The Order Of Things

by Michael Kane

• Me a Jew
• The phenomenon of Jewish anti-semitism; self loathing and fear
• Me A Jew?
• A Jew? Me?
• I’m not a jew
• I’m not jewish
• Fear of being Jewish
• The Jew and the “Three Stooges”
• Isaiah 2-4
• From the American Black gospel lexicon
• “God” as some kind of “Cosmic Clown"
• The "Promised Land"
• A roiling mass of snakes
• "Fighting Clerics!"
• Only "God" can bring peace
• Blessed are the righteous
• First Impressions
• Curioser and curioser
• Bulldozers
• Israel's As Nazis?
• The "Refuseniks" and the Captain
• The "Bulldozer Man"
• Israel's "Child Army"
• Armies are terrifying things
• Cry "Havoc"
• Sam’s children
• 11:29 - He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind:
and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

• Me a Jew

• The phenomenon of Jewish anti-semitism; self loathing and fear!
• Me, A Jew?
• A Jew? Me?
• Not me!
• I’m not a jew
•I’m not jewish
•Fear of being Jewish
•The Jew and the “Three Stooges”

Me? Jewish? Not me. Larry? You Jewish? Not me, must be Curly. Hey Moe!

Get the point?

The non Jewish world, over the eons, has so terrorized, brutalized and terrified the Jewish community, particularly that portion of the Jewish community (read left) which reads, studies, travels and otherwise interacts the most with “other cultures,” that those who have Jewish mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, children and sons and daughters-in-law and grandchildren who are Jewish have some how convinced themselves that they themselves are not Jewish; neat trick.

HEY!, STUPID!, wake up and smell the cyanide. Nobody gives a “wicked rat’s ass” what you call yourself. When they come for me; they come for you!

...........also, what is Jewish? What makes you so sure you’re not? One thing you are is a coward.

ISAHIA 2-4

He will judge between the nations and
will settle many disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they study war no more.

The “Good Book” (I swear, that’s what everyone calls it)
Old Testament c. 3000 bce (give or take a thousand years)

From the American Black gospel lexicon c. Late 19th century:

If you think of "God" as some kind of "Cosmic Clown" it makes sense,
Robert Ludlum, c. 1970 -"The Road to Gandalfo"
Otherwise, "Fuggetabowtit"
Al Pacino- ?

Eight December, 2002, Quezon City; five weeks after leaving the "Promised Land." Like any bad land deal, "promised" to a lot of people;

ie:

*By God to George Bush, father, son, and Holy Cheney etc. et. al, ad nauseam, the oil. All right there are people living there, pick, pick, pick, a mere bagatelle. George, the younger, is dealing with the problem, the Jews and the Arabs are doing their best to help, patience, patience.

*To the Arabs, by God, by god;

*To the ever popular Jews, by God (see "Cosmic Clown" above),

*To the Egyptians, Canaanites, Mennonites, Christians, Jordanians, Lebanese, the Druze, the Jain, Bahais and so forth. I would ask what each paid to the promisor in this swindle (not you George) but the final bill has yet to be presented and the piper is still playing and waiting patiently. Or if you prefer, "The fat one is not even humming. Or, more succinctly, from one of the greatest of phrase turners, "It ain't over"!

Israel/Palestine or Palestine/Israel whichever you prefer, A land of contradictions: the contradictions, a roiling mass of snakes entwined and embedded one in the other each with its fangs firmly embedded in the net's tail. The contradictions are, lies, wishes, myths, hopes, greed, insanity, blind fanaticism, sighted fanaticism, cynicism, rich people, poor people, hard working people, parasites, peaceful people, angry people, people of good will and not. The only consistencies are the fundamentalist Muslims and the Orthodox Jews. The Arabs and Jews may be cousins but the Fundamentalist Muslims and the Orthodox Jews are brothers.

Only "God" can bring peace to this land therefore believe and trust in "God," obey "His" laws and all will be well and in order to bring about peace we have no choice but to kill everyone who doesn’t get with the program."

Or else we'll all suffer.

The only difference appears to be that the fundamentalist does it himself while the Orthodox manipulate others. In the end the bodies pile equally high while the Rabbis and the Imams call the faithful to prayer. Among the shortest of books, "Fighting Clerics" ! (ISBN unknown)

Now! That’s A God!!

Blessed are the righteous for they shall inhibit the Earth. (Thankfully some have been spared.)

First Impressions: Riding into Tel Aviv from the airport at night the city spreads out across the desert North and South like a diamond tiara (not original I admit but that's what it looked like, sue me!). I thought to myself -who else would I be thinking to? Sixty odd years (Is it sixty already? My, how time flies.) ago a handful of Jewish refugees landed in this desert this malarial swamp, beaten, tired, without resources, tiny in number, under constant attack and in that space of time short as we measure time, built a mighty city, truly a jewel shining in the Mediterranean. The Med. has many jewels but they are thousands of years in the making, some on their second try! However, later on I find a "bunch" of other things; Jews had been coming to Palestine for much longer than 60 odd years, not tired, not broke not beaten. Under constant attack? Will we ever forget the much loved Caliph of Jerusalem? Among the great murderers.

What ís that? Dammitt you forgot!

I listen more and like "Alice" it gets curioser and curioser.

Herzl called it an empty desert with lots of room. The Arabs say "In 1900 it was already overcrowded. Me? I don't know, I'm barely out of the cab. I sleep for two days and now I'm as sharp as I ever was think to?- Big deal you say? Now you understand the enormity of the task. Again I don't know but I was born in Brooklyn in 1943 (at that time a great nation suffering under the heel of the so called United States and those empire builders calling themselves New York City and New York State. Having been born and raised wholly within this nation's borders and having no other yard stick save Manhattan (overpriced pretender to a city ... at best). Lemmee tell ya there was lotsa room. There was a park and a playground and oh yes that tree! In addition if you looked north and west you could even see the sky (on that putative clear day of course). Across the river "Sky" was only a rumor. So any how, here we are and again its a question of definition, a verbal mire from which we shall never escape. Overcrowded you say? Looked to me like a lotta room. Have you seen Manila?

Bulldozers

I was born on Williams avenue and some while there after migrated 10 blocks to Sackman Street. From there 15 blocks to Herzel Street (an irony or what?) The next block was Amboy Street forever immortalized in literature (to stretch a definition) and film. Those of you belonging to the Brooklyn cognoscenti, let's just remember things as quite lively. For those of you not so privileged while the "Body Count" was not insignificant we lost no babies in carriages or their mothers. After a short stretch in residence there we moved "uptown" to Coney Island. First 30th Street and then 24th Street

The point? All bulldozed down to make way for public housing. When they bulldoze your house to build public housing you are not talking Beverly Hills. However it was home and no place I ever lived as a child is still standing. A loss, you bet. A tragedy? I survived. The point? Don't "tug on my heart strings." Tell me facts. Husband the hyperbole, the cheap rhetoric and don't play fast and loose with or trivialize words like "horror" and "atrocity," "butcher" and "slaughter" because none of it applies to Israel/Palestine 2002. Also and think now, don't show me pictures of dead babies or tell me sad stories or try to involve me in "Box Scores" (Who's winning the battle of the dead) because all of us are buried under the weight of our dead children. It is not a football game. Sorry, no gas chambers, no state sanctioned genocide no medical experiments on live humans no deliberate starvation just to see what happens.

Israelis As Nazis?

Try this on a fool or someone with time to waste.

I won’t comment but I will share observations. The Jewish people victimized by the German people were the most isolated victims in history. The few (very few) early attempts by non-Jewish persons with a shred of humanity and some grip on reality, in support of the Jewish people were met by a German reaction exceeded in its speed and savagery nowhere in my reading through the annals of man’s inhumanity to man; a big book! The murdering of what humanity (what little humanity) existed in Nazi Germany was total, merciless, remorseless.

Now, let's discuss "horror" and "atrocity," "butcher" and "slaughter."

However, and for those among us who remember the great Tom Lehrer, "I digress."

The "Refuseniks" and the Captain

I was privileged, not only to observe but to meet and participate personally in a discussion with Captain Dan Tamir. Captain Tamir is among the leadership of a movement by military personnel who are known as "Refuseniks." Those men and women who have risked and in some cases suffered the penalties of their own military disciplinary structure. They have refused to serve their Country in what they define as occupied territories. They have refused to obey orders that in any army in the world would result in sentences of death.

Come friends and neighbors, let's ponder for a moment the fate of a soldier in the army of Nazi Germany who refused to obey any order whatsoever. Come let us attempt to count the number of members of the Wehrmacht who refused to serve in concentration camps. You're nanosecond is up. How many? How many came up with none? Raise your hands.

Now, which Arab "resistance" organizations have joined with the "refuseniks" in order to effect a mutual introduction of humanity into this orgy of baby killings?

Al Fatah? I missed that article.

Islamic Jihad? Word hasn't reached me yet.

Hamas? Must be a problem in communication.

The "Bulldozer Man"

We met and listened to "This Guy" who stands in front of Bulldozers with his friends.

(note) Remember, in this ocean of blood I do not weep for torn down houses (lest you remain wondering, I do not subscribe to bulldozing houses. But, don't tug at my heartstrings.

All Israeli, no Arab comrades. I asked him why there were no Arab supporters working with him. He replied yes, that was unfortunate. You betcha! Goddamn unfortunate.

I listen carefully and I ponder, seriously consider and weigh the import of the substantial number of organizations each with many members all operating quite openly in support of the Arab people. A single Israeli has yet to be hung as a traitor by the Israeli government. A single soldier has yet to be shot for mutiny (see refuseniks). A single Israeli has yet to be abused by his outraged neighbors. Shamir was a government official and always at risk. Also refer to the fine films, each fact based, heavily and faithfully fact based, “Breaker Morant” and “Paths of Glory.” These facts must be noted and he whose words fail to so note must be held highly suspect. In other words don’t "Not in My Name" me. If you don’t tell me the whole story don't don any holy robes and don't wave them at me.

I see a good deal of room for Israeli Army policy changes and behavior changes but not even remote comparisons. Not by anyone claiming either thoughtfulness or honesty. Which brings me to;

Manila, 25 January, 2003...............................
........................................Happy New Year?

Two months have gone by, quickly, as they do now. I am actually above Manila climbing to 35000 feet. Yes. I measured. I am leaving the Republic of the Philippine Islands, truly a blessing (leaving). If Israel is a "client state" of the U.S. (thank god says my friend's son. Wait until he wants the U.S. to leave.) Than the Philippines is a "slave state" of the U.S. However that, like the horse, is a website of a different color. Like Reuben, I’ve been thinking: nasty habit.

Israel's "Child Army"

So there I am! Walking down the street one day. In Jerusalem. In Israel. I'm walking down one of the "main drags" it ends, I turn the corner and what is it I see? A traffic jam. Gave me a warm familiar feeling just like home. What was not like home was the little knot of Israeli teenagers, boys and girls, cute, with submachine guns slung over their bodies. The "girl soldiers" are adorable. They are dressed in patent leather sneakers and Uzis. Very chic. The traffic jam is caused by several vehicles pulled over to the side of this "main drag," blocking off a lane of traffic. The vehicles apparently occupied by Arabs, judging by the traditional dress, are waiting for a security check. One vehicle is a van, its doors open revealing an embarrassed looking family exposed to the world. As I approached the little knot of teenage soldiers I overhear the conversation. I couldn't help it. The security forces are in hot debate over hair products and makeup. The girls are. The boys are just "hangin' out" looking tough. I had a destination (my nap) so I pushed on, literally, elbow and shoulder through the crowd. The children shuffled out of my way after all I am a high school teacher and they are students and I proceeded apace to my destination and pillow.

Armies are terrifying things by nature! They are strong, they are violent, they are mindless and they are indiscriminate. This is just a plain fact without exception. If you are aware of any “Kind, Intelligent Armies” inform me! Let slip those dogs and you have no one to blame other than yourself! ........and don’t be stupid enough to tease them. They have neither brain nor judgment nor caring.