Israel: wrong side of the perception war

Hey, my name is Tal , I’m 29 and ever since I can remember I have always wanted to be an actress. This has been a passion of mine from a young age, I have been dancing since I was 8 years old, then I started to learn theatre in high school, and today after 3 years of acting school i’m trying my best to live my dreams. Another thing about me is, i’m Israeli – yes, i’m Israeli. Born and raised.

Now I know that probably must of you reading this article will now have many negative thoughts coming to your head about me and my country, you might even hate me for what you have seen or heard about whats happening in Gaza. The question you need to ask yourself is why?

A bomb shelter in Sderot. Image Credit: Jewbask

I mean, I know that you must relate to my dreams, because I believe we all have big dreams in our hearts. Yet someone is trying to steal our dreams- and guess what? They are doing an excellent job!

Because here we are, human beings, coming to this planet without the ability to choose where and when. All we want is to fulfil our destiny and to live our lives happily as we can. Instead we watch the news and we believe everything they tell us. We listen to all of the false reports and opinions of those in the media have without even knowing the truth or  investigating the real facts, we decide to agree, we agree with everything they tell us.

Demonstration against Operation Protective Edge in Tel Aviv, Israel: Image credit: Guy Butavia

As I told you before, i’m 29 and i’ve had a lot of time living this reality, hearing all this hatred around me, feeling frustrated because outsiders are hating my country, hating my people just because of the simple title that we have – ISRAEL.

It’s very easy to hate Israel in these days. to judge everything it’s doing, as suddenly everyone became experts on the middle east crisis. But, let me ask you this: Have you ever been to Israel? Have you ever lived a reality in which you have 15 seconds to run for your life or else a rocket might kill you? Have you ever been scared to catch a bus because it might be blown up? Have you ever had a son/ brother/ father that’s trying to protect your right as human being to live in your country and be afraid that he might be kidnapped?

Iron Dome system intercepts rockets fired from Gaza aimed at central Israel. Image credit: IDF

Let me tell you something that they don’t tell you on the news…  I’m a lovely person. And please don’t think i’m trying to make you feel sorry for me, that’s not my goal.

There are Palestinians who live in Gaza having a incredibly difficult time with this situation, and it’s not because they are guilty, it’s because they are born to this reality, led by a group of  people that are dictating their lives (Hamas) and brainwashing them think that we are this big enemy who’s trying to rid of them off the planet whilst having a great time killing innocent children and families.

THESE ARE ALL LIES MY FRIENDS! TOTAL BULLSHIT!!!!

All we do is to protect our selves, all we want is to survive! The same thing that anyone on this planet would do if their lives or families lives were in danger.

IDF soldier overlooking a Hamas-built tunnel in Gaza. Image Credit: IDF

Can you really stay  indifferent to a sophisticated network of tunnels that are built in  order to  destroy your country? Your people? Can you really ignore  that  Hamas’s covenant of wanting to kill ALL of the Jewish  people??   But hey, that’s not where I was going, you can read facts everywhere these days.  The point is that this situation is much more complicated then what you think.

Don’t you think it’s time to let go of prejudice and take control of our destiny? We can decide to say “no” to all the poison that the news feed us, and choose to love one another- as we are all the same, Palestinian or Israeli, believe me.

Be brave enough to choose a different reality, be smart enough to read and to learn facts by your self, let go of everything you’ve heard and start realising that this is in our hands, we can choose love, peace and understanding.

My name is Tal, my dream is to become an actress. What’s your dream?

Tal Mizrahi is a actrees, singer and yoga techer who loves to travel and study the world.