Bibi and the Oy Response

There is a reason the Jewish word Oy has no English translation. Okay, sure, some would offer such phrases as Oh My God, too bad, who needs this, too much, etc. etc. To these interpreters I say, are you kidding me?

No English phrase could ever compare to the angst inherent in these two tiny letters. I stand by my position and ask that Netanyahu remember why this word was invented and its true meaning to Jewish people. May I continue? Too bad, I will. The true meaning of the word oy to a Jew has no meaning. Confusing, of course but aren't all Jewish phrases? Come on. The Jewish curse, "You should grow like an onion with your head upside down," and others in that vein, shows no rationale or reason.

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Jewish people don't have to be reasonable. We've earned the right to be muddled in thought and speech. After all, we have countless Nobel prizes in science, medicine and technology to prove we can think clearly when necessary. An oy moment is not one of those. The reason the Jews have earned the right to use the word is that they among all others are the singularly most masochistic people on this planet. Only those who have mastered the art of self-deprecation can understand why Oy is a necessity. Jewish people leave themselves open for ridicule, pain and untold suffering. It would be bad enough if it was only for them, but they have opened the door for innocent Jewish children to suffer. They react to insults by insulting their own, a weird dynamic to be sure and a uniquely Jewish one. When Kerry and the Obama administration sold out Israel to Iran, the world scratched their heads. Jews just said Oy. When the Palestinians and Iran yell "Kill the Jews" and demand Israel be wiped off the face of the earth, the Jews mutter a big Oy. When Israeli soldiers are murdered and kidnapped, there is a collective Oy. So is this the answer to the Jewish penchant for suffering? Perhaps we should all rethink our methods.

Bibi, Kerry and the "Palestinian Problem"

Now Bibi is sitting down with Kerry to resolve the so-called "Palestinian Problem." Forgive my narcissism, but I prefer the phrase Jewish Problem. It's Israel's land that the world is so anxious to give up to people who would like to kill them. Hmmm. It makes as much sense to me as the British giving Scotland to the Nazis as a good will gesture. Granted some Brits would have done so on Chamberlain's advice, but in hindsight it would have been a bad idea. Israel has given up land for peace for the last forever years. How's that working for us? Not so good actually. The U.S. once a great supporter of the Jewish State has now thrown it squarely under the bus and lined up Iran's tires to ensure Israel is completely run over and left for dead. Now Bibi is meeting with the very man driving the bus. What will Bibi give up this time, Jerusalem and the last remnants of national security? Whatever he offers up, it will never be enough. Until the Jewish people are gone from the Middle East, they will stand in the way of the ethnic cleansing now underway. Odd that we have lived to see the Saudis among Israel's only friends left in the world. Proof of the old saw, "My enemy's enemy is my friend." Jewish people never learn. They make themselves victims over and over to those who seek to destroy them. The new challenges facing Israel and the Jewish people are grounded in a history of giving in to our enemies. Of playing possum instead of standing up and ferociously attacking those who wish to do us harm. We are the bitten not the biter. That is why at the end of the day, Jewish people must only content themselves to shake their heads and mutter an Oy in an attempt to allay the damage recently heaped upon them by their leaders and themselves. However sadly, we have now reached the point in our history when a simple Oy will not fix the problem. Not even a truckload of Oys will solve Israel's plight when forced into a position of certain destruction by their greatest enemy since Hitler, and the greatest appeaser since Chamberlain. So what's a Jew to do? I suppose the only hope is to invent a new word or phrase to replace our old stand by. Although I can't imagine it will do any good. For when Israel capitulates to the world's insistence that they give away their country, live with the threat of annihilation from their enemies and tolerate the constant criticism and economic blackmail from those who would see them destroyed, one can only put their hand to their forehead, breathe deeply and let go with a giant Oy. And to this pitiful response to the problems we now face, I say, "Oy, and can I get a big Vey with that?"