With the turmoil erupting in countries surrounding Israel, Temple Emanuel, on High Mountain Road, hosted Joseph Yudin, a former Wyckoff resident and former paratrooper for the Israeli army. At the special event, he discussed how events in the Middle East may or may not effect Israel.

“For years, people have known what a lunatic [Libyan leader Muammar] Gadaffi is and just laughed at him,” said Yudin. “They are not laughing anymore.”

Much of what Yudin discussed was reiterating the Anti-Semtic stance in the world. Yudin, the son of Wyckoff business owners Bob and Sue Yudin, pointed out that the governments of the surrounding nations that have undergone a governmental backlash are blaming the United States and Israel for the protestors. The protestors are blaming the United States and Israel for the government’s hardline tactics.

He said the recent turmoil in Egypt, Libya and now Tunisia, has not affected Israel’s booming tourist industry. 

According to Yudin, after graduating college in 1990 he backpacked around the world and ended up in Israel. He became a citizen and was drafted into the country’s army. He stayed in the army until recently where he works as a tour guide in Israel.

“Last year, over five million people tourists visited Israel,” he said. “The biggest problem, especially in June, July and August, is not enough hotel rooms.” 

He explained that many of the visitors are Christians looking to claim their religious roots.

However, his main concern is that with the recent unrest, that fanatical Muslims bent on wiping Israel off the map, like Hamas, will gain power in Egypt and the surrounding nations.

“When Hamas gained control of Palestine in 2006, it was during an election that former President Jimmy Carter observed and he declared it fair,” said Yudin.

He explained that the politicians elected by Hamas took their opponents, blindfolded them and pushed them off the tallest building in Palestine. Yudin has fears that element could be given legitimacy and power. Considering that in Hamas’s charter, calls for the destruction of Israel, he said Israel needs to keep their eyes open. 

“People ask me what is going to happen,” he said. “To be honest, I don’t know.”

He said he holds out hope that democratic reforms can come to Egypt and also Iran.

“Iran is very interesting,” he said. “Even though protestors are being killed, they are still out protesting against their government.”

He further explained Iran has traditionally been the most “Western” of the Arabic countries and it looks it can change that way in the future.

As for Israel, he said the country is too strong to be “wiped off the map” as Hamas has called for.

“Israel’s foes have come up against us in 1948, 1967 and 1973 and Israel beat them back and we ended up gaining more territory in the process,” said Yudin.

As for peace in the Middle East, Yudin quoted a statement attributed to former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.

“She said, ‘Peace will come when they love their children more than they hate us,’ ” he said.

Rabbi Joshua Cohen said Yudin’s perspective brought light to the conflict.

“He really gave us a message of hope and put a different perspective on the events in the Middle East,” he said.  

For more information about Joseph Yudin, visit his site here and the visit Temple Emanuel’s site here.