Kategori: Israel

”For some reason the Israeli people are always referred to as one; as the government”

Dear Swedes,

Four months ago I finally made the decision to move to Israel. I was born here, but have been living in Denmark with my Danish mother since the age of two. I was raised as a Christian, with Danish values and with a “Robin Hood-idealism” that always told me, that I should always cheer for the weak and suppressed.

When I decided to move here, quite a lot of people asked me how I could support the Israeli government and its policies towards the Palestinians. I never quite understood this question.

Israel is so much more than war and politics. A huge amount of the Swedes must also live in a country without supporting the government! In Scandinavia many of us are raised with the idea that generalization is bad. It’s not correct to say that all Muslims are criminals or that all blondes are stupid. But for some reason the Israeli people are always referred to as one; as the government.

I honestly don’t know much about Israeli politics, and I don’t know much about the Jewish-Palestinian conflict, but I do know one thing: the Scandinavian media should NOT be the people’s source of reality! It has happened a thousand times that my Danish friends expected me to explain the actions of “the Israeli monster”. They’d heard a new story about a missile attack from Israel, and many times they actually almost convinced me that my country of birth was like the new Hitler; torturing the poor Palestinians that were unable to fight back. That was until I visited Israeli news sites and read the articles about the reasons for the attacks.

For some reason the Scandinavian media has decided to make the people hate Israel. I don’t know why, and I’m not saying that Israel is a saint in this conflict. I’m just saying that there are always two sides of the story, but in Scandinavia you only hear one of them!

Another important information, that may surprise a few Swedes is, that Israel never aims to hurt any civilians! There is always a reason for the act – then the individual can decide for itself whether it thinks it’s a good one. Israel doesn’t wish to hurt the Palestinians. The government is simply trying to defend the country and protect its people!

People forget (or don’t know) that Israel is a country just like any other. We go out, we laugh, and we travel and have family dinners. When I say that I think the Scandinavians could learn a lot from the Israelis, people look at me like I’m crazy! But I do think that Israelis are some of the kindest, most open and warm-hearted people I’ve ever met. The mentality is not aggressive or war-minded. People don’t believe me when I say so, but the few that take the chance and come to see the country with their own eyes, they always come back.

We have SO much to show you; we are SO much more than war and politics; we are tired of being misunderstood!

Maja Olsen

”We love living, and we’ll do everything in our power to safeguard life”

Dear Kim,

You asked for letters from Israelis so here is my two-cents-worth.
I actually don’t want to write about conflicts. I don’t want to write about Gaza or the Palestinians.
What I always wanted is for people around the world to understand what we are really like, and not what is shown on television.
So what are we like? I guess the best way is to describe what I like best about Israel.
First and foremost I love the food! Almost any restaurant you walk into in Israel you are sure to get freshly made excellent food. Since there are both eastern and western influences, the fusion here is fantastic.
We are a free spirited nation, full of ambition, color, diversity, creativity and spirituality. This is why we are so successful in information technologies. We can improvise and innovate better than any other nation.
We love living, and we’ll do everything in our power to safeguard life. That is why we have so many medical instrument companies and start-ups. Medical care is one of the top priorities in the country.
I guess I will stop here and continue this another day because it is getting late.

Best regards,

Yishai

Swedish-American: Looking at Israel in a Different Way

Well, there are so many things I would like to say, and write down in this letter, but I will probably miss out a lot that has faded away from my thoughts throughout the 18 years I’ve been in Israel. It’s been a long roller-coaster ride, through good and bad experiences which have become bitter-sweet memories.

For starters, I am a young Swedish-American living in Israel since 1994. My Christian – Zionist parents brought me here at a young age, against my will I must say. But as time passed, I learned to love Jerusalem and it became my home. After reading Yossi’s letter, I’m reminded of how getting on a bus on a daily basis to public school was nerve wrecking. The endless bus bombings and the terror in the air made it difficult to concentrate on the small and happy things kids should grow up on.

Exactly ten years ago, on Friday, March 29, 2002 I was in my room in Kiryat Yovel neighborhood in Jerusalem and I remember hearing a loud sound coming from a distance. Minutes later we could hear the sirens and the helicopters flooding the area. And then the phone calls began – the routine of calling your family members, your friends, or anyone in the area, hoping it’s not another bomb, and praying your loved ones are safe. But tragically, 17 year-old Rachel Levy, a dear classmate was killed on that day by a teenage Palestinian female suicide bomber. At the time, being 17, I didn’t really grasp how such a young girl could kill herself and others for an idea or belief. Just thinking about it makes me cry. But I am writing this letter, since the world needs to know our stories as well. And this is just one of so many! I have no doubt the Palestinians have their own tragic stories and losses, but it’s crucial to understand each side, and not justify just one.

”Swedish-American”

I am not a Zionist – but we don’t have another country

I was born in Israel.

I must admit that sometimes Zionism is very close to be racism – BUT the moment Israel will not be controlled by a Jewish majority, the Jews will lose the only safe place in the world!

I strongly think that Israel is the land of all religions – BUT I think the idea of changing Israel into a state of all its citizens is an illusion.

I am not a Zionist, and I do not always agree with some decisions nor with the Israeli government’s policy, BUT we don’t have another country.

So maybe I’m not the typical Israeli, but I’m definitely Jewish, and JERUSALEM is my home. ❤

”M”

”Ordet ”fred” är en del av vår vardag”

Till mina nuvarande och framtida vänner,

När jag först hörde talas om vad Kim håller på med blev jag både glad och lättad.
Det kändes som om någon annan i världen insåg att jag är något mer än bara en rubrik i en dramatisk scen i kvällsnyheterna.
Han bad oss att hjälpa honom visa er, Sveriges folk, medaljens baksida. Vår sida av historien. Jag sa till mig själv: ”Vad bra! Det ska jag göra i morgon bitti, så snart min chef är på annat håll.”

Nu är jag hemma. Ingen chef i närheten.
Men jag känner mig så trött och så liten. Jag tänker på er i ert vackra land, hur fjärran ni är från hela den här röran och jag har ingen aning om hur jag skulle kunna nå fram till er.
Hur kan jag få er att förstå min sida av konflikten? Vad f-n ÄR min sida av konflikten? Jag är lika förvirrad som alla andra. Jag är 30 år gammal, uppvuxen i norra Israel och jag har tillbringat fler nätter i skyddsrum än jag kan räkna – jag har sett saker som inget barn borde se. Trots detta finns det, nu när jag är äldre, inget hat i mitt hjärta. Det har det aldrig funnits.
Jag är inte någon expert på historia; jag kan inte säga vem som började; jag vet inte ens om det finns något hopp för mitt lilla land. Jag känner inte människorna på den andra sidan.
Men jag har araber som är mina vänner. Många av oss har det.

Jag ska inte ljuga – det är inte en perfekt harmoni. Saker och ting här är så komplicerade så jag vet inte ens hur jag skulle börja. Men en sak vet jag – i Israel är namnet ”Shalom” (fred) mycket vanligt. Det är namn på människor, gator, restauranger, huvudtrafikleder, hotell, skolor, byar, o.s.v. När vi svarar i telefon, säger vi ”shalom”. Vi använder ”shalom” som hälsning när vi kommer och när vi går. Ordet ”fred” finns i vår vardag. Min grundskola hette ”Shalom Aleichem”.

Vi har så många sånger om fred, om shalom – både gamla och nya – sånger som finns i vår israeliska DNA för evigt. Ni måste få veta detta. Jag känner att jag måste förklara detta. Självklart har vi våra radikala. Ni har dem också. De finns överallt.
Israelen i gemen är fredslängtande. Ni kanske har svårt att tro det – men shalom, fred, finns i vår mentalitet.

Men vi är trötta. Jag känner det. Jag ser det i människors ögon. Det har varit 60 år av oavbrutet krig. Vi har alla drabbats hårt. Ibland känner jag det som om vi har att göra med brutala, galna terrorister och ibland känner jag att jag vill sträcka ut min hand till dem, eftersom de antagligen är lika trötta som jag.

”T”

Översättning: Ingrid Olsson
Read this letter in English.