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Safe At Home
Michael Weinberg
The unarguable objective of baseball is to cross home base safe.
I first visited Israel in 2001 during the height of the murderous uprisings also plainly referred to as “the intifada”. I came again for yeshiva in 2005 and made aliyah in 2006. I have been here in times of quiet and times of war, times of calm and times of indiscriminate barbarism perpetrated upon Jews. I understood that this neighborhood might be a bit more volatile and dangerous than my childhood jaunts through backyards and streets of Rockville Centre, NY.
But, I also made a commitment to live here with the understanding that the government retains an accord with its citizens. These basic concepts illicit memories of Mrs. Seiderman’s 10th grade history class reviewing the principles of Rousseau’s Social Contract.
Minimum requirements for a social contract are to assurances of order versus chaos, representation versus anarchy. Recent riots in England provided proper example of government failure in this regard. As security and police forces stood remarkably idle businesses, homes, and personal safety were violated and destroyed. Focus strayed from rendering the perpetrators inert to disrupting social media and handheld communications devices.
Here, in Israel, likewise I adhere to a measured civil obedience in exchange for the guarding of my basic needs, including safety and security, to the best possible ability of my government.
But I am disappointed, angry, and embarrassed.
Instead of assuring my safety and security and to live in calm and absent of fear Israel offers passive defense(ie: Iron Dome) and little confidence in its ability to eliminate dangerous and rabid threats. In baseball it is common knowledge that a pitcher with even a one run lead can be more aggressive against an opposing offense, more comfortable and more in rhythm.
Here, we need an effective offense to provide our defense with the space, the rhythm this one run lead can permit. Only then can the defensive forces, of which we are so proud, most efficiently safeguard our lives. Official press conferences and bold statements lauding the military responses to the murder of its own citizens fall on deaf ears. The action has been taken too late. The responsibility for too long heaved upon the shoulders of the very enemy inciting hated and vitriol.
In baseball the spring is for training and the summer is for real. The “social protests” of the ‘Israel Spring’ are, for the most part, highlighting disparity in wealth and costs of living. But where is the ‘Israel Summer’ with thousands protesting the costs of life? What resources should be expended for the security and safety of all citizens? Many rant about shekels; I am asking about that which is priceless.
Several decades ago baseball initiated a structure of free-agency. No longer was a player an indentured servant to a team and its owner. The relationship became more equal, bi-lateral, and less exclusive. If a player did not feel he was afforded appropriate treatment, security, professionalism, playing time, compensation, or appropriate measures to build a quality team he could depart upon fulfillment of contract. The constant tension of living in fear, lack of financial and physical security, lack of appropriate opportunity to build homes and relationships is driving people to exit Israel and seek other pastures.
Each baseball team has layers of defense, infield and outfield, and various tactical and strategic arrangements to prevent an offense from scoring runs. In previous years we had security personnel assuring greater safety on inner-city buses and as an additional layer of defense to ensure that the seventy-three year old pensioner falling asleep at a stool by the entrance to a café on Emek Refaim isn’t expected to be a geriatric Billy the Kid. Would the recent backpack bomb near Binyanei Ha’uma have injured and killed had this layer of security still existed? The security barrier is a welcome layer of protection, yet stunted by years of litigation, it remains incomplete.
Yet, rockets and mortars have rendered the security barrier a non-entity in many locations, flying over and above and landing in our fields, towns, and cities as the masses huddle in underground shelters and steal themselves behind steel reinforced windows and bedrooms. Meanwhile, the media and courts condone orders for police forces to harass and arrest Jewish youth like at Ramat Migron. This negligent appropriation of resource and manpower results in the alienation of youth seeking simply to build the land they love and the decimation of families now mourning those no longer here to build they land they love.
Careful and detailed attention is constantly being assessed as to the opinions of the “international community” and their reactions to our every waking step. In baseball, in games of high-caliber and championship level the victor is not riled by the jeering derogatory chants of the opposition’s home crowd. “Thick skin”, resolve, determination, will insulate the team and individual players from losing focus and from self-doubt. The “international community” of this past 100 years has proven they care little of Jewish survival. The anti-Jewish propaganda rampant in the Muslim world has been recycled, imported, and fomented from European Nazi thought. The “international community” including Europe, America, South America, Australia, and Canada refused us safety, refuge, or a return to Israel as the ovens of Europe burned Jewish bodies.
In baseball often we must be aggressive at the risk of losing a run. Often with a man on one of the bases we choose to call a hit and run. The player at the plate must make contact while the player on base runs. Without contact the player on base, and in motion, is vulnerable to record one of three allotted outs. The time and place for such aggressive strategy/tactic is debatable. The government is hesitating the aggressive use of force for protection against threats to the lives of its citizens. The foolish and careless acquiescence to international pressure is shameful as by standing idle we are encouraging more attacks, kidnappings, and murders.
Patience in baseball leads to success. Causing a pitcher to tire and wearing down his strength often leads to inaccuracy and a base on a walk. It is also argued the best offense is stellar defense. Conversely, there are times where more hits, more firepower, more time on offense are required to wear down the other team’s defense, the other teams pitching, concentration, and resolve. Limited and lame surgical operations for limited and inefficient durations permits those seeking to harm me and my fellow citizens predictable opportunity for survival and yet another day to strike once again.
The unarguable objective of baseball is to cross home base safe. Israel has displayed the patience of a championship team. It is time to ignore the opponent’s crowd noise and rants, step to the plate, call a hit and run, and barrage the opposition defense as we aim for our feet to cross home base, safe.
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