that’s dangerous, because when the cloud clears, it will be obvious just how much lasting damage is being done right now - damage that serves no one and will hurt everyone.
I wish you could write this not on SUBSTACK because Elon Musk shadow bans SUBSTACK posts. But I will post it anyway & on Gettr & TruthSocial. It’s a very important article. A well written explanation of the evaporation of empathy. As an American Jewish woman you have explained my feelings exactly. I have family in Israel and my husband z’l was a Sabra whose family came to Israel before the State as Pioneers. Tel Aviv was only a few streets. He was in the underground as a youth and then the IDF. He fought in the War of Independence & the 6 day War. I have spent much of my life in Israel. It’s time Israel took care of business. Its existential.
When I saw the title of your article I was taken aback, until I read what was written below it. Your perspective is never disappointing. This article educated and enlightened and brought out the absolute ugliness and barbarism of Hamas and so called "leadership". It also reminds me of all the times rockets were fired into Israel and suicide bombers killed people in Israel. The pro Hamas lunatics in he US seem to have forgotten the past violence perpetrated by Hamas. So have our politicians who think they can make demands on the war Israel is fighting. Two of our unJews, Jon Finer and Antony Blinken, giving ultimatums about how long the war should be fought, the "concern" for the Palestinian citizens. I suffer from THEIR incognizance of the situation. But who am I? Just one person in this money influencing world that has turned things upside down. Thank you again, Joshua. Let's keep light in the darkness at all times.
Powerful, fierce, nakedly true.
This is exactly how I feel. My only connection to Israel is as a Jew and falling in love with this magnificent country when visiting. I immediately felt home upon planting my feet in her soil. Thank you for writing compelling and provocative essays which capture how I feel as a Jew half a world away in the US. I don’t always share your opinion, but I always know it will be thought provoking, well written and researched and prompt a conversation in my family.
Thank you for this powerful explanation.
Empathy evaporated. Yup. I always used to feel guilty that children are involved and pay the price for the perpetual leaderless Palestinian existence. But I’m over it, not because children deserve this or that somehow children’s suffering is acceptable, but because I care more about us and our children and I’m absolving myself from the burden of worrying about other people’s children, especially those who endure to destroy us. Oh how I wish we had leaders like Golda and Menachem Begin right now.
Great article, Joshua.
The truth is sometimes difficult to face. But the opposite, moral bankruptcy, is, as we have seen, far more dangerous. Thank you for writing this.
The world has NO right to come in and tell Israel not to defend her people. Any other country on this dust bowl we call Earth has the right to exist- and would defend itself from attacks by enemies. Why are we the only ones who have no right to exist- as was once said by a person of infamy "the only good Jew is a dead one"? How dare people criticize Israel for wanting the same thing as every other nation on this planet- to live in peace and watch her children grow up. We have all seen that Hamas cares not for Palestinians- they are just the pawns in a deadly game, used as human shields, and to manipulate the press. Thank you for your voice in a world that seems deaf to the cries of Jewish children and many others facing persecution for just being Jewish. We are the canaries in the mine- make no mistake. This evil goes beyond the only democratic nation in the middle east- every Jew is at risk.
Over 80% of the Palestinian citizenry were delighted with what Hamas did on Oct. 7th and children as young as ten years old participated. Do I feel sorry for them and how they raise their children to hate? No. I do not, they cannot live in peace and enjoy live, they prefer a culture of death, which is anathema to the Jewish people.
The "Palestinians" (they even stole the name) have had a state since 2005 and they built tunnels and bombs and attacked Israel over and over again. Now the evil American government wants to force them to have a state. How insane. I don't want them in the US, and Israel doesn't want them in Israel. Arabs live free in Israel, but not the people of Gaza. Israel needs to be free of them and retake Gaza.
You cannot appease people who want you dead, why didn't Ariel Sharon know that!!!
The foundational principle of the establishment of Israel was to create a place for Jews to be safe and enjoy peace. This was a wonderful goal, but sadly, Israel has consistently failed to fulfill that promise for 75 years.
The founders of Israel were bold, smart, determined people with the best of intentions. This did not however prevent them from making a serious tactical error. If you want your family to live in peace, you don't build your house right in the middle of one of the most dangerous neighborhoods on Earth.
Example: I'm a well to do old white man. If I were to move in to the the ghetto of an American city, and build a big beautiful house that makes my neighbors feel even poorer, what do you think is going to happen? And what if my neighbors have been invaded by people who look like me for 1,000 years. What do you think is going to happen? What if I get attacked on the street, and so I start shooting back? What do you think is going to happen?
What's going to happen is that I will never find peace in that neighborhood. What's going to happen is that I will live in permanent state of conflict until that one bad day when my neighbors get lucky and get the drop on me.
Everyone wants to frame this conflict as a moral question. That's a waste of time. This is a tactical question. If one wishes to be safe, to raise one's children in peace, one does not build one's home right in the middle of a viper's den of psychopathic despots.
There's a special name for this approach to the question. It's called common sense.
I’ve been trying to talk to young people about why they are on the side of Hamas. A lot of it seems to be from pure ignorance of Islam, and b/c they think Jews are “white” (I wonder would that make Hitler laugh or cry?) It is so disturbing to me b/c they seem to have made up their minds and the truth makes no difference. They are unable or unwilling to extend basic empathy anymore.
It is a heart breaking situation but it has to be finished, otherwise it will never end.
I think it is such a shame that after the Madrid talks Arafat and the PLO were formerly brought back in.
I can feel the deep emotion in this post: it’s almost impossible to feel empathy for another when our nervous system sees that ‘other’ as the perpetrator of such a colossal, barbaric attack. The problem is - our nervous systems are wired for survival, not truth. And the truth is, those Hamas attacks were perpetrated by a relatively small number of criminals who can and must be brought to justice; not by the over 1/2million people who Israel is now starving to death. The Israeli attacks are anything but surgical. They are total, indiscriminate and often inhumane. The language of Israeli leaders is systematically dehumanising all Palestinians. And Israel of all countries should know what happens when that kind of dehumanisation begins.
I’m not saying you should care about their fate; caring is asking too much of your human nervous system right now, particularly while hostages are still held captive. But I am saying that in the midst of this trauma, emotions are flooding, and truth and reason are being lost. And that’s dangerous, because when the cloud clears, it will be obvious just how much lasting damage is being done right now - damage that serves no one and will hurt everyone.
Thank you for making it easy for me to mute and block your vile content.