Hamas War

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Bottom Line About Israel's Emergency Aid in Haiti: Is It Good For The Jews?

As Israel packs up its field hospital and transfers patients to other facilities, Israelis and Jews all over the world are probably reflecting on what happened in Haiti after the earthquake.

From my perspective of over half a century of following the news, being aware of Israel and almost forty years of being a resident Israeli, I can't remember such truly positive press since the 1967 Six Days War.


In 1967 the world was amazed, awed by our defeat of three attacking countries in six days and the resultant liberation of our historic Homeland.  Unfortunately, led by some crazed Israeli Leftists, in no time we were condemned for surviving, most aptly described in the title of the classic political satire by Efraim Kishon and Dosh, "So Sorry We Won."

During the past two weeks, the world was amazed at how tiny Israel put together a top-notch, world class, well equipped hospital in just hours in far away Haiti.  Most embarrassed is the Americans.  Will the embarrassment cause jealousy?

How long will this admiration last?

I have other questions.  How is it that a country which can plan and organize so well for a distant emergecy not know how to prevent one at home?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's "good for the Jews" because we did the right thing.

Should the world hate us for doing the right thing, it will be bad for them.

Unfortunately, us doing the right thing is often hard to come by nowadays.

Batya said...

Good points, Shy.
thanks

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
Concerning your last question, an American manager from Intel commented that Israelis are good at "putting out fires", but are lousy planners. Unfortunately there's much truth in that statement. The "יאלה! קדימה חבר'ה" (translation: "Let's go guys!") attitude shared by most Israelis tends to cause problems later.

Batya said...

Like Disengagement and the building freeze.