How is one to react to a headline like “Evergreen students urge divestment” (June 11)? Disgust? Anger? Worry?
Disgust because the ignorance of modern Middle Eastern history and the anti-Israel bigotry of these kids is simply appalling. They should know better. They aren’t illiterates. Anger because the cost of the “education” these kids are getting at that über-liberal hothouse of a college they attend comes out of our pockets. We are being taxed to subsidize this nonsense. This is almost criminal. And worry because almost everything Israel has done lately has played into the hands of the Israel-haters.
The commando attack on the Mavi Marmara was a geopolitical and public relations disaster. Favorable world opinion toward the Jewish homeland is a hundred times more important than a few rockets in Gaza. Israel must start to concentrate on the big picture (which I think it will) or really, really serious problems loom in the future.
But no, I don’t feel like reacting in any of these ways. I say why don’t we all just sing? I think we all know the song “Without You” from My Fair Lady. Eliza sings these words to Henry Higgins: “England still will survive without you, even Keats will survive without you…” etc., etc. Why don’t we just change the words a little bit?
“Tel Aviv will survive without you, even the kibbutzim will survive without you…” and end with a rousing “Israel will do very well without you.”