Our Kryptonite Achilles' Heel

Children Of Israel Are Never Alone

Hey, beloved tribe.

I thought I’d have a Jews Of The Universe column today, but I’m not in full control over the timing of those. Next Friday, barring something truly extraordinary, there should be no reason that you won’t be getting a profile of Basya Schechter — in her own words this time.

For now, it would seem we have a deal signed by both Hamas and Israel, and — as of this moment — approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet. Reportedly (by Fox News, which I am forced to read because ironically they’re the only ones who report with a modicum of honesty about Israel), Putin has weighed in on the proceedings.

Hilariously, per their report:

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday made his first comments since the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal was announced earlier this week, saying that he hopes it holds.

He also said in addition to releasing hostages, more food and medicine must be allowed into Gaza.

“At the same time, it is important not to weaken efforts to comprehensively resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the generally recognized international legal basis,” he said, “which provides for the creation of an independent Palestinian state existing in peace and security with Israel.”

Like the entire rest of the world, Putin is an earnestly moral, quiveringly sensitive humanitarian when it comes to recognizing an imaginary independent Palestinian state existing in peace and security with Israel. Meanwhile I can think of a real independent and sovereign state that was existing in peace and security with its neighbor, Vlad. That is, until almost 3 years ago. Perhaps you could summon an ounce of your lofty scruples for them.

Fam, we live in a surreal place. We can let the baseless hatred and hypocrisy drive us mad or we can take a page from the Israeli playbook, be beautifully Jewish and carry on with our good lives.

So I say this, and I mean it, and yet, I want to be real about something that happened to me yesterday. I try to walk a minimum of 5 miles on every day the weather and my schedule permit. I was listening to the most recent episode of Dan Senor’s podcast, Call Me Back, which was of course about the hostage deal. He was in conversation with Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal.

I was walking along my usual route when Nadav said that the Bibas children would be released in the first phase of the hostage deal, which might or might not mean they’re returned in body bags.

And as suddenly and unexpectedly as a switch flipping, my entire body was flooded with the most painful physical symptoms of terror. Suddenly there was an immense twisting squid in my gut, frantically spurting black ink all over my insides. An intense metallic tang blossomed in my mouth. I felt unstrung at the knees. It was shocking and breathtaking.

I recognized it as the first panic attack of my life. Why now? I don’t know. But even though the Bibas children have been on my mind for well over a year, I was suddenly and completely undone by the immient reality of that potentially soul-crushing reveal.

Also to be released in the first phase are two American hostages, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel. Isn’t it interesting that this is a total non-event in the U.S.?

When Otto Warmbier was held hostage and tortured by North Korea, his ordeal was the centerpiece of national conversation. The international story had it that the poster he allegedly stole was something he planned to bring back to his church.

His parents had the good sense not to reveal that he was actually Jewish. Not that it helped them in the end.

In any event, why this panic attack? I know next week’s inauguration is at least part of the reason. The swiftness with which Bibi capitulated to Trump is deeply frightening to me, even though I welcome a return of our hostages even at this staggering cost. Whether or not his actions happen to serve us this time, he is a fickle, easily manipulated, sociopathic child with no loyalty to anything but the enrichment of his own family first and his sycophantic American oligarchs next. When you get in bed with a face-eating leopard, your face will eventually be eaten.

I’ve had so many people tell me that Trump can be counted upon to support Israel because of his huge evangelical base. Yeah, right. Yes, those fundamentalist Christians care about Israel. But Trump is a lying, cheating, pathologically vain, sexually predatorial, porn star-banging, Constitution-flouting fraudster and insurrectionist who tried to murder half of Congress and incited violence that resulted in the death of capitol police. Am I really supposed to believe that Israel is the one sacred value they’re going to uphold at any cost? It’s not as if there haven’t been literally a thousand deal-breakers for Evangelicals so far. But it turns out that Trump is their real God.

Finally, there is a lot of fear in knowing that we have a cardinal weakness as a people that will never, or at least should never, be anything but our Achilles’ heel.

Yes, this deal will encourage more hostage-taking of Jews in the future, all over the world. Yes, that’s inexpressibly frightening to contemplate.

And yet, I hope we are always beyond choice when it comes to recovering our own. Because this is also our most profound strength. Our love for one another, the value we place on Jewish life, has everything to do with why Israel is a wildly happy country in spite of everything.

Jewish children know their parents would do anything to protect them. Israelis know their fellow citizens won’t leave them in hell.

Contrast that with Palestinian children, so many of whom are raised to be walking grenades. Imagine knowing your leadership is doing everything in its power to get you killed for the cameras. Imagine knowing your death is the cardinal value for huge swaths of your own society.

This is the price we pay for the best aspects of our peoplehood. It will always leave us vulnerable, always at a strategic disadvantage. So be it.

Israel is still a vibrant, thriving nation on the scientific, medical, technological, entrepreneurial, intellectual and cultural forefront of the world. Gaza is a wasteland by their own leaders’ design, feeding generation after generation to the blood-soaked earth. That will only change when they decide they would rather build their own country and society than murder Jews.

Okay, fam. I’ll be back with you Monday, when Trump’s inauguration very unfortunately will be casting a sickening pall over MLK Day. I hope you somehow have a peaceful and restorative Shabbat in spite of it all.

All the world is a narrow bridge. The essential thing is not to be afraid. I hold onto this wisdom every day as I try to figure out anew how not to be paralyzed by fear or dread.

Huge, heartfelt love to you all. Shabbat shalom.

Am Yisrael Chai.