My Top Four Reasons to Care About Israel

Israel... G-d's chosen Land. I encourage every person who believes in the G-d of Abraham to make just one trip to Israel. You will NEVER be the same!

I've been to Israel and what I experienced was a nation run like a military camp and a vast, easily recognizable disparity between the communities of Palestinians in Israel and those of Israeli Jews. Not a thing anyone of good conscience would or should be proud of. Not a thing..

Beautiful comments from Rabbi Grossman, I cried. Blessings on the Holy Land! -Annie

Firstly, a huge "Yasher Koach" to Rabbi Grossman on these comments. Absolutely terrific. It is so true - if Israel had existed as a sovereign entity only a few years earlier, not only would there have been a haven for so many of the Jews that died in the camps, but most certainly the ovens would have been taken out. As to commenters like "sacred cow", the answer is so very obvious, and it is three-fold. Firstly, if you don't like the disparity between Jews and Psalestinians in Israel, and you would like to be intellectually honest, how about comparing the situation of Palestinians in Israel to that of the Jews in Syria right now. The differences would be funny, if they weren't so deadly serious. Secondly, how about comparing the situation of the Palestinians in Israel (in every way - socially, economocally, educationally, levels of health care, etc.) to that of the average citizen in most Arab countries, whose levels of poverty, ignorance, etc. is so much worse, devastatingly so. Lastly (and this is the most obvious one to any student of Middle East history) compare the levels of ANYTHING (education, salaries, health care, even political rights etc.) for the Palestinians under Israeli sovereignty to that of those same Palestinians when the areas were under Jordanian rule from 1948 to 1967. The Palestinians have it so much better now than they did then, it is scary. To see it any other way clearly shows anti- Israel bias, maybe even anti - Jewish sentiment, rather than an honest look at the facts on the ground. No surprise there, eh? Dr. Norman Gold

The rabbi's article about Israel was beautifully expressed and very true. As for the one-sided portrayal of Israel by the Western anti-Semitic media, it is really sad that so many American Jews are equally influenced by its bias and do not see the truth. Since a pathetic number of American Jews even visit Israel, (we get more Christian visitors than Jews) no wonder they dont realize the truth of the situation here. The truth is that the Arabs are out to destroy us. The one thing you can say about Hamas is that they are honest, they do not want peace with us ever.

I converted to Judaism over three years ago, and i lived in Isreal for nearly three years before i finaly had the courage to approach a Rabbi and begin the conversion process. Israel for me is a beautifull and inspiring place , both visually and spiritually. The jewish people have suffered the indignities of anti semitism, of being villanised and expelled from one home/country to another since the time of the Maccabies in Yerushalayim and before. Isreal has a right and a duty to exist, it is the only jewish state in a world surrounded by Christian and Muslim countries. The steps it takes to protect its self and its people are neccesary and just, Isreal does not actively seek to discriminate - its seeks only to protect its self from a majority of people who see blowing up Isreali children on school buses and in Tel -Aviv night clubs as an acceptable way of getting its point accross. These are the same people who have just voted into parliament a terrorist organisation who do not even recognise the state of Isreal and who openly advocate violance against both Israeli's and Jews. Though i converted i will always consider Isreal my first and only homeland, and I pray that Hashem will speedily bring it the peace and security it and all its people deserve.