Topic: Misconceptions of Israeli Culture - page 3. (Read 6904 times)

Zohar must be from the 60's or something ? Patent white leather shoes, disco suit and bling, orchestra and drunken dancers flouncing about. Even with his extensive practice and polished performance from hundreds of takes, he sounds like a strangled cat.

He is not a patch on Paul Potts, the mobile phone salesman who was bullied as a nipper and not too confident, but he put on this performance the first time he got on stage ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

I will discuss what I think Zionism is. I think Zionism exists for religious Jews who want a G-d-fearing Homeland to go to. Zionism exists for secular Jews as a place of sanctuary.

Adolf Hitler, as well as modern day Neo-Nazi groups, usually decide to take on a negative view of a person if they are born to a Jewish mother. Hitler did not care whether one was secular or religious. If they were Jewish, then Hitler did not like them. That is why Israel exists. To give both secular and religious Jews a place to go to when they feel like the world, or a particular part of the world, is bearing down on them with threats of antisemitism. That is why many Jews who are secular still support Israel. Because many anti-Semites seem to dislike Jews because they were born Jewish and not whether or not they practice the religion.

And then there's the theory that the wars are caused by too many angry young men in a region.

There is always a cost/benefit analysis in war in the top layer - and the reason is always power - but, from the citizen/media perspective it's always about other reasons, be it freedom, religion, justice and so on.

This is really not true. Religion has been the cause of many wars, but most modern wars are generally over oil and other natural resources. 

I will discuss what I think Zionism is. I think Zionism exists for religious Jews who want a G-d-fearing Homeland to go to. Zionism exists for secular Jews as a place of sanctuary.

Adolf Hitler, as well as modern day Neo-Nazi groups, usually decide to take on a negative view of a person if they are born to a Jewish mother. Hitler did not care whether one was secular or religious. If they were Jewish, then Hitler did not like them. That is why Israel exists. To give both secular and religious Jews a place to go to when they feel like the world, or a particular part of the world, is bearing down on them with threats of antisemitism. That is why many Jews who are secular still support Israel. Because many anti-Semites seem to dislike Jews because they were born Jewish and not whether or not they practice the religion.

I heard somewhere that Jews are the cause of the world's wars. I think Mel Gibson said it. Is he right? Seems like a rather adolescent attempt at tongue-in-cheek.

You know, speaking of Isreal, this propaganda piece really struck me as making a good point, but was hugely unpopular in the UK. I get that it can be uncomfortable, but it's meant to be. Regardless of what city it depicts, it makes a good point. As someone living in Houston, if Mexico was to fire missiles at us (especially if it went on for years), an invasion would seem entirely valid.

I get that the war is horrible, but I have trouble blaming Isreal myself. Am I missing something here?

You know, speaking of Isreal, this propaganda piece really struck me as making a good point, but was hugely unpopular in the UK. I get that it can be uncomfortable, but it's meant to be. Regardless of what city it depicts, it makes a good point. As someone living in Houston, if Mexico was to fire missiles at us (especially if it went on for years), an invasion would seem entirely valid.

I get that the war is horrible, but I have trouble blaming Isreal myself. Am I missing something here?

Since 2001, Palestinian militants have launched thousands of rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of the continuing Arab–Israeli conflict. As of July 2014 the attacks have killed 28 people,[1] mostly civilians, and injured more than 1900 people, but their main effect is their creation of widespread psychological trauma and disruption of daily life among the Israeli populace

I heard somewhere that Jews are the cause of the world's wars. I think Mel Gibson said it. Is he right? Seems like a rather adolescent attempt at tongue-in-cheek.

I want to make a thread about the misconceptions of Israeli culture because I have seen, both online and offline, people who do not truly understand Israeli culture.

1.) In Israel, there are around 7.8 million people. About one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand are Arab Christians. 1.6 million are Arab Muslim. 6 million are Jewish. Out of those 6 million Jewish people, 3 million are European, 2.9 million are North African and Southwest Asia, and about one hundred thousand are Ethiopian. So about half of the Jewish people in Israel are from outside of Europe and the other half of the Jewish people in Israel are from Europe. Do not let anyone tell you that 90%+ of Israeli Jews are European. That is simply not true.

2.) Hebrew, a Semitic language similar to Arabic, is spoken in Israel. They do not speak Yiddish in Israel.

3.) Israel has Hebrew rap and Hebrew heavy metal music. Not everyone in Israel is super religious and shuns the media and pop culture. For the most part, except observing Shabbat (the Sabbath), Israel is a fairly secular country.

4.) The former President of Israel, Moshe Katzav, is of Iranian descent. The leader of the Kadima Party in Israel, Shaul Mofaz, is also of Iranian descent. There are many Jewish people of Sephardic/Mizrahi (Arab, Berber, and Iranian Jewish) descent in positions of political power in Israel.

5.) People say Israel expelled 700,000 Palestinians in 1948. Well, between 1948 and 1967, 1 million Jews from North Africa and Southwest Asia were expelled by Arab countries and fled to Israel.

6.) Not a misconception. But a fact. Miss Israel 2013 is of Ethiopian descent.

7.) Another fact. An Israeli company invented the first USB drives.

To conclude with the Israeli song, here is Shir Shel Rega Ehad (Song for one moment) by TACT. A notable member of TACT is Subliminal. It is a song about an Israeli Soldier who goes on a bus and pens his own death letter to his girlfriend. He tragically died in a suicide bombing that night on the bus and left the letter to his girlfriend. The song is about him, Yaakov Paz. That is the Soldier's name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbHlg_-Llh0

I myself am Jewish, but am secular. I identify with my secular Jewish identity but I do not practice the religion. So praying does not factor in to my work day.

I seem to remember you voicing support for the election of Avigdor Lieberman as Prime Minister based on his Russian heritage. He certainly isn't a liberal candidate.

It's interesting how in American politics I would be considered a conservative for supporting Israel, but in Israeli politics I would be considered a liberal because I support a Two-State Solution. How interesting and strange.

Cliffs: In America if you support a Two-State solution, you are a conservative. In Israel, you are a liberal.

And I am open to both sides of the debate. That is why I posted Palestinian and Israeli hip hop videos in the previous page. I actually did a college research paper on Palestinian and Israeli hip hop.

Israeli generals don't all agree with your interpretation. And that is beside the point. It changes nothing as to the validity of your claims that the Sinai belonged to Israel.
You gave "examples" while completely ignoring their context. The West Bank isn't the same as the Sinai.