This post may not be directly army related, but I began this blog on a very different standing than its current theme. Without getting into it, I'll just say that I started writing Israeli by Day in order to clear up misconceptions about this country. When I first started getting into Israel, as in when I first came here and became involved, I was shocked to find out what my peers in my hometown thought of Israel. People just had no idea.
Not uncommon questions asked were if Israel has electricity, are there streets and cars, and if people speak Jewish. One girl even asked me, and she was dead serious, "do they sleep in tents in the desert?" Apparently someone's pre-school Bible lessons about Abraham still apply to modern-day Israel. The level of ignorance was so terribly high - what? Israel is on the Mediterranean Sea?! - that I just had to do my part to show that it is in fact a modern, sophisticated, and first-world nation.
And so with that, I want to share this video clip from CNBC that my great friend Debbie sent me. I really encourage you to watch it, especially if you root for Israel. If you chant "Death to Israel," watch it and weep. Enjoy.
18 comments:
I used to work with a guy who asked me if "Do they have running water is Israel?" I was speechless.
I love your blog Danny, keep it up and stay safe.
Hi Danny
Have been reading your blog for quite a while now, as I am doind some thing very similar to you.
Check out my blog (www.samsank.blogspot.com), you might find it interesting!
HAHA I've gotten some of those same questions from people back home. Its ridiculous!
Thank you for the blog; its always fun to read.
This book is the kind of publicity that Israel needs now. We don't need more talk of war, we need celebration of Israel's amazing achievements demonstrated in a way that everyone can appreciate.
I returned a couple of weeks ago from a month in Israel, and while I agree that Israel is a first-world nation, two areas still scream MIDDLE EAST/third-world mentality: stray animals (cats, especially) and household trash and plain old litter everywhere that nobody wants to be responsible for, even if it's theirs. This would be a sad anywhere, but it's sad and inexcusable in a modern, enlightened country like Israel.
Amen to Israel! G-d bless Israel!!
I agree that (without having seen the clip) Israel is a first-world nation, and also agree with Anon 4:26 that the stray animals detract from the sense of being in a first-world nation. I'd add something else: the grimy walls on buildings. That said, go Israel, and good luck Danny - keep us posted.
like any place in the world, you have your nice areas, ok areas, less than ok, and the slums. Its like that in NYC, hong kong, and jerusalem.
Allah Wakhbar habibi!! :D
you are too cool bro! love and miss you! be safe!
Yeah, I get a proper mention here, i am not just the "flatmate" or his "british" friend!
When i was a student in Israel i constantly marveled how unbelievably smart and how academicaly motivated teh israeli students were. All my reports home were just full of it. I must say the time i spent in israel was probably the only time i actually had to (and wanted to!) study my brains out...
Glad to see this video
Many, many snows ago, when my husband was stationed at Ft. Bragg, Fayetteville, and we lived in a trailer, we struck up a friendship with another army couple, who had never seen a Jew before and actually thought that Jews had horns.
I am proud that we played a big part in enlightening them.
Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.
(btw-did you see the screen shots of my daughter on arutz shtayim news?
Well most unwanted animals in the "western world" get put to sleep. Despite all the shelters and everything else you might think, most are simply killed (you can see some disturbing youtube clips). The trash thing can get better in certain parts, just like some US cities.
"like any place in the world, you have your nice areas, ok areas, less than ok, and the slums. Its like that in NYC, hong kong, and jerusalem"
Danny, true dat, it just seemed to me that the proportion of grimy buildings was higher in re: cities I'm accustomed to. But I might be wrong.
One thing in re: another poster. Israeli education funding has been declining of late. Also: there was a nice piece (or bad piece, depending on your perspective) about why Israel might be a less-and-less attractive place to invest (one being education cutbacks - which have occurred, I think, over a longer period and with greater severity than in the US - and another being the obvious political uncertainty Israel always exudes). The piece was in Haaretz, so CNBC vs Haaretz (still haven't watched the CNBC piece), take your pick. But hey, if Warren Buffett deems Israel good enough to invest in, who is poor me to argue?
Anon
Meh, investment in public education has a questionable return, private schools do a better job. The US has a pretty lousy public education system ( I went through it), despite investing heavily in it. Just because you pay teachers more and give them more benefits doesn't mean they do a better job.
I agree, israel certainly does have shitty places, and often times right next to the nicest stuff (downtown tel aviv on hayarkon street comes to mind, as does raanana itself). But I live in jerusalem, and it is booming. Mamilla is not only beautiful, but its packed with our record number of tourists. The same goes for all the super fancy hotels and restaurants. New awesome buildings are going up all the time, old buildings are being remodled, and nothing, most importantly, seems vacant.
Israel is all of 61 years old. Give it some time!
Me, again. Regarding the animals, I snuck food out for the kitties after dark, and rescued a tiny black kitten who hitchhiked on one of the hoses under the car (don't ask me how it managed to stay there for miles), but to me the deal about stray or mistreated animals is that part of being Jewish is respecting all life--a kosher slaughter is done with a sharp knife, yet in a Haredi neighborhood stray cats scrounged to stay alive. To me, this seems like a contradiction. I understand, though, that we Americans can be overly sentimental about animals. I get that. I agree with you, Danny, that the new Mamilla area is gorgeous, and we spent a lot of time there, but that makes the garbage and trash elsewhere all the more noticeable. I'm just saying...Regardless, I love Israel for so many things, warts and all. Stay safe.
I have a bud who owns a mid sized oil well servicing and hotshot service. He strickly hires young ex-military. He hires them, trains them and says he has zero problems with them and they are the best investment in his business that he has made over the last twenty years. He encourages them to continue their education. He helps them by scheduling there work so that they can have extra time to study for tests, take field trips, etc. He is a great guy to work for by the testament of his employees, many of whom I know.
He states the same thing about the mindset and abilities of our young men (and two women) that come out of our Military.
Papa Ray
West Texas
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