Thursday, June 03, 2010

Embracing the Double Standard

A GUEST POST BY GUSHNIK

The double standard. Whenever there’s a discussion of Israel, global politics, and the media, it’s sure to be discussed. And whenever the word “flotilla” somehow becomes part of our collective vocabulary, it’s never far behind.

The international world is always condemning and criticizing Israel for its actions, but the Palestinians never get their fair share of the blame. What’s more, the widespread human rights abuses in the Arab world (whose leaders never miss an opportunity to pile on anti-Israel rhetoric) are routinely overlooked. Simply put, when Israel is covered by international media, there is often a double standard.

Before getting all worked up about it, consider this - maybe this is how it's supposed to be. Maybe, just maybe, there should be a double standard.

Maybe the Jewish State should be held to a higher standard than the Arab world. As the chosen people and ambassadors of God, we should not be able to get away with things that North Korea and China do daily. We should be better - and maybe that comes with a lower tolerance from the rest of the world.

Now, this is not to say that the UN is consciously trying to give us mussar whenever it passes another resolution condemning Israel. Nor does it mean that Ban-Ki Moon is disappointed whenever Israel doesn't adequately play the part of a light unto the nations. And Hamas certainly doesn't care about holding Israel to a higher standard because of its prophetic role.

But maybe this is just the way the world is supposed to work, and instead of writing off criticism as unfair, we should take it to heart.

Not sure if I really buy this; it's just a thought that I'm throwing out there. Please share yours.


Search for more information about answering to a higher standard at 4torah.com.

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