Ein Hod and the Israeli Sin

Ein Hod is just a symbol of Israeli morbidity. It is a symbol of ethical blindness. But it is also a symptom of Israeli hopelessness.

(LONDON) - Israeli press reported today that the wildfire, which has been raging in northern Israel since Thursday, continued to spread on Saturday morning, burning houses in the pastoral artists' village Ein Hod.

Ein Hod which lies on the road to Haifa is an Israeli artists' colony. It is located at the foot of Mount Carmel, overlooking the Mediterranean coast. In the fifties, a group of Jewish artists decided to make Ein Hod into their home.

They built studios and workshops. Ein Hod is the only artists' village in Israel, one of the few in the world. Israel and Israelis are very proud of their artists’ colony. Israelis are totally devastated by the impact of the fire on their beloved artist village.

Yet, there is something Israelis may prefer to hide. Ein Hod’s new artistic habitants are far from being innocent. Ein Hod is in factAyn Aawd, a 1948 ethnically cleansed Palestinian village. Unlike very many other Palestinian villages Ayn Awad was not destroyed.

Though its habitants were brutally expelled, most of the houses remained intact. The Israeli Artists, are basically a bunch of plunders. They also turned the village mosque into a restaurant/bar, the "Bonanza". It is obviously clear that the Israeli artist community participated actively in the Zionist crime.

Those few uprooted Palestinian villagers who survived the 1948 invasion built a new village near by, also called Ayn Hawd.

Far from being surprising, the new village is not legally recognized by the Israeli government. It is denied all municipal services (including water, electricity, and roads). In the 1970s the Israeli government erected a fence around this new village in order to prevent it from expanding. As it happens, Israeli artists dwell in Palestinian homes while the dispossessed indigenous owners are living in poverty around the corner with no running water or electricity.

In the last six decades the JNF planted millions of pine trees around Israeli villages and towns. These newly planted forests were there to hide traces of Palestinian civilization and the 1948 Nakba. Ein Hod also surrounded itself with pine trees. It helped the Artists to concentrate on creative matters and to evade the misery in Ayn Hawd. It allows the artists to engage with ‘beauty’ and avoid the sin they are entangled with. Seemingly, the forest between Ein Hod and Ayn Hawd is now burned. Nature found its way to confront the Israelis with his and her past and present. Yet, I am far from being convinced whether the Israelis can be morally awaken to the disastrous reality they are complicit in.

Ein Hod is just a symbol of Israeli morbidity. It is a symbol of ethical blindness. But it is also a symptom of Israeli hopelessness.

In spite of its military might, its ‘technological superiority’, its air force, its nuclear capacity and AIPAC, Israel doesn’t know how to deal with fire. It fails to deal with the most banal domestic issues. Israel has been caught begging the world to come to its rescue. Zionism that was there to bring to life an authentic, self-sufficient, civilized and ethical Jew has failed all the way through.

Gilad Atzmon was born in Israel in 1963 and had his musical training at the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem (Composition and Jazz). As a multi-instrumentalist he plays Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxes, Clarinet and Flutes. His album Exile was the BBC jazz album of the year in 2003. He has been described by John Lewis on the Guardian as the “hardest-gigging man in British jazz".

Gilad Atzmon's essays are widely published. His novels 'Guide to the perplexed' and 'My One And Only Love' have been translated into 24 languages.

As a member of the Blockheads, Gilad has also recorded and performed with Ian Dury, Robbie Williams, Sinead O'Connor and Paul McCartney. Gilad has also recorded with Robert Wyatt, the Water Boys and many others. Learn more about Gilad by visiting his Website

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xexon December 6, 2010 8:57 am (Pacific time)

Were I a religious person, I'd say God is punishing the Israelis for all those Palestinian olive groves the settlers like to burn while the IDF looks on and gives them protection. Paybacks are a bitch. x

Ed December 5, 2010 10:33 am (Pacific time)

Your real message is: Go to Hell Israelis - Jews won a war to reclaim their homeland. Ein Hod is a current symbol of Israel's creative humanistic genius. The wrong people won a war fought a half a century ago. Burn baby burn.

Editor: You will never have the proper ability to speak for others. Your ancestors who stole Palestine did not already live there, and they did not 'return' ANYWHERE. They went to Palestine, they didn't 'return' to Palestine. And all of you bellyaching and moaning does not change the fact that God said it was wrong to steal. Hertzel led you down a dark road friend.

A December 5, 2010 1:39 am (Pacific time)

This article is complete and utter garbage. I wonder how Mr. Atzmon would feel if I made a political statement out of his tragedies. Mr. Atzmon, shame on you.

Editor: No offense, but Mr. Atzmon is all too familiar with the tragedy in this part of the world and he writes eloquent commentary that reflects a much deeper understanding than you do. Are Israelis all ashamed of the genocide of Palestine? Didn't think so...

P. Barkat December 4, 2010 11:46 pm (Pacific time)

Ira It all started with the sham and lie of the zionist congress "A land without people for a people without a land" When you come to terms with that lie that there was people already there and apologize for it maybe then you can begin to compare yourselves to something better than bad examples of things that happened well over hundreds of years ago. Good luck with those rose colored glasses. Strive to compare yourself to something better. The internet killed Israeli PR. Google the video.

Nadav, Israel December 4, 2010 11:37 pm (Pacific time)

Gilad Atzmon is full of self hatred. he just forgot to point out that the arabs started a war aginst the 1 day old jewish state, killing innocent people. Gilad Atzmon is a left wing pornagrapher.

Editor: First, you really should learn to spell properly and have some respect for what you are doing. Secondly, how on earth can you possibly suggest that Gilad, a stunning musician operating at the highest level possible, deals with self-hate? The 'self-hating Jew' concept is the best you can cough up? Gilad served in the IDF, he had the humanity to understand how wrong Israel's treatment of the Palestinians is, and he is now an instrumental voice in the movement to free Palestine. I mean it, there is not a person in my world; Muslim, Christian or Jew, who does not love Gilad for his talent, his music, his humanity, and his intelligence.

Adam December 4, 2010 9:49 pm (Pacific time)

Its pretty disgusting that an American news outlet would try to paint such a ridiculously political picture/commentary on Israel as the country is burning...this is the kind of crap I expect from Hamas/Al-Qada website not Oregon...you are no better than the people who said that New Orleans "Deserved" Hurricane Katrina, get control of you paper please and get rid of this type of hate-mongering editorial crap.

Editor: Right, you guys don't know what to make of it do you? I'll tell you this, humanity doesn't reside in any particular place, but every place. Oregon just happens to be where our headquarters are located, Salem-News.com is a worldwide group. So, rather than your analogy about New Orleans, go back and read the article and fess up to the historical record. After you do that, you can have an intelligent conversation about it.

ira December 4, 2010 6:28 pm (Pacific time)

Dr Author, I would have preferred an article about the damages caused by the fire and not an absurd political statement about zionism. Get real, look aroudn the world...there are literally 1,000s of honest and genuine examples of arab, russian, chinese...cruelty to their populations and "foreigners" and inequality.. Why not use material so robust for your editorial....

Editor: Gilad Atzmon was born and raised in Israel and he is not only welcome but encouraged to share his views in these articles. We are here to show the underlying truths, too bad if people can't grasp that. Everything is tied to an illegal occupation that began in 1947 and you can live for a thousand years and never justify it. Moreover, people are tired and reaching the breaking point. Talk to Israel, vent your views with them.

hamr December 4, 2010 4:21 pm (Pacific time)

Such BS. The occupants of Ein Hod left in 1947 as they were told to do by their "government" at the time. When Israel won the war of independence rather than lose as the occupants were promised, the occupants were denied re-entry. To the victor go the spoils, as it has been for centuries and still remain. The artists currently living in Ein Hod have little if nothing to do with those events, they are simply artists trying to make a living. Shame on the author of this diatribe. Pick a better premise for your crappy story.

Editor: You sure have a funny way of looking at things. I guess you would justify absolutely anything if it benefits your particular religious group? What a bunch of nonsense.

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