\t\t\tThe message gladdened my heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you help us?\u201d it began. \u201cWe received an email regarding San Benito, and would like to know more\u2026\u201d\n<\/p>\n
The sender was the press officer at the Israeli embassy in Manila, a Filipina named Rose, who\u2013as a permanent resident and columnist in the Philippines\u2013I\u2019d worked with before and consider a friend. And San Benito? Well, let\u2019s just call it a tiny municipality on the northwestern coast of Siargao Island, a place I hold dear.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe received an email from their mayor asking for a humanitarian partnership for food security,\u201d Rose continued. \u201cDo you know anyone there?\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Boy, did I!\n<\/p>\n
In fact, the mayor in question is related to my wife, who was born and raised on that rustic island where, yes, the price of rice has reportedly skyrocketed beyond the reach of many residents. So, my dear spouse immediately contacted the dear mayor, who, within hours, responded with a long letter offering details and documentation. Which means that Israel is now seriously considering her request.\n<\/p>\n
Why does that gladden my heart? Because, aside from the obvious satisfaction of helping people in need, it puts a positive face on one of my favorite countries in a place where that visage has been badly disfigured.\n<\/p>\n
Let me explain.\n<\/p>\n
It all started<\/a> early last year when, following a dramatic upsurge of tourism in what\u2019s been touted as the surfing capital of the Philippines, local Siargaunons complained that the foreign influx was negatively impacting the island\u2019s culture and tranquility.\n<\/p>\n That discussion quickly singled out one nationality in particular; the highly visible population of Israelis alleged to be rude, demanding, and unruly. Then it got political; detractors described the Israelis\u2014mostly young people vacationing after their military service\u2014as \u201cwar criminals\u201d whose \u201coccupation\u201d threatened a defenseless Philippine island. The Palestinian foreign minister publicly demanded <\/a>that the \u201cinvading\u201d Israelis be \u201ctried and held to account.\u201d And finally, classic antisemitism raised its ugly head in the form of cruel tropes likening Jews to Satan<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n All of which broke the heart of this longtime supporter of Israel intimately connected to the island that so many of its citizens favor.\n<\/p>\n