Jews Serving In Iraq
Perhaps it was in the spirit of Memorial Day, but more than a few Jewish newspapers recently had features on Jews serving in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Two in particular that I want to spotlight are from the Baltimore Jewish Times and the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.
The Times article talks about three Baltimore locals who are deployed now or are getting ready to deploy. A very atypical quote from the story comes from Petty Officer David Caplan’s parents regarding his decision to enlist:
“I’ll ask these parents if they’ve considered having their child enlist in the military,” says the elder Mr. Caplan. “It will pay for college, they grow up, have a job and get some discipline, but they tell me no, it’s out of the question.”
It’s not so unusual, considering Caplan’s dad is a retired Army LtCol, but something that I’m sure will shock the average reader of the Baltimore Jewish times.
The Journal’s story, entitled In the Land of Abraham Six Jews, Six Stories of Iraq, examines six Jews who have been to wartime Iraq. Not all are in the military and not all of them feel the same about the war, but I think it makes the article all the more interesting.
The main focus is on Marine Corps Sgt Kayitz Finley, the son of area Rabbi (and former Marine) Mordecai Finley. Sgt Finley was part of the historic push across the Tigris river with the 11th MEU. He discusses life as a Jew in the grunts and goes into great detail about the challenges he faced in combat and how it affected his faith.
It’s a lengthy article, but well worth the read.
For years I have seen the us send to arab nations peaceenvoys from us state dept or whereever delegations that had 1/3or1/2 half American Jew and women if they could.I did nt know if this was an on purpose insult or hubrus that we will send whom we want too bad because these doomed missions leave us with the problem today that we can never be an honest broker for peace in the middle east.One would not send an Irish Catholic to represent usa in peace talks in Ireland if we were asked someone with a different background might be appropriate???Is insulting the opposition at the get go a tactic I,m not aware of it if so?? Bill Aulds
For better or worse, the United States government has a long history of sending Jewish representatives to the Middle East to negotiate with the predominately Islamic governments there. The tradition goes back nearly 230 years to james Madison and the Barbary pirates.
According to Michael B. Oren, author of “Power Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East” the choice seems not to be made from hubris or an intent to failure but from a belief that Jews best understood the Arab mind and were best capable of serving as intermediaries between Islam and (Protestant) Christianity.
Michael Oren’s book is currently on the NYT best seller’s list and is highly recommended reading.
LT Robert Krigelman
La Maddalena, Italy