Welcome - Bruchim Haba'im - to Israel (?)

You land at Ben Gurion Airport and cannot help but be impressed by Termnial 3 - with its marble floors and high ceilings and beautiful artwork on the walls.

Oh wait - you can't enjoy it because a security guard is there to 'randomly' choose you for questioning from the hundreds of passengers coming out of the plane.

You can't help but be impressed by aesthetic architecture, the landscaping, the cleanliness of the airport.

Oh wait! You're taken to a room for questioning about your reasons for flying into Israel, and so you miss the trees and the lawn and the lay out of the airport.

You can't help but be impressed by the efficient ground crew, how quickly your bags come, how the carts for luggage are FREE (you can even take two if you want!), for the many, easy opportunities to change your dollars and euros into Israeli shkalim, the nice coffee shops.

Oh wait - you don't get a chance to get your luggage or to have that cup of Cafe Hafuch (Cappucino) and that delicious piece of cheese cake, since you are immediately put on a plane back to your home, or first arrested for trying to disturb the peace and THEN put on a plane back home.

Welcome to Israel IF:
1. You are only coming into places within the Green Line
2. You are only going to Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories
3. You promise not to say anything that would give it away that you don't hate all Palestinians.
4. You sing Hatikva as you de-plane
5. You promise to tell all of your friends and family to vote for Bibi and Lieberman next time.
6. You send a text message immediately to all those back home that it feels great being in the only democratic country in the Middle East.

We (Israel) have worked very hard at stopping the Flotilla from reaching Gaza.
We (Israel) are now doing all that we can to keep people who are 'pro-Palestinian' (for that MUST mean that they are anti-Israel, no?) from flying into our country
We (Israel) are doing all that we can to convince the world that Gaza is Heaven on Earth and life there is REALLY good

What we are NOT doing is being truthful:
The Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and in Gaza are living lives of oppression
Gaza is under siege, and innocent people are suffering
We are shutting ourselves off from the world, for a sense of security, and all we are getting in return is more and more insecurity and distrust

We can change the situation if we want - we can welcome people, welcome freedom, be democratic, embrace equality and end the siege and end the Occupation.

Yes we can...