This gets to the heart of it. Trauma may explain the desire for vengeance; it does not excuse a political leader who deliberately feeds it. Leadership should interrupt the cycle of hurt, not weaponize it.
Ben Gvir and his ilk are a cancer on Israeli society—not because they represent its wounds, but because they exploit those wounds and prevent them from healing. Loving Israel requires saying that plainly.
What I care about is Israeli domestic and foreign policy that is best for Israel. The fact that Ben Gvir has made excessively vitriolic comments is a part of the scenery. With enemies like the Arabs that Israel is faced with, I expect some within Israel to react as most humans would when dealing with monsters in human form.
Unfortunately, the media focuses on individuals like Ben Gvir in order to demonize Israelis in general. Ultimately, the purpose of doing that is to weaken Israel's position. We cannot afford a weak Israel when the jackals are howling.
When media begins to cover the true story of what Israel faces in its proper context, I will start caring about Ben Gvir's comments. Until that happens, I will not be one of the people spotlighting what he says.
I get it. You don't approve of this guy. If you lived in Israel, Brad, I would say to you, work within the Israeli political system to remove Ben Gvir from power. That would be practical.
But for you to make proclamations from outside Israel, what does that actually do? Who is your audience? What are you trying to influence? All I see it doing is adding to the anti-Israel propaganda war.
There are hundreds of millions of dollars spent demonizing Israel. So, congratulations. You got your two cents in. You've gone on record. You don't approve.
Instead, you could be writing about Israel sending aid to Colombia or how Israel has even treated Arab terrorists in Israeli hospitals.
There are many great things that Israel has done and is doing that the media have studiously ignored. Do you approve of that? Probably not. So why not write about that instead?
My point is, there is an existential war going on against Israel. A large part of it is the war of information. You can sit on the sidelines and take shots at Ben Gvir. I would ask you to look at the larger context.
Ed, I share your frustration with a media environment that too often takes Ben Gvir and treats him as representative of Israel while minimizing the very real enemies and threats Israelis face. But I can’t let that determine my own moral judgment.
Ben Gvir isn’t simply a wounded Israeli reacting emotionally to October 7. He is a minister of the state, entrusted with power. Trauma may explain vengeance in ordinary people; leadership carries the responsibility not to cultivate it.
And I don’t think hostile coverage should grant our own extremists immunity from criticism. If anything, those of us who care about Israel have a particular obligation to distinguish between defending Israel and defending everything done or said in its name.
I won’t let Israel’s enemies define Israel for me. But I won’t let them define what I’m willing to condemn, either.
Ben gvir is the face of Israel and zionism
This gets to the heart of it. Trauma may explain the desire for vengeance; it does not excuse a political leader who deliberately feeds it. Leadership should interrupt the cycle of hurt, not weaponize it.
Ben Gvir and his ilk are a cancer on Israeli society—not because they represent its wounds, but because they exploit those wounds and prevent them from healing. Loving Israel requires saying that plainly.
What I care about is Israeli domestic and foreign policy that is best for Israel. The fact that Ben Gvir has made excessively vitriolic comments is a part of the scenery. With enemies like the Arabs that Israel is faced with, I expect some within Israel to react as most humans would when dealing with monsters in human form.
Unfortunately, the media focuses on individuals like Ben Gvir in order to demonize Israelis in general. Ultimately, the purpose of doing that is to weaken Israel's position. We cannot afford a weak Israel when the jackals are howling.
When media begins to cover the true story of what Israel faces in its proper context, I will start caring about Ben Gvir's comments. Until that happens, I will not be one of the people spotlighting what he says.
I get it. You don't approve of this guy. If you lived in Israel, Brad, I would say to you, work within the Israeli political system to remove Ben Gvir from power. That would be practical.
But for you to make proclamations from outside Israel, what does that actually do? Who is your audience? What are you trying to influence? All I see it doing is adding to the anti-Israel propaganda war.
There are hundreds of millions of dollars spent demonizing Israel. So, congratulations. You got your two cents in. You've gone on record. You don't approve.
Instead, you could be writing about Israel sending aid to Colombia or how Israel has even treated Arab terrorists in Israeli hospitals.
There are many great things that Israel has done and is doing that the media have studiously ignored. Do you approve of that? Probably not. So why not write about that instead?
My point is, there is an existential war going on against Israel. A large part of it is the war of information. You can sit on the sidelines and take shots at Ben Gvir. I would ask you to look at the larger context.
Ed, I share your frustration with a media environment that too often takes Ben Gvir and treats him as representative of Israel while minimizing the very real enemies and threats Israelis face. But I can’t let that determine my own moral judgment.
Ben Gvir isn’t simply a wounded Israeli reacting emotionally to October 7. He is a minister of the state, entrusted with power. Trauma may explain vengeance in ordinary people; leadership carries the responsibility not to cultivate it.
And I don’t think hostile coverage should grant our own extremists immunity from criticism. If anything, those of us who care about Israel have a particular obligation to distinguish between defending Israel and defending everything done or said in its name.
I won’t let Israel’s enemies define Israel for me. But I won’t let them define what I’m willing to condemn, either.