Debunking a Myth

Ari Bussel

“He made it his devilish business of his, to find out who this Ms. Doolittle is … Every trick that he could play, he used to strip her mask away, and when at last the dance was done, he glowed as if he knew he won, and with a voice too eager and a smile too broad he announced to the hostess that she was ‘a Fraud!’” My Fair Lady, “You Did It!” We were sitting on two aisle seats, one across from the other. She was determined to find out my employer, convinced that I work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). I repeatedly stated I do not work for the MFA. That should have been very clear from my criticism of the way the MFA works, and even more so of the very poor results they achieve.



Unconvinced, she tried time and again to trip me up. Finally she pronounced with certainty: “You work for the Mossad!” (Israeli Intelligence Services).



At least one other entity would have likely agreed with her. This series of “Postcards from America—Postcards from Home” appeared intermittently on a progressive-liberal site called OpEdNews. It managed to anger many of their readers and editors alike. Almost without exception, what we wrote was construed as propaganda.



Whether it is the look, the accent, the conviction or the appearance, I am mistaken for a government agent. Funny, often in my travels when I was younger, I was suspected of drug smuggling. So innocent, unlikely and improbable the impossibility, it could actually have worked had I been inclined toward unlawful behavior of certain types.



Other than undergoing a very detailed investigation and having been pronounced an agent of the Mossad, I managed to observe those traveling. Israelis, all rumors to the contrary, are very good people. I see evidence of their generosity each day.



A lady burdened with heavy bags barely missed the bus and the driver stopped to open the doors. Then, one of the passengers stood up and offered her seat. Imagine this happening in the USA.



On another bus, two children, a boy and girl, were sitting in the front and as it was night, they fell asleep. The driver asked a passenger to remind him to wake them up once they reach a certain city. The kids did not say “thank you,” they were too tired when awoken. We, the adults, knew they meant to, so we expressed silent appreciation instead.



On another front seat a soldier slumbered. We all know the feeling of falling asleep, drooling, awaking in a haze and then nodding back off. The driver asked him if he needed to get off at the central bus station, lest he find himself wasting a few more hours waiting for a return bus. The driver’s only concern was that his passengers return home safely.



These are the very same drivers who continued to drive throughout the Intifada, when “Palestinian peace activists and resistance fighters” were blowing themselves up in buses. I do not know where they found the courage to board their buses day after day, hour after hour. I only know I salute each and every one of them for carrying on with life in the face of such impossible hardships.



Israelis are good people. They are not raised to hate. They do not differentiate based on skin color, religion or sexual preferences. They do not want to kill Arabs, rather they crave real peace, the ability to live and let live. The goodness inherent in Israelis is thus construed as a weakness to be exploited. What a pity!



The goodness in Israelis is revealed especially when it surfaces with its full intensity only at times of great danger, like an impending war. It is unfortunate that unless exposed, it remains hidden and predominantly dormant for prolonged periods of time.



When missiles from Hizbollah in Lebanon, supplied by Iran via Syria, were launched around the clock against the northern part of Israel, Israelis in the Center and the South opened their homes to the million or so Israelis who fled from the North. Others helped harvest. Still others performed good deeds, made children in shelters smile, took care of the immobile elderly, shared the burden and showed they cared.



As times get tough with each passing day, Israelis are anxious to do something. They are eager to help and need to act. When all avenues are either blocked or simply do not exist, pressure builds from within. Thus, when an opportunity presents itself, they talk, relieving some of the pressure, sharing their opinions about the best way to act.



At a panel discussion tonight in Jerusalem, the moderator was so frustrated with the audience of 160 or so that he forbade anyone from speaking out of order. People were so eager to express their thoughts they stood and competed, believing whoever was louder would get the stage.



The moderator became so frustrated that when one person stood he was actually quite rude and decided to talk over him. As the murmur of voices increased, he realized he had done something wrong. All the person had wanted to announce was that the organized transport was about to leave.


The moderator, editor in chief of a major Israeli paper, profusely apologized. He knew he had acted incorrectly and the audience felt it. Like the bus driver, the moderator was the father at the occasion, and the children, his children, were misbehaving.



Israeli culture can indeed drive a person crazy at times. However, all that is needed is to take a second look to see the random acts of kindness. They happen spontaneously, without any expectation of a reward or a thank you, and are like the lights of individual candles that gather to form a bright light.



All too often we get very passionate, we may even lose proportion. We act, we react at times harshly, but deep inside we are a very good people.



Some work for the Mossad, others serve in various capacities, from bus driver to clergyperson, a teacher to a nurse, a caretaker to a gardener, construction worker to a soldier. In totality we are all Jews, we are Israel.







In the series “Postcards from Israel—Postcards from America,” Ari Bussel and Norma Zager invite readers to view and experience an Israel and her politics through their eyes, an Israel visitors rarely discover.



This point—and often—counter-point presentation is sprinkled with humor and sadness and attempts to tackle serious and relevant issues of the day. The series began in 2008, appears both in print in the USA and on numerous websites and is followed regularly by readership from around the world.



© “Postcards from Israel—Postcards from America,” July, 2010