“But we diddled them,” Mrs. Vester said with pride. “We made an imaginary list of hotel guests. I mean two can play at that game. It was shocking, really.”

Yeah, shocking that Israelis would have the slightest antipathy for Palestinians in this context. Racists.

http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/5_05/saddam_10.htm

And do think citizens of other nations should feel equally “obligated” to “share” their state with “the world”?

(FYI: I am very pro-disengagement)

Sure, Zionists blew up the King David Hotel (which was mainly occupied by the British military at the time). So, you think that proves what? That Zionism is somehow committed to terrorism? What about the role Jews played in the murder of Jesus Christ? Why not stick your finger in that wound and play with it for a little while and see where it gets you?

When I think about how on the whole, Jews have handled the fight for statehood despite the ongoing, overwhelming opposition they face from nearly the entire world, a few flower-pickers actually makes me proud, considering the death-obsessed insanity the conflict has given birth to on the other side. Pick that anti-Zionist’s flowers! Show him a thing or two, you nasty Jews!

Anyway, I’m just teasing.

Jonny, I was not trying to equate flower-picking Jews with terrorists, as you seem to imply. Israel is a Jewish homeland, but it is not just for the Jews. Therefore, is it not incumbent on all Israeli Jews to make the land as welcoming as possible for people of other faiths? Especially those, like Mrs Vester, who have been living on land that was previously not a part of Israel?

I have many relatives in Israel, one of whom visited New York recently. We were in a diner when a waiter, who was wearing a crucifix, asked my cousin where she was from. She told him she was from Israel and asked if he had ever been there. He said no, to which she replied: “Well, I invite you. You must come. It is the most wonderful place.”

She is right. It is wonderful. And it is a special place for people of many faiths. Therefore, is it not an obligation for Jews to share it with the world? Or like the Jews of Mea Sharim, should we just say: ‘But it’s all ours now’?

As far as blame goes, to me the paragraph that stood out started with “She understands the Israeli need for security, she said, [thus implicitly defending the Izzies] but also thinks the Palestinians don’t accept enough responsibility [thus implicitly knocking the Pallies]. Erlanger throwing in the word ‘but’ would knock the Izzies without a careful reading.

But I don’t mind admitting that I read into NYT articles what I want to read!

Your blog is great, by the way. Happy Blog Birthday for the other day.

They had decided to come to Jerusalem in 1881, after four of their children died in a shipping disaster, to live like early Christians, doing good works among the poor.

The impression I came away with was that equal blame was to be apportioned: While the Israeli’s don’t treat their fellow citizens with respect, the Palestinians won’t take responsibility for their future.

The founder, Mr. Spafford, lost - I think - five daughters all at once and still managed to write the classic hymn, ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’

The family’s charitable work in Jerusalem was marvellous.

Still, it was interesting that, try as The New York Times might, it just couldn’t disguise the fact that Mrs. Vester (rightly!) placed most of the blame for the current conflict on the Palestinians.

Cheers,
Bren, Jerusalem.