To Be A Hero,Elke Weiss

A great Jewish writer named Stan Lee once wrote, "With great power, comes great responsibility." Inspiring millions of people with heroic characters like Spiderman and Black Cat, Lee has shown us how good people striving for justice and equality, can save the world from the evil Venom and Kingpin. No matter how terrible the danger he faces is, Spiderman knows he has morality on his side.

Unfortunately, I wonder how Spiderman would feel if every time he pulverized the villains who prey on the innocent, he were booed and told to show restraint. Instead of being cheered as a hero, he would be painted in the worst colors, told to try and understand his villains' suffering as well as negotiate with them? "We know they've killed innocent people, but you are too hard on them. We hold you to a higher standard." I'm sure fans would revolt. Flattering as it may be, being held to a higher standard isn't useful if it gets you killed.

I thought a lot about this issue after receiving two e-mails from different friends, wanting to support "Israeli conscientious objectors to the racist policies of the State." More friends' blogs began to feature heavily anti-Israel speech, including statements on refusing to visit Israel because of its "racism." Although none of these people know much about Israel and its history, and they acknowledge that, they still feel qualified enough to protest against Israelis, who have the nerve to get angry when Qassam rockets are lobbed at innocent people.

True, Israel is not perfect. There are governmental policies I disagree with, some I'm even willing to protest over. Still, I have never gotten an e-mail asking me to join a group who believes blowing up school buses is wrong, shooting up school libraries may be immoral, and holding towns hostage under the reign of katyusha rockets might just be wrong. While fictional heroes would be fighting for children to have the right to play outside and go to school, the real world doesn't seem to be too concerned. It is Israel that is held to the higher standard and it is Israel that is expected to deal with this problem in a humanitarian, and not a realistically way. Where's the justice in that?

And the villains of this story? Does anyone make a peep about their crimes against humanity? The silence is deafening on the honor killings, the torture of prisoners and the abuse of the Palestinian people by their own government, which cooks the books and allows them to starve, to better keep them bitter and hateful, instead of hopeful for a new future. The world doesn't discuss the worship of murderous criminals like Ayat al-Akhras, who felt the only way to make her life meaningful was to kill as many people as possible, people who were guilty of the terrible crime of buying food for their family. There is a school named for her, she who dreamed of dying, hearing the screams of as many innocent people as she could reach. There are few fictional villains that could match such sheer evil.

Only Haim Smadar, a real life "Superman," an unsung hero who would have all the DC and Marvel characters standing in wonder, mitigated her death count. Without a bite from a radioactive spider or a power ring, he rose in my eyes to become one of the greatest heroes the world has ever produced. In a statement to his wife, Mr. Smadar had promised, "If a suicide bomber ever comes close to my school, he will not get past me. With my own body I would stop him." And on that murderous day, that was exactly what happened. Ms. Al-Akhras decided her death would bring death to others. Mr. Smadar decided that his death would bring life to others.

But how was the event covered? It was the murderess Al-Akhras who was put on the front of Time Magazine, (tastelessly next to the picture of the teenager she murdered in cold blood), and the hero Smadar who was buried in the press, forgotten.

Maybe this is why I prefer the world of comic books, where the best among us are rewarded for their valor. I'm tired of Israel being vilified for trying to survive and I'm tired of seeing good and noble people defend the actions of a movement that advocates death and destruction.

I often wonder why these people sympathize with those who seem only to crave a state of terror. Are people just ignorant of Middle East facts and history? Do they honestly believe the Palestinian government wants peace with Israel? Have they read the documents where Hamas takes responsibility for horrific acts of murder? Or, do they simply subconsciously hate Jewish people and not care how many children we are forced to see scraped off the sidewalk?

Perhaps it's the most insidious form of racism there is. Israelis are held to a higher standard because the Palestinians are seen as lesser creatures, who can be "forgiven" for their actions. There's smugness in defending a people who commit crimes by asking for pity. So, my liberal friends, every time you decide you will defend murder and terrorism with mitigation of responsibility, it's not me you insult. It's the people you presume to defend.

Why else would you hold Israelis to higher standards unless you feel Palestinians are incapable of behaving just as morally? Deep down, I think it's more comfortable for many more liberal minded people in America to see them as uneducated brutes. When Israelis misbehave, there's a shock of disbelief. "How could someone do that?" Palestinians can behave in the most savage manners, but Israelis may not, because they are regarded as equals.

Even the kindest patronization is still condescending. So I hereby give my Palestinian neighbors the highest compliment, I acknowledge them all as my human equal. They have the same moral intelligence capabilities I do; they have the same innate human sense of right and wrong. And when they choose to disregard those rules, they should be condemned the same way I would be. If they truly wanted to make any future for themselves, besides being suicide bombers and eternal victims, more power to them. I think most Israelis would agree the Palestinian people deserve better than their current situation of squalor, suicide and neglect.

But as Stan Lee said, with great power, comes great responsibility. They need to start holding themselves to a higher standard, instead of hiding behind ignorance and hate. They can't be sympathetic villains anymore. They need someone to step up and be a hero. They need to make plans for the future that include a viable state not run on terrorism and oppression.

But until we have a happy ending, it must fall on us, the younger generation to protest against injustice, racism and double standards. I urge all readers to join Zionist groups in their high schools or colleges, to write to local newspapers and news stations, to make sure media is fair and balanced. With safety taken into consideration, I ask readers to attend protests for Israel, to stand up and be counted. Some fine organizations are the David Project, Stand With Us and Hillel, all of whom are committed to non-violent protest in favor of the Middle East's only democracy.

Please stand up and be a hero for your brothers and sisters in Israel. With the great power of information, we can make the world finally behave responsibly. And then, we too, can be heroes.

Read Comments (0)