The ongoing war between Israel and Palestine should make us pause to reflect on the fact that being tied to a piece of land is stupid. But that is precisely what the idea of an Israeli State is.
And they call this war crimes ravaged place the “Holy Land”! Yes, Israel is guilty of war crimes. Read this opinion piece from the WSJ.
At least we Indians can take succour from the fact that our own “Holy Land” – the devbhoomi from Haridwar to Gangotri – is truly an oasis of peace. The “Holy Smoke” is of good quality, freely available, and openly smokeable: no cops. Small wonder that young Israelis are flocking in droves to our holy land. They arrive shell-shocked from years of compulsory military service. And they love it here. May their tribe increase!
Man is a migratory animal. The “search for greener pastures” is a constant feature of man’s life on earth. We Indians are a happy diaspora – and I daresay the diaspora are happier than those who remained behind, “kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town.”
Here is a report saying that the three worst airports in the world are Indian. And some good news: air traffic control may be hived off. We must fix our transportation. The truckers strike should make us reflect on how critically all trades depend on transportation. And even the road to Gangotri is horribly unsafe.
But the Israelis keep coming. You see them in Goa, in Rishikesh, they have colonized Manali, and have a major presence in Pushkar: notice these are all smoking destinations.
I think smoking tourism should be encouraged. I visited Amsterdam as a smoking tourist, and there were countless others like me. All there to smoke. And the City of Amsterdam was prospering.
I am sure individual Jews would be happier as a diaspora than under the monopolistic protection of an Israeli State that is in a condition of permanent war; and that too, subsidized by the US State. All this will cease once the US dollar nosedives – thanks to Paul Krugman and Ben Bernanke. God bless them both for terminating the US Empire. And all their militaristic meddlings overseas. When you have friends like these you don’t need enemies.
But I was hearing some good music while writing this post: Alpha Blondy’s “Jerusalem” – in which he speaks of a city where “you can see Christians, Jews and Muslims living together and praying, saying shalom, and salaam walaikum.”
Today, we must think of such a Great Holy City in a new land. Why not in India? Why not call it New Jerusalem? – and put a Statue of Liberty on its harbourfront: “Give me your tired, your poor, the wretched who yearn to be free…”
Utopian? Not really, for I have spent some years in the Konkan. Mangalore is a city with churches, mosques and temples – and complete harmony. And a deep water port. In the village in South Goa where I spent a few years there was a mosque, a temple and a church. Complete harmony.
I like harmony. Voluntaryism. No use of force or violence. Justice as in trade. Natural order.
War is for barbarians.
I think the Jews are probably the world's largest diaspora.They have always been a "homeless" people and therefore persecuted by the "others". It is therefore natural for them to want a state of their own. Unfortunately what has happened is a result of politics and now the Jews have become persecutors themselves.Here is a poignant poem on the war by the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing to say about the war,
nothing to add. I'm ashamed.
All the knowledge I have absorbed in my life
I give up, like a desert
which has given up water.
Names I never thought I would forget
I'm forgetting.
And because of the war I say again,
for the sake of a last and simple sweetness:
The sun is circling round the earth. Yes.
The earth is flat, like a lost, floating board. Yes.
God is in heaven. Yes.
I meet many Jews in France who were happy being French, and had no longing for Israel whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteAnd great idea of welcoming jews to India, they're great traders and bankers.