Israel: On Its Merit
I
f you are emotionally
and psychologically
exhausted from the
constant criticism of Israel
throughout the world, you
might pick up George E
Gilder's book, The Israel
Test. It is one of the most
passionate and uncompro-
mising books in support of
the Jewish state published in
recent years and makes tra-
ditional supporters of Israel
look like critics.
And it comes from someone who
is not Jewish (Congregationalist) and
whose entire writing career has been
devoted to economics and computer
technology. His book Wealth and
Poverty was a bestseller in the 1980s.
So what gives?
In an interview, Gilder said he studied
Middle East history while at Harvard,
but it was his work in economics and
technology that led him to recognize
Israel's contributions to the world.
"Without Israel': he says, "America's
technological leadership would not
have occurred. It became evident to
me that Israel is perhaps the greatest
country in the world. On a per-capita
basis, it is the greatest country in the
world."
When, if ever, has anyone made
such an all-encompassing assessment
of Israel?
Gilder's work as a venture capital-
ist, technological analyst and futurist,
prompted him to research Middle East
politics, leading him to conclude:
• Israel has hugely greater claims to
its land than almost any other country
in the world;
• Israel is far superior to its hateful
and virulent critics;
• The UN is trying to ostracize Israel,
portray it as a pariah and is preparing
the world for Israel's destruction;
• It is "degrading" to cite legal tech-
nicalities to prove Israel's right to exist
or its right to the land. Its existence
does not need to be defended on tech-
nicalities.
There is more of this kind of rever-
ence and admiration for Israel in this
relatively short book (Richard Vigilante
Books). Gilder concludes, basically, that
Israel is the target of so much hatred
and vitriol because of jealousy.
Thus, the Israel test, which posits:
How do you respond to people who
excel in innovation and wealth cre-
ation? Do you resent them, and believe
that their success comes
at your expense and that
somehow you are dimin-
ished by greatness of oth-
ers? Or do you admire and
emulate people who outper-
form you and believe that
their achievements open
new opportunities for you
and the world?
Overall, Gilder believes,
that the Arabs and the
world feel they have been
"diminished" by Israel, but,
of course, he believes they are wrong
— very wrong, adding:
"If you believe it diminishes you,
you spend your whole life in nursing
grievances and lashing out at others.
That's the problem in the Middle East,
where Israel is a beacon of excellence.
"It is not hated for violations of
international law or other ridiculous
charges. It is one of the most law-abid-
ing countries on the face of the Earth.
That's why I'm defending it."
"The Israel test is a moral chal-
lenge,' he writes in the book.
Israel probably has suffered as a
result of its accomplishments. Millions
of words have been written and said
over the years that much of anti-
Semitism is rooted in the Jewish ethic
of emphasizing education and family.
But as welcome as Gilder's message
is, there is more to the anti-Israel story
than hatred stemming from Israel's suc-
cess in technology. Religious and ethnic
issues have played a major part as well.
One cannot, for instance, ignore the
institutionalized anti-Semitism of the
Catholic Church and Christianity and
its legacy that haunts Israel today.
Moreover, the Arabs harbored
hatred for Israel long before the Jewish
state declared its independence in
1948 and long before the first micro-
chip was invented.
One cannot simply ignore thou-
sands of years of history, countless
wars over land, and lay the entire
blame on the success of Israelis as
capitalists and innovators.
Be that as it may, Gilder's book will
prove useful to read and reread after
each international condemnation of
Israel. ❑
Bookstock Help
Books and media are needed
for the annual Bookstock sale
to benefit Metro Detroit literacy
programs. Items may be dropped
off at Hadassah House in West
Bloomfield from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday
through Thursday and 8 a.m.-3:30
p.m. on Friday.
If you need assistance, take your
books to the Colossal Collection on
Sunday, March 14, at the Bloomfield
Plaza, southwest corner of Maple and
Telegraph Roads, Bloomfield Township
(entrance is behind the stores).
Volunteers are needed for sorting
on the collection dates from 11 a.m.-
4 p.m. and on Wednesdays through
March 31 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the
Bloomfield Plaza location. There
will be no Hadassah sorting days on
Thursdays, Feb. 4 and March 18, as
was originally scheduled.
The Bookstock sale will take place
April 18-25 at Laurel Park Place in
Livonia.
ALL-YOU-CAN-SEE
BUFFET.
Friday Night Live!:
The Fats Waller Revue performs compositions by Thomas "Fats"
Waller, including Ain't hilisbehavin', Two Sleepy People
and Your Feet's Too Big.
Target Family Sunday:
Audrey and Bob Allison share humorous, interactive stories
and play a variety of instruments.
Now on View:
Government Support for the Arts: WPA Prints from the 1930s
Berl Falbaum is a Farmington Hills public
relations executive, author and a former
political reporter. He teaches journal-
DA
ism part-time at Wayne State University,
Detroit.
5200 Wood v; r ti Ave.
DETROIT
INSTITUTE
OF ARTS
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February 4 • 2010
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