Israel with Eyal

https://peoplenotplaces.vhx.tv/products/judaism-and-astrology

This is a lecture on 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 that I worked on for a long time that you will hopefully find as interesting as I did.

Most people do not realize that there is a long history of Astrology in Jewish sources that goes back to the Bible and the accurate prediction of Moses' birth and death by Egyptian Astrologers.

This lecture looks at the many issues that Astrology raises from a Jewish perspective and how they were resolved in Talmudic times only to be abandoned by Jews since the time of Maimonides.

In particular, I look at the issues of 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹, 𝗜𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗿𝘆, whether Astrology is 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗰𝘆, and the place of 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Note that this lecture can be 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗗 at the low rate of $𝟭𝟬 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀. (In addition to being fascinating to me personally, it is one small way for me to earn some income as this war grinds on.)

I hope that you find it interesting and enjoyable!

*Please also 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘 it with your friends on Facebook and anywhere else!*

Judaism and Astrology Once quite common among Jews, Astrology no longer plays a part in Jewish life. This lecture looks at the history of Judaism and Astrology and how it has changed over time. In particular, we look at whether Astrology calls into question the existence of Free Will, whether it is a type of idolatry, wh...

I recently sat down with fellow tour guide Michelle Levitz to record the 25th episode of Tour Guide Confidential. We discussed educational and hands-on experiential tourism. as well as October7

Please check it out at tourguideconfidential.com or on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1140848

Tour Guide Confidential Tour Guides tell the best stories and Tour Guide Confidential provides the showcase for Tour Guides to talk about this endlessly fascinating profession. Join us for interviews with some of the top-tier tour guides to hear about their unforgettable...

https://open.substack.com/pub/israelanthropologist/p/liberal-anti-zionism?r=heu4e&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

This morning, I released a video of a lecture that I put together on the intellectual underpinning of Liberal Anti-Zionism. Please check out the link and the video. Note that the video is only available for free to those who are subscribed to the "Israel Anthropologist" substack, but that there is a rental option that costs only $10 USD for 14 days of viewing.

Please watch this video and share the link to the rental site with any and all who may be interested, or may benefit, from the site. : https://peoplenotplaces.vhx.tv/

This lecture is especially important for current or prospective college students, community leaders, rabbis, and pastors. It will give them the tools they need to understand the internal logic of anti-Zionism. And as they always say, to address a problem, it is essential to first clearly identify it. I believe that this lecture goes a long way towards accomplishing that goal.

Liberal Anti-Zionism (English Subtitles) A look at the intellectual roots of liberal Anti-Zionism

My latest musings:

The Syriac Orthodox Church in the Holy Land The Amazing Survival of an Ancient Church

My latest thoughts on substack:

Remember not to Forget Why Jewish Sources Matter

Latest substack post!

It Takes a (Jewish) Village On the Promise and Pitfalls of Educational Tourism

https://tourguideconfidential.com/ep-24-adam-waddel-educational-tourism/

Hey, friends! I have a new Tour Guide Confidential episode out where Adam Waddell and I discuss educational tourism.

You can check it out at the TGC site (above) or on any of your podcast players (e.g. Spotify, iTunes, etc.)

https://open.spotify.com/show/6E79PKSumYOA4EaQvmKHf2?si=8f84452db0b44d7e

Tour Guide Confidential Listen to Tour Guide Confidential on Spotify. Tour Guides tell the best stories and Tour Guide Confidential provides the showcase for Tour Guides to talk about this endlessly fascinating profession. Join us for interviews with some of the top-tier tour guides to hear about their unforgettable guidin...

My latest substack thoughts.

Please subscribe if you have not yet done so.
Please share with your friends or colleagues who may be interested in my perspective.
Thank you!

Sadistic Triumphalism The "moral inversion" of accusing Israel of genocide.

Check out my substack and lecture that I gave last week on the intellectual underpinnings of anti-Zionism and antisemitism.

The Assault of the Intellectuals Exploring the underpinnings of academic anti-Zionism and antisemitism.

My latest substack post:

The Secret to Immortality The Hostage Crisis and Collective Obligations

Please check out my latest substack post that includes links to a podcast episode that I released earlier today.

The Times that Try our Souls Haike Winter sat down with me for the Tour Guide Confidential podcast to share her experience of volunteering in the devastates kibbutz of Nir Oz.

Here is another way to get to this podcast episode.

In a few hours it will also be picked up by all the major podcast players like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, etc.

Episode 23: Haike Winter - Guides Volunteering in War Time - Tour Guide Confidential In this episode, tour guide Haike Winter, returns to Tour Guide Confidential to share her experience of volunteering in a dairy farm during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Like all tour guides in Israel, Haike was left unemployed by the ...

Check out my new Tour Guide Confidential podcast episode where I sit down with Haike Winter Tour guide to discuss her experience of volunteering in the cowshed of Kibbutz Nir Oz. This small community was devastated and bore the brunt of the Hamas pogrom on October 7.

Episode 23: Haike Winter - Guides Volunteering in War Time - Tour Guide Confidential Tour Guide Haike Winter describes her volunteering experience in the devastated "Gaza envelope" kibbutz of Nir Oz.

My latest substack post.

The Relentless News Cycle Moving past simplistic binaries.

My latest substack post on the holiday season here in Israel.

The Holiday Season and New Year in Israel What the holidays tell us about Israeli culture.

The latest from The Israel Anthropologist

Confronting the Media War on Israel As well as Zoom Lecture on the 8-front war and Latest Updates!

Latest Updates from The Israel Anthropologist:

December 23: Latest Updates The Israel Anthropologist by Dr. Eyal Dujovny

https://open.substack.com/pub/israelanthropologist/p/lexicon-entry-for-ethnic-nationalism?r=heu4e&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true

Lexicon Entry for Ethnic Nationalism A short history of Ethnic Nationalism and Zionism

Who makes the rules?
A nascent movement to change the IDF's rules of engagement.

Please subscribe to my Substack. I am trying to provide thoughtful commentary and analysis and it would directly help me in this difficult time. when there is no tourism and no end in sight to the war. Thank you!!!

Who Makes the Rules? A nascent movement to change the IDF's rules of engagement.

New, latest post with latest developments.

The Israel Anthropologist Latest developments for December 14, 2023

Check out my latest substack. This one departs from the analysis of current events and looks at the recent archaeological finds and importance of Tel Megiddo, which is the Biblical Armageddon. This article is free to the public and not behind a paywall.

Hopefully you enjoy the article and consider subscribing to the substack if you have not yet done so. Thank you! 🙏🏾

The Center of the Land in the Center of the Universe Under a field of onions, a Roman Legion base is slowly being uncovered.

Happy Hanukkah!

Please check out my new substack post.

Taking the First Step Cognitive dissonance and the importance of knowing your audience.

After reading the “heritage media’s” coverage of today’s events it is clear to me that the rest of the world does not even remotely understand what has happened here today.

Today is Israel’s Pearl Harbor and 9-11 rolled into one.

Like in Pearl Harbor, our vaunted military failed to protect us, and like on 9-11, most of the victims were not soldiers, but innocent civilians.

Even worse, less than 80 years after the Holocaust, the world once again witnessed Jews huddled together with their children as they awaited their impending death.

In some cases, families were burned alive in their houses because they refused to leave the safety of their bomb shelters.

In one case, Hamas terrorists kidnapped a five-year-old and a three-year-old with their mother and grandmother. Promptly veiled with hijabs, the women were carted off to Gaza where they were paraded in the public square of the Jabaliya refugee camp.

Elsewhere, unarmed partygoers at a nature lover’s music concert were mercilessly gunned down in the field where they had set up their tents. In all, over 250 people have been killed.

This is not propaganda. At least not Israeli propaganda. There are short video reels of murder and mayhem running on Arab sites that are being proudly distributed by the Hamas media machine.

So, what do I think is important for non-Israelis to understand about the current situation? First of all, Hamas is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Much like other Islamist groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda, they are immune to negotiations unless there is some short-term benefit for them.

This is because, like the N***s and Imperial Japan, they are members of a death cult. Unfortunately, what this means is that the only way to deal with them is to give them exactly what they say they want i.e. their death.

This is necessary because, much like in the case of Germany and Japan after their unconditional surrender, or the Chechens and Tamil Tigers (after they were pound into dust), the sane voices in a society cannot come to the fore so long as the death cultists are in power.

What I am saying (and perhaps I am deluding myself) is that I believe that there must be some moderate voices in Gaza that are not being heard thanks to their fear of what Hamas would do to them. Certainly, so long as Hamas is in power, we will never know if there is a partner for peace over there.

So – I know that the NYT and BBC and WaPo and CNN, etc. are already going off on their tried-and-true scripts from the previous rounds of fighting. They will use passive voice when describing the actions of “militants”, reverse cause and effect in their headlines (e.g. Israel attacks Gaza), blame the “occupation” (that ended in 2005), employ words such as “disproportionate” whenever Israel retaliates, and obsessively focus on casualty numbers as if this were some macabre football game.

Don’t be fooled by any of this! Israel tried in the past just to “mow the grass”; Gazans were granted exit permits to travel or work in Israel; and state-of-the-art health care was given for those who required surgeries unavailable in the strip. We even went so far as to ethnically cleanse ourselves entirely from Gaza in the hopes that this would demonstrate our serious desire for peace.

Meanwhile, the post-colonial West, with its post-colonial guilt (here’s looking at you, Britain!), expressed reservations, condemned, tut-tutted, and generally disapproved of any Israeli attempt to establish a quantum of deterrence. As a country in a sea of enemies and in need of allies, Israel inevitably focused on limited goals.

But all that this did in the end was provide Hamas with almost twenty years to indoctrinate a whole generation of young Palestinians who showed us today what they believe. 22 Israeli communities were invaded and occupied today. More Israelis died today than in the entire Second Lebanon War and some sixty Israelis were taken to Gaza where they are more than likely being tortured while serving as Human Shields.

What we witnessed today is sadly reminiscent of the ancient Jewish dictum that, “He who is compassionate to the cruel is ultimately cruel to the compassionate.”

This time in Gaza will not be like the last rounds in Gaza. This time Israel is playing for keeps.

Why did this war break out and why now?

I have actually been worried for some time that we are on the verge of something BIG thanks to a confluence of events.

For starters, Israel's new Iron Beam laser defense weapon will soon be deployed. If you don't know what that is, it is basically a laser beam that can shoot down hundreds of missiles and rockets at the speed of light and with almost no cost. Once it is deployed, then the arsenals that Hamas and Hezbollah have built up will become worthless and hence need to be used before that. Just Hezbollah is estimated to have somewhere between 40,000 and 150,000 missiles and rockets.

Second, Hamas has lost all legitimacy among its people and in the broader Arab world since it is a despotic arm of the Muslim Brotherhood and really needs the PR win that they got today.

Third, the many weeks of protests in Israel have been widely misinterpreted in the Arab world as Israel as evidence of the imminent implosion of the country. What they don't realize is that despite our many deep disagreements, when faced with a common enemy we will always unite.

Fourth, the burgeoning détente between Saudi Arabia and Israel is an existential threat to Iran on numerous levels. They cannot allow their archenemies to unite against them, so they have an incentive to do what they do best - sow chaos.

As for the Palestinians, they have been largely sidelined by the Abraham Accords and this right-wing government and have every desire to once again play a central role in the "Resistance." I won't be surprised if a third Intifada breaks out as a result of this.

Last, but not least, this Israeli government has yet again revealed itself as the utter and complete failure that it is. Through their single-minded desire to upend our systems of governance for their own self-serving and antidemocratic tendencies, they have completely jeopardized the security of the State of Israel.

Instead of guarding our borders and protecting communities located on our frontier, the government has repeatedly moved divisions from the Gaza front into Judea and Samaria to protect the settlers. Unfortunately for the rest of us, we will all pay the price for their messianic fantasies.

We are at War.

I want everyone to understand that this will not be like what we have witnessed in the past.
This is not some "tit for tat", but rather an unprovoked and organized invasion of Israel and a deliberate targeting, kidnapping, and massacre of our civilian population.
This is a War and this is undoubtedly just the opening round.

There is also a very good chance that Iran is the puppet master behind this.
If so, then there is also a good chance that Hezbollah will be emboldened to attack us along our northern front.
If that happens, then the full force of Israel's military capabilities will be on display to reassert our deterrence.

With respect to Gaza we are already past that point.
Sadly, many thousands - mostly Arabs - will die before this is over.
Whatever happens, from this point onwards will definitely not be the "same old."

The time has come to reshuffle the deck.

Because today was an unusually cold and wet day for the middle of April, a tour that I was scheduled to guide was cancelled at the last minute. Though this was obviously a bit disappointing, in Israel we are kind of black belts at improvising ("iltur") and going with the flow ("lizrom").

So instead of staying home and catching up on the latest Netflix episodes, I headed out in the rain to visit Israel's brand-new national park - Sussita (Hippos) in the Golan heights. Founded during the Hellenistic period and known originally as Antiochia Hippos, the site was called Sussita in Hebrew because Hippos means horse and Sus is horse in Hebrew (cf. the dictionary for the English word Syce).

Located on a spectacular plateau overlooking the Sea of Galilee and reminiscent of Masada, the park is only two kilometers from the lakeshore. In its heyday, this was a rich city, and some speculate that Jesus was referring to Hippos when he famously said that, "a city situated on a hill cannot be hidden" during the Sermon on the Mount.

The views from the top of the impressive archaeological site are unparalleled, and for now, entry to the site is free while they are setting up the park. In short, there is no time like the present to visit this spectacular site. Check it out the next time you are in Israel.

So, Israel IS the source* of all grapes!

"... the study determined that around 8,000 years ago, domesticated table grapes from Israel crossed with wild grapes in Turkey and then migrated throughout Europe. Today, every European wine grape – from the German Reisling to the French Chardonnay – can be traced back to this interaction."

This means that the next time you are here, you need to check out a winery.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/its-in-the-dna-israeli-grapes-are-the-mother-of-all-european-wines/

* Together with the Caucusus

It’s in the DNA: Israeli grapes are the mother of all European wines A massive DNA study of over 3,500 wild and domesticated grapevines overturned what historians thought they knew about the first cultivation of grapes and wine

Back in April 2020, during the early days of Corona, I decided to launch a podcast where I interviewed tour guides about different styles of guiding and best practices, while providing an oral history of the calamity that had befallen our profession. With 21 long-form interviews under my belt, I am very proud of what I accomplished and am thrilled to see that the podcast has crossed the 4,000 downloads mark.

I have been asked probably a hundred times by other guides if I have made any money off of this podcast. While I definitely don't have anything against making money, it was never my primary goal nor is it the only and primary metric. Rather, I hope that people will continue to be enriched by these episodes.

The only reason I stopped working on this podcast was because, on average, it took me 4 days of work to produce one episode. With the return of work, I simply didn't have the time. Also, I am choosing to give precedence to my latest project that I am calling "People not Places". (Please contact me if you are interested in this latest project.)

That said, I have not completely abandoned this project, but I think that if I do any more interviews, I am going to upload them raw and unedited. If there are any tour guides out there who feel that they have something that they want to share, I will be more than happy to find a time to sit down with them.

In the meantime, if you have not listened to the podcast, please do. I think that the discussions on guiding are as relevant today as they were when they were first published.

You can listen to episodes on Spotify, Stitcher, Castbox, etc. and on the show's website: tourguideconfidential.com

We are on the cusp of Ramadan and so I joined a small group of tour guides to meet the Bedouin communities of the nearby Tzippori River led by Salem who is a local tour guide.

During the tour we visited a mosque in Zarzir, an alternative medicine initiative run by Salam, a sweetshop in Zubaydat, a woodworking museum in Hilf and a traditional (pre) Ramadan-style dinner by the river near Ras Ali.

I was especially moved by the wood carvings of Saleh Alisat. Saleh, who spent 31 years in the military's border patrol unit creates objects that represent the lost world in which he grew up.

It was also poignant to visit Salem's home where we had a delicious dinner prepared by his wife Rana. Once just another house in small village, him and his family have been living there alone since 1997 when all the other villagers agreed to be relocated up the hill.

All of these places were unknown to me even though they are located less than a half hour from my home. This cultural diversity and ability to surprise me even after years of exploration is what I love about Israel and what makes this such a unique place.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝟴𝗣𝗠 (𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲)
𝗔 𝗭𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹'𝘀 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆

Though known around the world as "the Jewish State", Israel is a surprisingly diverse country. In fact, over a quarter of the population belong to Muslim, Christian, Druze, Bahai and other faith traditions as well as a dizzying array of ethnic and religious subgroups such as Circassians, Domari, Bedouin, Armenians, Ethiopian, Ahmadi, Alawite, etc.

Join Cultural Anthropologist and Israel expert 𝗗𝗿. 𝗘𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝘂𝗷𝗼𝘃𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝟴𝗣𝗠 (𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲) 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗭𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛 titled "𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹'𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗶 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹" that will provide a systematic overview of Israel's various minority communities as well as a framework through which to better understand them.

Please 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 using the following link:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: "Israel's Thali Plate: Minority Communities and Ethnic Diversity in the Land of Israel". After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: "Israel's Thali Plate: Minority Communities and Ethnic Diversity in the Land of Israel". After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.