Disclaimer: I am not a politician or a diplomat and I am not yet involved in political activism. I am just trying to do what I can to offer some ‘context’ as an entertainer by profession and an activist for Jewish culture and Yiddish language. I grew up in, and love the concept and potential of the very young State of Israel.
Preamble:
According to Nobel Prize winning author Isaac Bashevis Singer, Yiddish is:
“a language of exile, without a land, without frontiers, not supported by any government, a language which possesses no words for weapons, ammunition, military exercises, war tactics.”
Reading this over and over made me wonder if perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from Yiddish history and ‘experience’ that might offer a clue to creating an environment for Peace, fulfilling the ‘Hope’ of the Jewish people for thousands of years, to be a free people in our own country. Free from hatred, free from violence and free to pursue Life, Liberty and Happiness in our own democratic home – with all the complications democracy brings – in peace and harmony with our neighbors and the world.
As a Jewish American, I am an unwavering supporter of Israel’s unequivocal right to exist as the internationally recognized homeland for the Jewish people.
However, I also agree that the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip deserve their own internationally recognized sovereign state. This is also the position of President Biden and the U.S. government.
Therefore, rather than continuing heated and offensive back-and-forth arguments — which only seem to solidify opposing views — the two sides need to build a semblance of consensus as a precursor for any peace talks.
As someone who lived in Tehran, Iran back in the 1970’s, I especially enjoyed seeing the movie Argo win the Best Picture Oscar. It’s a great story, with compelling characters and lots of suspense. The fact that the story is true makes it even more incredible because the plot is like something that would spring from the mind of Tom Clancy. Imagine sneaking US embassy personnel out of Iran right under the noses of militants using the far-fetched story that they were there to scout movie locations? I had no idea the CIA was so creative. The film also serves as a reacquainting of how America got where we are in our relationship with Iran.
