[(Continued from p.11)]
bad, and America was bad." Fortunately, in America, this dreadful lack of national self esteem has given way to renewed pride and patriotism.In Israel, alas, poisonous self-hatred is growing and destroying the state. The rebirth of Israel is also a heroic story, given the terrible circumstances of its birth, an epic second to none in the last century. Israel's fledgling army was also outnumbered and outpowered by well-armed enemies with a fanatic and Nazi-like hatred for Jews. Against all odds, the Jews won and declared an independent Jewish state.
This state became a true light unto the nations. The ingathering of displaced Holocaust survivors and almost a million Jews from Arab countries is the greatest rescue story in history. In its first decade, Israel had shortages of food, housing, and munitions. Nonetheless, the wave of immigrants was fed, housed, given counseling, vocational training, and, wherever possible, army uniforms and guns. No other nation in history accomplished anything resembling that. At the same time, Israel remained a democracy and developed world-class cultural and scientific institutions. This undertaking, in the face of unrelenting terrorism, the hatred and scorn of two-thirds of the United Nations, and five wars, should be a source of eternal pride. Instead, Israel has fallen into a trance of "all war is bad, Israel is terrible."
Instead of building a true memorial to those whose heroic undertaking "humbles the efforts of most men," Israel rejects and vilifies its noble history, and there is no leader to alter this disastrous course. One day there may well be a museum to honor the Zionists -- but it won't be in Israel, and it will be too late.
Sometimes AFSI has to learn from other organizations. For example, Americans for Peace Now scheduled a dinner to raise consciousness and money. The general public pays $300 per ticket, but the real fund-raising comes from the following categories:
To rank as a Champion of Peace costs $50,000. To be a Defender of Peace, one has to shell out $25,000. A lesser, but still pricey, $15,000 buys the title Pursuer of Peace. A Seeker of Peace requires $10,000. For $5000, one is dubbed a Supporter of Peace, and a meager $3000 makes one merely a Friend of Peace.
We have decided to use this method, so in the future, these are the categories of fund-raising that AFSI will use:
For $50,000, one obtains high status as an American for a Super Safe Israel. For $25,000, one is an American for a Safest Israel. For $15,000, one can be an American for a Safer Israel. For $10,000, the title is American for a Relatively Safe Israel. For $5,000, the category is American for a Moderately Safe Israel. For $3,000, one is an American for a Pretty Safe Israel. For $1,000, one is an American for a Safeway in Israel.
The final category is Americans for an Unsafe Israel. They should and do give money to Americans for Peace Now.
Ruth King is a member of the executive committee of Americans For a Safe Israel.
Americans For a Safe Israel
1623 Third Ave. (at 92nd St.) - Suite 205
New York, NY 10128
Outpost - 12 - June-July 2000