Do not disturb

Do not disturb

The world told us not worry and stop being hysterical: these two innocent Iranian marine ships should be allowed to pass the Suez Canal. What harm could they do?

And so the Iranian ships passed the Suez Canal, on their way to a Syrian port. The world went on watching games, movies or other more important things. Lucky for us, the Bible teaches that those who watch over Israel do not doze nor sleep, and they kept their eyes on these innocent Iranian ships, even watched them unload in the Syrian port, after which they left, while the Iranian government blamed the Zionist conspiracy for telling lies about the devout Iranian people.

When the Victoria started to load the unloaded cargo from the two Iranian ships, we still were watching. Even when the ship anchored in Turkey and just stayed there, idle, as if all is well, we were watching. When the Victoria left for Egypt, our guys entered the ship and found 50 tons of arms. The ship surrendered, was taken to Israel, where the loot was put on display. Crates and documents stated clearly the arms came from Iran, which started to shout bloody murder and cursed those damn Jews.

Right after that the Turkish government forced down an Iranian cargo plane on its way to Syria. The contact was so disturbing, that Ankara sent in nuclear experts to understand what the mad scientist from Teheran was sending to his buddies in Syria. Again, the nitwits in Teheran claimed the plane and its contents had nothing to do with them…

While they were shouting out their complete innocence, the Egyptian army seized a shipment of arms from Sudan, originating from Iran, en route to the Gaza strip and Beduin gangs in the Sinai desert. …

How sad. These Jews! They interfere with everything and accuse the Iranian madmen falsely! It has to stop!

And indeed. It has to stop. The world leaders, who were informed of the catch, were not interested in this kind of news. Well, not entirely: some expressed interest in the addressees, so they can try to send replacement for the lost arms….business is business….

Having informed the world leaders about three arms shipments caught, within 24 hours, is very annoying. And we apologize.

Maybe we shall send the arms back to Iran, where they came from.

As a present to the opposition forces, which are being butchered, while the world watches games, movies and other important things.

Because this world is very involved, you know. See how the world stepped up to help the Libyan opposition, or the demonstrators in Bahrain that are being shot in the streets by Saudi soldiers. Or look how much humanitarian help was given to Japan.

Yes, this world is very busy and should not be disturbed. Everyone really should do his own thing.

So will we.

©Simon Soesan

Back to Basics

Back to basics

In all my years in the country I live in, Israel, I have always tried to seek peace. I have never turned the other cheek, but always tried to reduce the need for violence by talking, getting to know each other, trying to create respect for the other side's different views.

In my many years here, I made it a point to live in the only city that promotes co-existence: Haifa. Among my friends I am proud to find people with different background and religions, most of us with the same goal: secure peaceful lives for our children. We do that by sending them all to the same school and crush prejudice by teaching them to live together as Israelis, as equals and that violence cannot be the answer to the tragic conflict of the Middle East.

Yet there will always be people who can only exist by living off violence. By ensuring people will continue to hate. By inciting people to commit atrocities and even offering their own lives in the process. No, not the lives of those preaching and leading these extremists. They know better: they send others, preferable those who have lost all hope. These people are the best messengers of hate and violence and, with the help of same extreme religious indoctrination, they are capable of anything.

And so, just a few days ago, these 'messengers' reached the house of the Fogel family in the Itamar settlement. Mind you, I am against the misuse of these settlers, against the misuse of their religious beliefs and their Zionism. But slaughtering a family is not the solution, is not what these people deserve, is not acceptable, is not human. The slaughter of the Fogel family puts everything back into perspective for me. Slicing throats of a whole family, including a baby, indicates exactly where we are. Butchering a family, after which candies are distributed in Gaza, tells us what fools we have been. Receiving no condolences from countries we thought were friends, even those with criticism, shows us the reality we live in.

A European Union that subsidizes TV programs that teach hatred and promotes the slicing of Jewish throats is no friend of ours. A USA whose leader praises Islam, without mentioning the extremists' madness, is no friend of ours.

I know, our shameful government has created our isolation and our diplomacy is at its lowest level ever, while our leadership resembles a windmill turning in any wind direction. And I am aware that I am a tough critic of this government that is not mine.

But nothing, nothing at all justifies this atrocity. Nothing can mend this hurt. Nothing can explain this butchering. Nothing.

And so, we are back to basics: on our own, with our back pressed against the wall and with a world that confuses fierce resistance from an underdog against terror and hate with violent imperialism called Zionism. Again we can count on no-one else but ourselves and must find a way to resist the death sentence proclaimed by the extreme Islamists.

No we are not angry. We understand that the world has other priorities than dealing with Jews that refuse to die, refuse to be butchered. We understand that protecting business interests has a higher priority. We are not even disappointed from a world that let our people march to gas chambers, refused to take our people in when we had nowhere else to go and kept refusing to lift a finger when millions of other persecuted people in the Balkan and Africa where murdered. We understand. We understand it's all business, nothing personal.

However, cutting the throats of a family is not business and certainly not business as usual. Cutting up a family is a personal thing. We take that very personal, especially when textbooks at Palestinian schools teach not only hate, but describe in detail how to cut Jewish throats. With the subsidy of the EU, of course.

So we are back to basics.

"If I am not for myself, then who is?", can be read in the Bible. And while we are criticized for building settlements, the Arab Legion and the Palestinian Authority are allowed to keep the total destruction of Israel as their main goal in their manifest, while we are asked to stop complaining about these petty issues and stop building in areas we conquered in wars that were forced upon us.

Back to basics means we understand that our neighbors do not want a piece of us, nor do they want peace with us. Under the patronage of Iran they want only want thing: they want us dead and gone. And the US, as well as the EU, with their roaring silence and quiet help simply agree.

Back to basics means it's up to us to decide what will happen next. Back to basics means we stop apologizing to the world that today's Jews hit back and do not walk anymore in silence to their deaths.

If no-one is for us, then we will be for ourselves.

©Simon Soesan

Lounge Zionists

Lounge Zionists

They do not live in Israel, but will explain in length how much they love Israel and why they cannot live there – right now: the government, the taxes, the weather, the Arabs, the Jews…they will sincerely explain why not and then they organize a conference.

“We love Israel – that’s why we criticize Israel” is their main slogan. They bring in mediocre politicians, extremist rabbis – whether reformed or orthodox – and they bring in the press. They will shout “shame on you, Israel”, while swearing they love us.

And then they go home.

And from the safe comfort from their living room, far away from Israel, they write their articles criticizing us. But of love. Out of kinship. Of course, they will send the kids over. For a fortnight, mind you, and only if it is subsidized or for free. Here in Israel we see these buses with youngsters and flags saying “Birthright” or “Taglit”. Ignorant spoiled kids that come for a while, wipe a tear from sheer emotion and then go home, more than 90% do not return to live here. But hey, they visited, so now they are experts and can criticize, just like their parents.

J-Street is the latest sign of this disease. Full of air and criticism, they will spend time and money explaining to whoever wants to hear what is wrong with my country.

No, they will not come and live here, join the army, work here and pay taxes here. Send their children off to school in buses that might explode. They will not become part of our society and help it improve – yes, we need to improve a lot. They will not come and live here and vote.

No, much better at home, far away from Israel and trying to influence foreign governments that have no obligation whatsoever to Israel, besides the fact that some ignorant lounge Zionists will try to influence policies that should be focused on the needs of the country they live in. And at the end of the day they will send money. Lots of money, so our corrupt civil servants have more to share between them – and waste it on issues that have no importance to Israel, but pacifies the minds of those living so far away and criticize us. But hey, they send money, so why complain?

For almost 40 years I live in this country called Israel. A difficult country to live in. We have corrupt politicians, mentally challenged extremists and are surrounded by neighbors that hate our guts and rather see us dead. But it is OUR country. We are building it, we are trying to fix our mistakes and we are trying to make a life in the only country in the world we Jews can call “home”.

You want to criticize us? You think we are doing such a bad job? Come live here and join the fun. Join the adventure and join the problems. We do not need lounge Zionists and we do not need your money.

We need you to come home.

For Dutch Readers only - De Telegraaf

The following is for Dutch readers only, dealing with two antisemitic article in the largest Dutch daily, the Telegraaf, to which i reacted in detail.

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Part 1.

Letter to Mr. Noord:

Geachte meneer van Noord.

Ik refereer naar uw artikel: http://www.telegraaf.nl/reiskrant/9188651/__Reclame_misleidt_toeristen__.html?p=2,1

Mijn naam is Simon Soesan. Ik woon in Haifa, Israel.

Sinds 1973.

Als zakenman ben ik onder andere partner (50/50) met het Egyptische reisbureau Skyline. Ook ben ik, als inwoner van Haifa, zeer betrokken met de samenleving in onze stad. In Haifa leven Christenen, Moslims, Druzen, Bahai en zelfs Joden in vrede en behoorlijk goede harmonie.

Ik heb uw twee stukjes vrij vertaald aan mijn vrienden voorgelezen, die allemaal uit de bovenstaande religieuze achtergronden komen. En allemaal met ongeloof hebben geluisterd. Want wat u schrijft, meneer van Noord is niet alleen onzin, maar uzelf misleid de toeristen.

Ik ga niet beginnen bij de bijbel, noch zal ik u verwijzen naar Elzas-Lotharingen in Frankrijk, ooit van Duitsland geweest, wat, na het verliezen van een door de Duitsers begonnen oorlog, door Frankrijk werd geannexeerd.

Als u het niet erg vind, meneer van Noord, dan wil ik gewoon uw stukje langsgaan en u op uw fouten wijzen, begrijpende dat u misschien liever niet door een Jood en noch een Israëli ook, op fouten wilt worden gewezen:

1. Arabische Moskeekoepels zijn een onderdeel van het landschap hier. Er worden nieuwe gebouwd en er worden oude moskeen onderhouden: waar u ook bent in Israel vindt u moskeen, dus uw opmerking “moskeen en gebieden die dit land niet toebehoren”, is niet alleen misleidend of onjuist – het is gewoon een domme opmerking.

2. “Syrische en Palestijnse gebieden”, schrijft u. Kunt u aantonen met welke Syrische en Palestijnse gebieden Israel reclame maakt? Graag referenties ook uit het internationaal recht en uw uitleg waarom, volgens uw redenering, de VN het fout heeft om de internationale grens tussen Israel en Syrië te trekken vlak voor Koeneitra. Waar is de Palestijnse grens? Volgens het Palestijnse handheft is heel Israel Palestijns, terwijl de EU en de VN verzoeken om Palestina te gaan creëren en haar grenzen nog bepaald moeten worden.

3. Jericho, Oost Jeruzalem en de Golan zijn door Israel bezet nadat 5 landen ons in 1967 en 1973 aanvielen en de door hun gestarte oorlog verloren. De huidige grenzen met de Palestijnse Autonomie zijn bepaald als tijdelijke grenzen met instemming van alle partijen in het conflict. Weet u iets wat zij niet weten?

4. U schrijft “tot vrede komen met haar buren”. U bent zich bewust dat we vrede hebben gesloten met Jordanië en Egypte? U bent zich bewust dat er interim akkoorden zijn getekend met de Palestijnen, met instemming van de Palestijnen? Of moet ik u even naar de referenties verswijzen? Weer uw huiswerk niet gedaan, meneer van Noord?

5. De UN heeft inderdaad opdracht gegeven aan Israel om te onderhandelen tot een terugtrekking naar de grenzen van 1967, d.w.z. van voor de 6-daagse oorlog van toen. Maar deze opdracht is gebonden en verbonden aan opdrachten aan de Palestijnen, Syriers en anderen, die opdracht kregen terreur acties tegen Israel te staken, om maar een conditie te noemen, was u dat vergeten of heeft u gewoon weer uw huiswerk niet gedaan?

6. U schrijft “Tegen alle bepalingen van het volkerenrecht in, annexeerde Israël Oost-Jeruzalem “. Kunt u deze bepalingen aantonen? Hebt u een referentie voor me? Kunt u de lezers uitleggen wat u hier bedoeld? Het volkenrecht van de VN rept hier namelijk niet over. Weet u iets wat de VN niet weet? Meneer William Davies, hoofd van de VN informatiedienst (telefoon +1 (202) 331-8670) vond uw bewering “amusant” en was verbaasd hoe een serieuze krant zoals de Telegraaf ongebaseerde nonsens drukt. En nee, meneer Davies is niet Joods en heeft niets met Israel te maken.

7. U schrijft over de vierde conventie van Geneve en dat het exploiteren van bezette gebieden tegen de mensenrechten is. Graag referenties waar u het over hebt? Welke vierde conventie? Gaat u nu ook, gebaseerd op deze woorden van u, alle wijn en kaasproducten uit Elzas mijden en het toerisme uit Nederland naar Elzas stoppen?

8. U zegt dat u “men lene een ei” uit een Joods kookboek citeerde. Welk boek is dat? Wie schreef het? En gaat u uzelf nu vergelijken met Max Tailleur? Bent u moppen aan het tappen? Wat een belediging voor Max Tailleur! Ik raadt u aan geen moppen over Joden te vertellen. Bijna geen enkele niet-Joodse Nederlander heeft het recht om moppen over Joden te tappen. Dat recht is verspeeld na het samenheulen met de Duitse bezetters en het uitleveren en het laten afslachten van meer dan 90% van de Joodse Nederlanders aan diezelfde Duitsers door de grote meerderheid van de Nederlandse bevolking.

9. Ook het aanhalen van de oude rabbijn Soetendorp doet u onder valse voorwendselen. Hij had het zeker niet over rare stukjes zoals die van u.

Meneer van Noord, bijna 40 jaar hou ik me bezig met de samenleving tussen Joden en niet-Joden in Israel. Ik doe zaken met Palestijnen, bezoek ze bij hun thuis, ze komen bij mij over de vloer. Ik heb vrienden en zakenpartners in Egypte, Jordanië en andere Arabische landen. Ik schrijf al meer dan 10 jaar columns in diverse media over deze pogingen, die aardig lukken. Soms komt er en gek langs, zoals de antisemiet Gretta Duisenberg, die met loze leuzen en lege beloftes even de boel willen opstoken en niet wil accepteren dat we het hier wel aardig goed met elkaar kunnen vinden. Uiteraard zijn er extremisten aan beide kanten die dit soort typetjes graag verwelkomen.

Het Midden Oosten leeft al jaren in een moeilijk conflict, waar duizenden onnodig zijn omgekomen en velen onnodig lijden. Ik ben er van overtuigd dat er vele fouten worden gemaakt, aan beide zijden. Ook weet ik, dat meer en meer mensen proberen de haat te stoppen als eerste stap naar een oplossing voor dit conflict.

Dankzij mensen zoals u zal dat langer duren en zullen mensen nog wat langer moeten lijden. Stel je voor dat u over de co-existentie hier zou schrijven! Of over de diverse vredesgroeperingen die elkaar steunen en respecteren. Welnee! Sluit u zich maar aan bij de meerderheid van Nederlanders die graag ongebaseerde onzin als feiten aannemen en praatjesmakers zoals u dan heel netjes “journalist” noemen.

Ik wilde deze brief eindigen met “u moet zich schamen”. Maar na het nogmaals herlezen van uw artikel snap ik dat u schaamteloos bent. En, tsja, niets aan te doen, meneer van Noord: maar ook u bent een gewone antisemiet.

Simon Soesan

Haifa, Israel

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Part 2: Reply from De Telegraaf:

Geachte heer Soesan,

Tot onze droefenis is uw mail ondermaats en - zeker in de laatste alinea - beledigend en daarom krijgt u inhoudelijk geen antwoord.

Hoogachtend,

Redactie CheckPoint

DAGBLAD DE TELEGRAAF

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Part 3: My reply to De Telegraaf:

Geachte heer of mevrouw X,

Uw antwoord was weldegelijk inhoudelijk.

Hoogachtend,

Simon Soesan.

By saving a young couple....

By saving a young couple…..

My parents were 17 when the Second World War broke out in all its horror. They knew each other well, but when their parents decided to hide from the Germans, their host insisted the young couple get married before arriving. And so, on a gray morning in January 1943, they married in a quick ceremony. With pure luck and thanks to one Christian family they survived the German atrocities, only to find out that hundreds in their immediate family got slaughtered by the Germans.

With effort and pain they restarted their life in 1945. During the years thereafter five children were born, of which I am the last. Some of the children went to live in Israel. I myself went to Israel in 1973 and knew from the first moment here that this is the country where I will live my life.

During my military service I met a soldier girl and we married two years later. We were blessed with three children. In the meanwhile, back in Holland, my family grew: all five children got married and my parents became grandparents of 13 grandchildren. But it did not stop there: the grandchildren grew up and found partners, so great-grandchildren were added to my parents' family. This week their 17^th great-grandchild was born. Number 17 is called Yoav, named after one of the officers of King David and it means: God is Father.

Yoav is the son of our eldest daughter and her husband and he made me a grandfather. I will need some time to get used to this title, this honorary title. His brand-new grandma will also need time to get used to this, but in the meanwhile our cheek muscles ache, as we cannot stop smiling.

My parents, married 68 years, live in Holland. The two of them survived the Holocaust and built a new life and family. With 5 children and their partners, 13 grandchildren and their partners and 17 great-grandchildren, a family-party has 55 participants. But not for long, as great-grandchild #18 is on its way and will join the gang in about two months.

The Snelle family from Sevenum, Holland joined the small minority of Dutch people during the Second World War and resisted the Germans. They hid my parents (among many, many others) which allowed my parents to survive the German killing machine. Which allowed me to be born, and allowed our children to be born. Which allowed my grandson to be born.

The Talmud says: "Saving one life is as saving a whole world.

And so it is.

Back off, please

Please back off

Ladies and gentlemen: please back off! Stay home!

This whole panic for some flu has no purpose: our hospitals cannot help you as they have not enough manpower, not enough equipment and not even enough beds. Step away please!

You ask why? Do you really think your government would spend money on hospitals, when it has promised to support so many religious institutions? They cannot spend the money twice, you know! And not only these religious institutions, their students and employees (of half only exist on paper anyway), but what about their political appointees? No, please, just go home: your government is not here to help you – it only helps itself.

And their friends. And family.

The same goes for our national railway: look closely at the management, even the son of our former president – rapist Katzav was a big shot there. His qualifications? The son of the president.

Our national railways carefully make sure that all money earned goes to salaries and not to maintenance or, God-forbid, development. So stop whining when trains go up in smoke and fire extinguishers are empty, because really: there is no money for such nonsense!

Slowly but surely our governments have succeeded in putting useless misfits into key positions, as payback for election services rendered. Our governmental system is on the verge of bankruptcy, as all tax monies go first and foremost to pay-offs and salaries. There is simply nothing left. We have unqualified nitwits managing departments without any understanding what needs done – and our government frankly does not give a damn. More jobs were promised, so we privatized our drinking water and created companies that do not supply the water, but do collect money. And how do we finance these companies and pay all those salaries? You got it right! We are told that water is running out and the price doubles: same product, same value, double the income and more freeloaders have a job.

So step back and let them do what they want. You voted for them, didn't you? Oh you didn't? We almost forgot Mr. Netanyahu schmoozed his way into office after losing the elections..

Go home, my fellow Israelis. And watch the reality shows your government created on TV, because the true reality is incomprehensible.

Do not ask what your government can do for you – just watch what it does for itself.

©Simon Soesan

Upside down or backwards

Upside down or backwards

Suppose you read your morning newspaper and read that there is a plan to ease up the terms of imprisonment of the murderer of our Prime Minister. Or suppose you read that, although all citizens in our country are equal, some of them cannot rent your flats and some of them are not to be seen with our daughters, let alone marry them.

Let me go on a limb here: suppose you read in your newspaper that, let's say, if you are religious, you have no need to abide to any law in our country. And then you read – again – that your current Prime Minister (who was never really elected for this job as he lost the elections), has his own an special version of world events.

You would think you live in an upside down world. Your first reaction would be: everyone has gone crazy. You call a few friends to check if they read it too and if they understood the same and then it hits you: this is reality!

In Israel 2011 you may get the feeling that the inmates took over the asylum – or, depending on your beliefs, that the days of deliverance have come. In our reality, Wikileaks are just nothing compared to what our current government is capable of: they simply change our reality and rewrite it on the spot! Our former President found guilty of rape, sexual harassment, lies and threats? You have a few rabbis doubt the court from one angle, while from another angle you make sure the public gets to understand that, guilty or not, the President was a victim of loose women who were after his protection and benefits.

The USA offered a special deal for a 3 month deal? Tell the world you accepted, but that the US took the offer off the table…and add that you always wanted peace with the Palestinians. Then you call the firefighters and tell them that since they nagged and nagged you for equipment, you will get it for them, but will take the expense off their salaries….

Talking about rabbis, these public servants (they get paid by the State and yes, serve a specific public), are allowed to deny services to Israeli citizens, especially if they are not Jewish. They can incite the public not to rent rooms or sell lands to them; they can even add that the true purpose of Arabs is not our land, but our daughters, while our Prime Minister will not make any remark about it. Sure he will show a few crocodile tears and check his hairdo in the mirror, but he will not warn them to shut up or fire them. No, our prime minister takes it a day at a time: surviving anything by simply not deciding anything, except for the decision not to decide, of course.

And while our opposition disappoints us more and more by adding losers to its ranks and excelling at being quiet, Bibi and his gang of nitwits keep going.

No more respect for the law, no support for police and emergency units, no support for the sick and elderly, no respect for the courts: the extreme rights is taking up positions against a tired, bored and lazy left.

Soon anyone of us, not belonging to this extreme gang, can be arrested, harassed and persecuted for just anything at all, while the murderer of Yitzhak Rabin will slowly move towards a full pardon and become a national hero.

A world upside down?

I call it backwards.

©Simon Soesan