Netanyahu Government Suggests Israelis Avoid Marrying American Jews (Watch Video)

The Atlantic ^ | 11/30/2011 | Jeffrey Goldberg

[SeekAndFind]

The Netanyahu government's Ministry of Immigrant Absorption is sponsoring advertisements in at least five American communities that warn Israeli expatriates that they will lose their identities if they don't return home.

The Ministry is also featuring on its website a series of short videos that, in an almost comically heavy-handed way, caution Israelis against raising their children in America -- one scare-ad shows a pair of Israeli grandparents seated before a menorah and Skypeing with their granddaughter, who lives in America. When they ask the child to name the holiday they're celebrating, she says "Christmas." In another ad, an actor playing a slightly-adenoidal, goateed young man (who, to my expert Semitic eye, is meant to represent a typical young American Jew) is shown to be oblivious to the fact that his Israeli girlfriend is in mourning on Yom HaZikaron, Israel's memorial day. The Jewish Channel, which broke the story of what it calls a "semi-covert national campaign," suggests that the Ministry does not differentiate between the "dangers" of marrying American Jews, and American non-Jews, and I have to agree. But let's lay that aside for a minute and watch the video:

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

The narrator says, in essence, "they will never understand what it means to be Israeli." The narration leaves no room for the possibility that "Dafna," the Israeli girlfriend, could explain to the Josh-character (my name for him, though it could be Jeremy as well) why she's sad on Memorial Day.

And here's the in-your-face Christmas ad:

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

[Lazlo in PA]

...one scare-ad shows a pair of Israeli grandparents seated before a menorah and Skypeing with their granddaughter, who lives in America. When they ask the child to name the holiday they're celebrating, she says "Christmas."

I see what is going on here. Israel is in on the war on Christmas. Wait till O'Rielly hears about this.

[katana]

Having been to Israel a few times and having a number of people there whom I consider good friends, and likewise having Jewish friends here, I would have to agree that even those of them who are pro-Israel and consider themselves "Zionists" are an entirely different breed from their cousins over there.

We had neighbors (liberals to the core but we got along by mutually avoiding political discussion) who decided to relocate to Israel for Aliyah. Sold their house, almost all their belongings, took their kids out of school, and moved to a new and quite modern community about half way between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. They came back to the States with the proverbial tails between their legs after less than a year.

[Buckeye McFrog]

...using a poster campaign featuring Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

[blackdog]

American jews voted for Obama. Enough said.

I grew up around Netenyahu in Cheltenham Township in suburban Philadelphia. He is an American jew. He just expects more from the ones prone to stupidity.

[Nachum]

Maybe the article should have been more specific:

Avoid marrying American Jews- like the ones who are in J Street.

[Romulus]

I see what is going on here.

No, it's more like "real Jews live in the ghetto."

[Jewbacca]

As an Israeli who married an American Jewess (I love that word), I understand these ads.

It’s tempting to be in the USA.

The only place a Jewish guy can’t get ahead is Israel, you know.

I certainly work here now, and enjoy building onto my house without causing an international incident. (I grew up in the Gush, which was a “diputed” area.)

We’ve been protected by assemaltion because:

1. My wife happens to be from a considerably more observant family than mine, which is a good thing, and keeps me very Jewish. We speak Hebrew exclusively in the home. (Yes, my daughters speak fluent English.)

2. We did not locate in the Northeast, so I’ve found politically conservative Jewish people and gentiles who share my Zionist beliefs.

3. We have flown back for every child to be born in Israel.

4. We have the good luck of money, so we can fly back with regularity and keep a house in Israel to live in.

5. My wife agreed to move to Israel when her father dies. (Her mom is coming with us.)

In short, it takes a lot of effort to stay Israeli.

[Piranha]

Obviously you have made the effort, and I admire you for it.

I am an American Jew in my 50s with a strong love of Israel and I think Jeffrey Goldbert seriously misreads the videos. I see nothing there to offend me, and they all ring true.

[KC_Lion]

Your telling me, my Parents came to the U.S. from where they met in Israel, just so that their kids could have the best opportunity in the world, Well Hells-bells now with Ubama, It would have been better to have stayed in Israel.

Not to mention as soon as my Sister and I were grown and booted out of the house, Back to Israel they go!!!

As for me we speak Hebrew for special occasions, we try to make sure our kids speak English as their first language, but whenever a decision gets heated between my wife and I out comes the German and French! (I was raised to speak German at Home)

Glad you didn't move the northeast, that is the reason my Parents came to Kansas, to be away from all those stupid liberals that F'ed up the U.K. and West Germany.

I always enjoy the trips to Israel, I found their Air Service to be Second to None.

My Wife has also agreed to move to Israel, I think we should Move ASAP, with the USA going to hell, but she is afraid of Hezbollah (She is an Apostate from Islam) so we are staying put for now.

Like you said it takes alot of Work to be an Israeli, but the rewards are great when you do!!

[lazypadawan]

Here’s the video I’d make:

Israeli grandparents: So, who are you voting for next year?

U.S. granddaughter: Obama, of course.

Israeli grandparents: Oh crap.

(Fast forward to 2013: Iranian nuclear bombs fall on Israeli grandparents. The End.)

[MarkL]

Self-hating Jew alert from the leftist rag "The Atlantic."

The simple fact is that it's much easier to raise children as observant Jews in Israel than in the US... One little example comes to mind... Little league games are played on Sunday, not Saturday, and school sports are played Saturday evenings and Sundays. So observant Jewish parents can allow their children to play organized sports.

My freshman year in high school, I was kicked off the freshman football team because I missed the season opener not because it was on a Saturday, but it was Rosh Hashanna.

Mark

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

"Your telling me, my Parents came to the U.S. from where they met in Israel, just so that their kids could have the best opportunity in the world, Well Hells-bells now with Ubama, It would have been better to have stayed in Israel."

Man, with all the crap kicking off with Syria, Iran, Egypt etc, Israel is one of the last places you'd want to be living in right now. Unless you fancy the opportunity of living in a Mad Max world in the near future...

[Jewbacca]

We’re running into that with piano recitals and gymnastics (girls).

It’s usually OK, but we had to dissapoint a team getting to the finals because it was on Shabbos.

[Jewbacca]

Our imminent destruction is greatly overblown.

[SJackson]

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