Lately, reading many of the opinions voiced here on IsraelNationalNews.com, and also some of the comments on articles and news items, I've noticed that many of them are by people from all over the Western world. A few are from those living here in Israel. All are well-informed, well-written and really understand the truth of what is going on here. Some of the comments have really good ideas for interesting solutions and original ways of maybe overcoming the present difficulties. I shouldn't be surprised, as this is Israel National News.
Yet, why is it that I get a wrenching feeling in my stomach when I see yet another great opinion or comment from New York or Florida or South Africa or anywhere else? I then think to myself, "If only that person with all that writing talent was here, working maybe for Maariv, or being an army spokesman, or a politician (I'd exchange the lot of them for any one of you ) - or even just an ordinary citizen with his/her head and heart in the right place." I then imagine how many muddled up Israelis each one of you would be able to influence for every week of living here, just by talking to people in a store, on the bus or on a train. But I never manage to work it out.
I ask myself how it is that there are so many real Zionists who feel so much for Israel, and do so much and give so much, but are not living here. Just the other day, I met a tourist from the US who told me he gives to a synagogue in Hevron the same donation he gives to his own synagogue. That means he really feels connected to Hevron. I've met wonderful people who give hours of their time organising sales and meetings for Israel, and who will do anything and spare no effort on behalf of Israel.
I grew up in the late nineteen-fifties in England, as that's where my parents found themselves after the Second World War. I never understood the connection between living in England and putting coins in the little blue box, dressing up on Purim as a kibbutznik or praying for rain on Succot (when it was already raining in the UK, and I really wished it would stop raining right then so I could get home dry from praying for the rain). Israel was for me in those days some distant sunny country that needed lots of saplings to plant forests.
When I grew up, I saw for myself and stayed - having had enough of seeing the queen of England hanging up next to the president of Israel in the Jewish community centers.
What does Israel mean to your children? If you care about Israel, do you manage to get your children to care, too? Don't you feel any discrepancy between where your heart is and where your feet are? I know we need supportive people who live abroad, but we could get by quite happily with the Christians who support Israel helping us.
It's true the standard of living is lower here and some people think its more dangerous (although whenever I'm abroad I feel less secure than here), but our supermarkets and stores and medical care are just as good, and there is reasonable housing a 20- to 40-minute drive from any city, and those who want to work, do.
So, please, all you wonderful people who care for Israel:
Now we need human saplings to make forests. Just do it. Pack up and come and influence us here.
Yet, why is it that I get a wrenching feeling in my stomach when I see yet another great opinion or comment from New York or Florida or South Africa or anywhere else? I then think to myself, "If only that person with all that writing talent was here, working maybe for Maariv, or being an army spokesman, or a politician (I'd exchange the lot of them for any one of you ) - or even just an ordinary citizen with his/her head and heart in the right place." I then imagine how many muddled up Israelis each one of you would be able to influence for every week of living here, just by talking to people in a store, on the bus or on a train. But I never manage to work it out.
I ask myself how it is that there are so many real Zionists who feel so much for Israel, and do so much and give so much, but are not living here. Just the other day, I met a tourist from the US who told me he gives to a synagogue in Hevron the same donation he gives to his own synagogue. That means he really feels connected to Hevron. I've met wonderful people who give hours of their time organising sales and meetings for Israel, and who will do anything and spare no effort on behalf of Israel.
I grew up in the late nineteen-fifties in England, as that's where my parents found themselves after the Second World War. I never understood the connection between living in England and putting coins in the little blue box, dressing up on Purim as a kibbutznik or praying for rain on Succot (when it was already raining in the UK, and I really wished it would stop raining right then so I could get home dry from praying for the rain). Israel was for me in those days some distant sunny country that needed lots of saplings to plant forests.
When I grew up, I saw for myself and stayed - having had enough of seeing the queen of England hanging up next to the president of Israel in the Jewish community centers.
What does Israel mean to your children? If you care about Israel, do you manage to get your children to care, too? Don't you feel any discrepancy between where your heart is and where your feet are? I know we need supportive people who live abroad, but we could get by quite happily with the Christians who support Israel helping us.
It's true the standard of living is lower here and some people think its more dangerous (although whenever I'm abroad I feel less secure than here), but our supermarkets and stores and medical care are just as good, and there is reasonable housing a 20- to 40-minute drive from any city, and those who want to work, do.
So, please, all you wonderful people who care for Israel:
Now we need human saplings to make forests. Just do it. Pack up and come and influence us here.