ABSTRACT
The astonishing fact about Israel is that it is what it claims to be, a Jewish State built by Jewish people on Jewish soil and by Jewish labor. Afterward, the reality of Israel fades away, because it is commonplace, and one pays more attention to the superficialities of daily life. Israelis generally regard the loyalty of American Jews to America as similar to the loyalty of “Egyptian” Jews to the fleshpots of Pharoah, and similarly reprehensible. When a perfectly legitimate social welfare institution, or cultural activity requires support, the first and primary source of financial support is either the Government — or the Golah. Giving, however, is measured not only by the size of the gift, but by the benefit to the giver. Seeing themselves, however inacurately, as takers and not givers, Israelis apparently see the need to defend whatever they do against moderate and intelligent criticism. They appeal all too often to cliches in order to explain deficiencies.
