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What is happening (t)here?

The other day, Mobius ended a post about Israel by wondering

I mean, that is if you even in part accept the assesment that what is happening here is wrong…

Well what is happening in Israel? On this blog, we hear a lot about the negatives. But Israel is a complex society that does a lot of good, and yet still has a lot of room for improvement.

I thought I would share this story, from the Jewish Agency for Israel’s web site, about a program to cultivate technical and scientific skills and thus future opportunity for Ethiopian-Israeli youth. Obviously, this is just one example of a positive Israeli program, and there are many. We have a lot to be proud of in Israel, and let’s not let our desire for positive change obscure that.

8 thoughts on “What is happening (t)here?

  1. all i can say is look how sparsely this blog is being updated and you’ll understand that it’s really not a general disposition of this blog to be incessantly down on israel. the good news is just incredibly rare these days. “it doesn’t sell newspapers” as it were. if you’ve got positive stories like this israeli-ethiopian one to post, by all means, post ’em. when i got ’em i do… just ain’t much been comin’ across the wire.

  2. It’s true– we’re not always negative. But there is a tendency to be critical. I think that is a good thing. The question is: how do we feel about those positive stories– are they smoke and mirrors blocking the “atrocities” etc? or are they legitimate reasons to feel proud? (I am obviously exaggerating a bit). For me, I see the bad things as I reason to be involved and to improve Israel. And the good things make me proud to be a Zionist and to affiliate myself, even in a small way, with the achievements of a Jewish society.

  3. my mokolet man smiled at me today, does that count as upbeat and positive news? You bet your sweet left wing ass it does! 🙂

  4. Israel is actually quite a fine place to be, not like the rest of them, but up there wth the best of them.
    Unlike most of them, Israel is mired in a conflict (caused by a surrouding disapproval of its existence) so that’s what sticks in the common perception.
    Ronen:
    ” I think that is a good thing. The question is: how do we feel about those positive stories– are they smoke and mirrors blocking the “atrocities” etc? or are they legitimate reasons to feel proud? (I am obviously exaggerating a bit)”
    They are part of what makes Israel as normally human as other countries popularted by humans, and so are the negative parts, which need to be addressed, as they need be everywhere else.
    “Jews are people like you and me” that’s Zionism al regel ahat.

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