If there is a "misunderstanding", it is mutual. It could be called,
in the vogue phrase, a "clash of civilizations": the French-European and
the Israeli-Zionist.

In the French view, the French Jews are French. The republic is not
based on religion or ethnic origin. The way the French see it, every
citizen is a partner in the republic and French culture - whether
Christian or Jew, Alsacien or Breton, North-African or Corsican. This is
the basis of the Republique.

And along comes the Prime Minister of a foreign country and has the
cheek - not to say chutzpa - to attack the very foundations of the
republic and sow discord among its citizens. That is the gravest assault
on France, barring an outright military attack.

In the Israeli view, it looks quite different. According to official
doctrine, Israel is "the State of the Jewish People". The "Jewish People"
consists of all the Jews in the world, irrespective of whether they live
in Brooklyn, Barcelona or Bratislava.

Every child here learns that all the Jews in the world will come to
Israel sooner or later. They will have no choice, since the Goyim
(Gentiles) hate the Jews, and so the anti-Semites will come to power in
all countries in due course. Israel exists in order to offer them a haven
when they are compelled to flee, once the inevitable comes about.

This explains the ambivalent reaction of the Israeli establishment
to any anti-Semitic event anywhere. The natural reaction is, of course,
one of anger and condemnation. But there is also another reaction, a
hidden one that borders on satisfaction: Here, we told you so. Now it is
happening. We were right all along.

Both reactions lead to the cry: Come, brothers, before it is too
late! It rather resembles the good boy-scout in the joke, the one who
helps the old lady to cross the road, whether she wants to or not.

So Chirac is furious, Sharon is obdurate and repeats his call, and
in the middle stand the poor French Jews, who just want to be left alone."

.............................................................

Once, when the now famous resort town of Eilat was a remote place at the far south end of Israel, someone left in Paris a Hebrew graffiti addressed at the Israeli tourist: "Snob, have you been to Eilat yet?"

No one here is a snob, of course, but - Have you been to my TimeIn Tel-Aviv blog?