The Difference Engine, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise | @MDWorld

March 22, 2014 Martha Thomases 6 Comments

Israel is nothing like I expected.

Well, mostly.  It is warm and beautiful.  There are historical ruins thousands of years old.

But …

It can be disorienting to think that everyone around me is Jewish, but see fewer yarmulkas and tfillen than I see in Manhattan.  The street signs, the billboards, the menus are in Hebrew, Arabic and, if I’m lucky, English.

I’ve seen some sights, but that’s not why I’m here.  My father left a large sum of money in trust, with the income to be distributed to those in need.  One of the stipulations was that a percentage go to Jewish charities.  I am here with a few other people on the distribution committee to see some of the work we have backed in the past, and some of the groups who might ask for help in the future.

Like a good little leftie, I had reservations about Israeli policies, particularly as they relate to the Arab population.  As a Jew, I had a sentimental attachment to the idea of a Jewish homeland.  These attitudes conflicted plenty when I was in New York.

Here, they are almost irrelevant.  Almost.

I thought the situation would be Jew against Arab.  I thought that Israeli Jews opposed a two-state solution,

Not true.

I’ve met many Jews who work with government and non-government agencies who have devoted their lives to making Israel a shared society, with equal opportunities for all.  I met Arabs committed yo making life better for their own communities so that their people could be full, responsible citizens of Israel.  I met people with much more nuanced opinions about the Palestinians than I’ve heard from anyone in the United States, no matter the religion or political sensibility.  Like just about everything, it isn’t that simple.

After a whopping five days here, I have failed to come up with the one precise action that can fix everything.  There need to be billions of steps, including some in the wrong direction (to make the proper way more obvious).  We need to trust one another, respect one another and love one another.  We need to stop worrying about who looks weak, and start worrying about how to make each other stronger.

We need to pay less attention to who did what last year or last century, and think more about who can move us forward together today.

And here’s the most important thing.  Eggplant, tahini, hummus– any combination of two of these things will make everything better.  All three together and we might see the Messiah return.