Israel’s incoming prime minister applies facts to the fictions

February 20, 11:07 AMSpiritual Life ExaminerRabbi Ben Kamin

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Who, in the Holy Land, can remind us that Israel, no matter how holy, is still just a nation that does not deserve a double-standard applied—even in matters of war? It seems as though Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is such a man.  He is emerging as the victor after a particularly deadlocked election in the Middle East’s only democracy.

Netanyahu, likely to be named prime minister of Israel in days, speaks eloquent English with a flawlessly American accent, having spent many years in Philadelphia, Washington, and at Harvard.  He was a darling of the then-fledgling Cable News Network (CNN) during the first Gulf war of 1991—eschewing a gas mask while Scud missiles were about to reign upon Tel Aviv so that he could continue his interview with the reporters even as sirens blared in the background.

In fairness, this golden boy did not fare well in his first round as leader, from 1996-1999. At first a media sensation, dashing, and global, he became indulgent and certainly flouted Israel’s socialist heritage with cigars, parties, whirlwind tours, and a pile of arrogance that ultimately clouded his natural brilliance, his keen sense of history, and real love of the land.  A good whacking in the 1999 election may have sparked the maturation that led to his finely-stated, logical, rejoinder on British television this week.  And I write about it here because the human evolution of a leader—one whose hero-brother died while rescuing skyjacked airline hostages—in the midst of the theological powder keg known as the Middle East, all adds up to a spiritual championship.

Because in WWII, more Germans were killed than British and Americans combined.  But there is no doubt that Germany was the aggressor.

Like anybody who is either from or with Israel, Netanyahu was asked why is it that in wars, Israel’s enemies suffer so many more fatalities and civilian casualties that Israel? (Never mind that more American civilians died in our own Civil War than all of our other wars combined, even as we were killing each other).

Referencing, of course, the recent Gaza conflict, the interviewer asked Netanyahu: "How come so many more Palestinians have been killed in this conflict than Israelis?"

Netanyahu replied, hinting to his pursuer that this was not a logical line of questioning: "Are you sure that you want to start asking in that direction?"  The reporter said, why not?

Netanyahu offered some facts: "Because in World War II more Germans were killed than British and Americans combined.  But there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the war was caused by Germany's aggression.”  The now middle-aged leader, thickened with experience, continued:  “And in response to the German blitz on London, the British wiped out the entire city of Dresden, burning to death more German civilians than the number of people killed [by the American A-bomb] in Hiroshima.”

But Bibi, a kind of walking encyclopedia of world history and a passionate devotee of comparative truths, still wasn’t done:  “Moreover,” he intoned, “I could remind you that in 1944, when the R.A.F. tried to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen, some of the bombs missed their target and fell on a Danish children's hospital, killing 83 little children.”

Perhaps the Holy Land, cradle of sacred truths, could use a leader who knows historical truths.