The Star of Goliath Number Two

Oriol Poveda wrote in IMEMC on Thursday October 11, 2007 an article titled The Star of Goliath. It attracted my attention since I used the same caption for one of my Hebrew postings and hoped someone liked it and used it. My article focused on archaeology while Oriol Poveda’s article deals with politics. I bring you only a few paragraphs and recommend you to read the original article in its entirety:

It is difficult to say whether myths are created by nations or nations by myths… In fact, Israel is living proof of how powerful myths can be in nation-building… the biblical episode of David's battle against Goliath plays a central role. Ever since its establishment, Israel has presented itself in terms which recall the figure of the Hebrew champion: a small and righteous country (i.e. democratic) facing the Goliath of vast and densely populated Arab countries ruled by dictators... In Palestine, indeed, the IDF is the Goliath relying on sheer force and intimidation to maintain an unlawful and brutal occupation. To round off the metaphor, it is worth recalling the images that have been pouring out since the First Intifada, images of thousands of young Palestinians confronting the Israeli army with no other protection than their bodies and the very same device that David used to defeat his foe: the sling.