Israel's Mark of Cain

For years, I have had a love-hate relationship with my motherland, Israel, which is one of the more unique, yet controversial, nations on Earth today. Some say that Israel is a terroristic state, responsible for the imperialist occupation of the Palestinian nationality, even though there never was a Palestinian state in humanity's history. Others claim that this is a holy land, the promised land of the Jewish people after thousands of years in exile.

What can be certain, however, is that Israel is a unique country, in both appreciation and controversy, perhaps mainly because of how much covered it is on the media, even though there are many other nationalities suffering from occupation, such as the Somalilandians, Western Sahara, the Abkhazians, Transnistria and the Catalonians. This is while Israel is mainly a country created by immigrants, just like many South American countries, Australia, New Zealand and even the U.S. And yet, Israel largely remains as the black sheep of the first countries' community.

This is far from surprising, as the Jewish people were and are one of the most hated and persecuted ethnic groups in the world. Perhaps because of this hatred, officially known as anti-Semitism, that my recent ancestors have fled from their original motherlands and helped colonizing Israel, in hope that they will finally be safe from the grips of millions of Jewish-haters.

With this history I can relate when there are times where I believe the world is hostile. I don't wear a kippa, or Jewish-identifying jewellery or have any relation to Judaism aside from ethnicity, but I can still understand its true followers to fortify themselves in the form of one of the most militarized countries in the Middle East, to the point that some theorize a large conflict with us could trigger a third world war.

I am not a fan of my countrymen, either, and even though I appreciate our military defence, law enforcement and tolerant welfare service, I am not a patriot, but it doesn't make me a left wing supporter. It is especially because of the political heat between left and right camps, that I prefer to stay isolationist in my political approach. Israel, while it wishes to be at peace with its neighbours, is not a country of inner peace. People won't hesitate to make you feel bad for yourself for doing or even believing in things they don't like, to the point of calling you a traitor of the state. While the regime is technically democratic, much of its people are not. Because of said hatred, I gave up on the idea of driving. My wellbeing is too important to risk it to the anger of many Israeli drivers.

I do not like Israeli society and culture, but it does not mean at all that I despise my motherland. As long as I would be able to express myself as a philosopher, live a safe and unpenetrated life and be able to provide my basic needs, I will not go out to the streets and protest against my country.

Why? Because I am well aware that Israel will protect its main ethnic group more than any other country as of the moment. For me, being a Jew is like a mark of Cain; regardless of how much you voluntarily stray from Judaism, anti-Semitism will remind you again and again that your mother is a Jew and thus you are too, leaving you with the choice of hiding from the hostility of this largely intolerant, minority-hating world.

So, next time you are to condemn my motherland due to anti-Semitism, remind yourself that if the world would have accepted Jews like anyone else, Israel might not have existed today; perhaps there would even be a Palestinian state. Remember: we do not occupy out of evil; we don't have anywhere else to go, to live in safety.