Opinion
Now the world loves us
Eitan Haber
Published: 20.01.10, 18:52
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84 Talkbacks for this article
1. :: Using Haiti has PR
Matty Groves ,   Fairport   (01.20.10)
It is truly sad to see anyone use the Israeli mission to Haiti as PR propaganda to promote Israel’s tattered image. Yes Israel has a mission in Haiti but this mission is just one tiny part of a much greater humanitarian mission. Or to put it another way: No matter how many people in Haiti are saved as a direct result of the Israeli mission the fact remains that Israel is a deliberately and belligerently occupying Palestinian land/oppressing innocent civilians/creating a humanitarian disaster in Gaza. If anything the Israeli mission to Haiti will only show the World the utter hypocrisy of Israel eg: sending a mission halfway around the world while ignoring the humanitarian disaster on its doorstep in Gaza which was created by Israel. If Israel wants some positive PR then it has to earn it and it can start by lifting the blockade of Gaza, allow fully humanitarian aid. Until such time Israel will never be respected.
2. are you serious?
courtney ,   philadelphia, usa   (01.20.10)
this catastrophe that killed 200k+ is not a chance to politicize the israeli/arab conflict. If you have to toot your own horn, you shouldn't be helping ti begin with.
3. Saving some people in Haiti doesn't Israel carte blanche to
Moise   (01.20.10)
kill Palestinians. Of course the world will condamn Israel and its authorities if they persist in their criminal behaviour. What do you expect?
5. Poor Israel?
jala ,   USA   (01.20.10)
Poor Israel nobody likes? People in Israel just don't get it. If Israel reached a political solution that ended the occupation, and Palestinians had a state with some dignity, then Israel's image would improve. This is BS that everybody hates Israel because who Israel is. It is what Israel does!
6. He is 100% correct
Al   (01.20.10)
Its been going on since the beginning of time. Its not going to change anytime soon. Get over it and move on. Stand on your head, spit nickels, turn yourself into a preztel..it wont help you. Build them the biggest Christmas tree, throw them Christmas parties while negating your own heritage in your own Companies (I see this all the time), promote others instead of your own...It wont help you. The anti-semite will always be there biting you in the ass or worst, so stop pretending that "with education" and "good deeds" you will change his ways. They the anti-semites are who they are and so lets not invent excuses for their murderous behaviour. Essof shoine es yaakov...... Its as simple as that..Of course you all being so smart you cant understand that.
7. The world will never like a strong Jew. Get used to it!
Frank ,   USA   (01.20.10)
8. Misunderstanding Reality
Reuven Brauner ,   Raanana, Israel   (01.20.10)
Mr. Haber is under the delusional Zionistic impression that if Israel does something good, the world will love us. That is because an underlying mistake of Zionism is that Israel has to become one of the "nations of the world" on equal footing. He wants the world to love us and will do whatever it takes to win their love and admiration, thus securing our legitimacy as a state. What he fails to understand is that as Jews we are obligated to act with kindness and mercy with our fellow man, regardless of whether the world will end up loving us or not. We don't need the world to give us its Hechsher. We just have to observe the Torah and do Mitzvohs. G-d will preserve us.
9. Right on!
Adina ,   Jerusalem   (01.20.10)
Anyone who thinks we've made lasting "points" with the world for our hospital in Haiti is just plain stupid. And now if we answer America's request to send police to Haiti (where are the American police? the French, Russian, Egyptian or Saudian???) we will become the world's new whipping boy. We will be blamed for every bump or bang given or received in Haiti, thus justifying any and all anti-semitic statements which will be quick in coming. If we have a brain in our head, we should keep our hospital there for another week or two, then pack up and come home. And requests for police should be politely but very firmly denied. We have enough problems to police here. Let the Muslim countries send police. They do a really great policing job.
10. Very true- too true .Even Haiti will vote against Israel
Alan ,   SA   (01.20.10)
with the "sincere condolences" gang!
11. dont see the connection
jj   (01.20.10)
israeli soldiers accused of war crimes, then israeli soldiers help a country after a natural disaster... does this mean that accusations of crimes should disappear after altruism, that is pretty much par for the course from most rich countries in the world, is shown? people should forget about it all and say "see, they're not such a bad bunch those soldiers, they set up a hospital in haiti, they couldnt have committed crimes in gaza or the west bank"? i think you're off your medicince if you think everything is made OK by this.
12. sorry
israeli ,   ta   (01.20.10)
but wrong.
13. Give credit where credit is due...
Jacob ,   UK   (01.20.10)
It would seem that despite the many efforts the IDF has made in Haiti to save lives, people, such as those on this message board, just cannot give Israel any credit soley because of the so-called occupation on Gaza. How many times must the message be hammered in. How can Gaza be occupied when there are no soldiers in Gaza? Sure Israel controls the sea and airspace but this is necessary to prevent the smuggling of weapons by Hamas. In answer to #1, don't Hamas use their own corpses as PR against Israel? Don't Hizbullah fake photos and use them as PR against Israel? It is sick to use PR to give a democracy like Israel a bad name and try and justify a terrorist organisation's actions. It is not a bad thing to use PR to promote a good image of a nation, isn't that the whole point of PR? But no, people just can't lower themselves to thanking Israel for saving lives because this just isn't politically correct. It seems that Israel has to have a bad image because after all thats what the world wants, a scape goat. When it comes to Israel you have to focus on the bad and completely ignore the good. The ignorance of man is just protrayed all too clearly in this case.
14. Absolutely Right on All Counts!
David ,   Cincinnati, USA   (01.20.10)
15. No evidence can change perception of Israel
Ed ,   USA   (01.20.10)
If I discovered that a person whom I suspected of evil had performed an act of significant kindness, I would want to revisit the basis of perception and, possibly, revise my perception of this person. That 1, 11, and other are unwilling even to reconsider their perception of Israel as evil supports Haber's point in this article.
17. QUESTION FOR EITAN HABER
LAWRENCE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (01.20.10)
Why is it so important to you that Israel / Israelis are universally loved by all the nations?? Are you a small child wanting to be loved all the time? why don't you grow up ? I could not give a damn if they love me or loath me..it is all the same to me.Take your jewish insecurities and go see a good shrink who can maybe cure you of this jewish sickness of "So wanting to be loved." How about wanting to be loved by the G-d of Israel ,you know the one who protects us here and not the crappy army (who these days only know how to fight jews.) GET A LIFE.
18. MUMMY ,NOBODY LOVES ME ,I SO
LAWRENCE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (01.20.10)
Need to be loved all the time and by everybody .I must motzeh Chen B'enai Hagoyim .I must find favour in the eyes of the Goyim .
19. THE NATIONS CAN TAKE THEIR LOVE
LAWRENCE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (01.20.10)
And their admiration and can shove it where the sun don't shine. We ,except for the pathetic Mr .Haber ,can survive without their love .They need Israel more than Israel needs them .WHY ? because they can only receive Hashems' blessing through the jewish people i.e. Israel .So we have the upper hand.DON'T BEG HABER ,GO SELL MATCHES INSTEAD.
20. No connection
Raoul ,   Herzlia - Israel   (01.20.10)
The hate for Israel has no connection with the splendid work we are doing in Haiti. The hate is purely about hate for Israel and an almost universal misconception of the horrendously tough neighborhood we live and struggle to survive in for over 60 years. Israel is damned if we do and damned if we don't.
21. right
Anat ,   Mevasseret   (01.20.10)
I couldnt say it better
25. WHO CARES IF THEY LOVE US OR
LAWRENCE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (01.20.10)
NOT? I could care less.
26. I AM SORRY I WAS HARSH MR. HABER
LAWRENCE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (01.20.10)
Sir, I apologize for my being over the top and harsh .Israelis and Jews would be better served by being kind and tolerant towards each other and learning to love and respect ourselves first and foremost .It is a huge error to constantly seek approval or to beg permission for us to breathe. No self-respecting nation does that .G-d willing Israel will survive and prosper,it has done alright thus far .Israel .in addition should look after its own poor better and try to spread opportunity to all its people, not just the elite few at the top .
27. # 1
Birdi ,   Israel   (01.20.10)
We dont want your respect. You can shove it.
28. Not everywhere
B.A. ,   Gothenburg, Sweden   (01.20.10)
Up to now, all mention about IDF/HAGA's work has been methodicaly excluded from the Swedish press reports from Haiti: This goes for Goverment run Public TV and down to local papers, mainly dependent on the Swedish News Agency "TT".
29. What a loser mentality, the PR gain is fantastic!
Patriot ,   Israel   (01.20.10)
Well of course most people will keep hating us after being brainwashed by BBC and Al-Jazeera, but some people will realize that Israel gave more to Haiti than most of the oil-rich Muslims. However, the values of helping the poor are so deeply rooted only in Judeo-Christian societies. So don't expect everybody to like it, some won't understand why we're helping. The funny fact is that USA gives much more aid to the Fakestinians than all the Muslim world combined. Good oil doesn't make good people. I agree with the bashers that this hospital is a good PR for Israel, and it's generously funded as such. We've always been better than other people because they hate us. To be tolerated we have to be the kindest and most honest on Earth. The hate makes Jews strong, keep it going.
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