I love Israel. I love living in Israel. I love what Israel stands for in the history of the Jewish people. However, sometimes Israel does things that remind me why we really bug the world.
A few days ago Yakov Litzman, the ultra-relgious, deputy health minister, announced that because swine isn't kosher, Israel should call the new flu racing around the world: "the Mexican Flu". The fact that it originates with swine among other living things -- whether you eat them or not -- and the fact that it was a totally unnecessary insult to our Mexican friends, apparently had nothing to do with Litzman's reasoning.
And this is one of the reasons that ultra relgious people scare me. The world is not -- and I repeat NOT -- about you. You are welcome to your view of the world as far as I am concerned, but really, are you so narrow minded that you are not aware that it is not a view shared by very many people? Not even among your own people?
No one was talking about eating swine or pork or pig! And the word offends you so much that you cannot even have it in your lexicon? Give me a break.
And while I am on that break may I suggest that you turn your attention to the myriad other words that have the letters P-I-G in them. (I didn't even bother to research "swine" or "pork".) While you are sitting in your office apparently doing nothing useful, here are some words that will need replacements: pigtails (how about Mexi-tails?); pigmentation; pigeon; piggyback; pigmies; pigout; pigpen; and the one I have reserved specially for you: PIGHEADED.
Apparently you are unaware how few friends we have south of the Mexican border. Or perhaps you fear using the word "pig", "swine" and "pork" more than you fear the alliance between Iran and Venezeula. Why worry about Iran when you can spend your time on a stupid word that doesn't mean anything to the bulk of the hebrew-speaking Israeli public.
I realize that Litzman backed down yesterday from this idiotic plan but that's not good enough. The damage is done. In a country with so many issues that they are too many to count, the deputy minister of health found nothing better to do that stir the pointless-pot.
It reminds me of the sign at the zoo in Yerushalayim above an animal that looks like a wild boar, but it's not- the sign says, in Hebrew, English,and Yiddish, that "THIS IS NOT A PIG!"- in case anyone should get the wrong impression.
ReplyDeleteHowever, just to play devil's advocate, I should tell you that in the Torah, a pig is considered one of the most tumah-holding treif animals (impure) and it is specifically mentioned. Pigs are not allowed to be touch the land of Israel, and where they are raised, it is in pens that are above ground, so that they should not touch the holy ground.
So... there is some truth to what the Rabbi says, and you can see the sensitivity to the subject.