The Israel we know today was formed by the Israel after 1973.
Israel has struggled with the consequences of that war ever since.
In retrospect the YK war was maybe its most impressive victory given its ability to recover from the surprise attack.
Yet Israelis say today that Egypt won the war. How is that possible.
And in that question is the origin of the left -right schism to this very day.
Israelis see two events that define the state of mind that makes them wary, to not let their guard down
a. Holocaust
b. YK war.
c. Both the settlement and the peace movements both began after the YK war.
d. the sin is Israeli arrogance from YK war.
Two narratives to read Israeli history
a. Left politics: Sadat was left with no alternative but to attack. His trip to Jerusalem was the beginning of Israeli atonement and that is why peace happened.
b. Right politics: Sadat- nonsense that he wanted to make peace before 73. he needed a victory to have the credibility to make peace. His waiting for Labor to fall and Likud to prominence was a vindication of the right wing and Begin.
c. Zionism as Racism UN resolution reinforced that we live in a hostile world.
d. Intifadas- when Israel offers the peace is when the Palestinians go violence. That is the true Palestinian view.
e. the sin is Israeli complacency from YK war
40 years later after the YK war. What has Israel learned?
a. a bit of right and the left. It is a blend of both characteristics.
b. We need to be more careful recognizing a false sense of security and being more open to risking to Havi is saying thatpeace. It is a balance.
c. Most Israelis would be happy if the current negotiations would produce something of a peace agreement. But few Israelis believe that there is a serious partner for peace.
d. Israelis have learned the lessons of YK war and whatever they think went wrong.
a. He says that Jews of the left should atone for minimizing the threats that Israel experiences daily. They should atone for minimizing the dangers and political pressures upon Israel.
b. Right wing Jews in America should atone for the sins of the occupation and not paying attention to what has happened to Israel over the last few years.
c. This YK left and right wing Jews should atone for not being willing to listen to each other.
d. In Israel both sides have each won and lost the big arguments to some extent. Neither camp has the entire the truth.
e. The fortieth anniversary of the war could contribute to a further sense of unity and healing consistent for the high holy days and for Jewish unity.
questions of speaker and his comments:
The Likud leaders are the more dynamic in the Israeli political movement in Israel today.
He does not see that old arrogance and bravado that was Israel after 67-73. Israel has changed and learned how to live as a normal country yet still knowing that it is not living in a normal world.
Israel is more democratic now than ever before.
He talked about the freedom of the press. There is not
the blind trust in the govt that there was.
This might have contributed to Israel being caught off guard at YK 73. A free press is critical for Israel.
We may be in a holding action right now. Maybe the current negotiations could lead to an interim agreement. That is about it.
This is the year of Iran. Will Iran be stopped or will it be allowed to go nuclear?
Israel is taking it one day at a time.
See Jabotinsky's article the
Iron Wall which is critical to understanding the Arab and the Israel position. He says this article, written sixty years ago, prophetic for understanding our times today.
He does not believe that Israel is truly not existentially threatened by Iran in this moment. He believes that Israel will make a preemptive strike against Iran.
Will Tu
Will Turkey be the new Iran and Iran the new Turkey
His point is that we need to remember that israel needs to put up with American Jewish opinion if they wantAmerican JHewish support on the important issues to secuity.
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