Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder that causes repeated unwanted and intrusive thoughts. An OCD sufferer will engage in repetitive behaviors (compulsions) aimed at reducing anxiety caused by these thoughts (obsessions). OCD is a chronic or long-term illness that can take over a person’s life, hurt relationships, and limit the ability to work or go to school[1].
Scientists have proven that OCD is caused by one part of the brain being unable to receive information from the other.
In the past 20 years the 24/7 cable news, internet and social networking sites have revolutionized the way we receive information. In the shadow of this information revolution lays a disease that has surprisingly not yet received an official diagnosis. The cause is also a restriction of information. The disease is called Obsessive Compulsive Israel Disorder or OCID.
For a country that is thousands of miles away, has a population of just 7 million and speaks a completely different language, the world is obsessively and compulsively focused on Israel.
In January 2009, when Israel launched operation Cast Lead, to root out rocket fire from the Gaza strip, the media covered every minute. There was no shortage of information that often presented Israel as the aggressor and perpetrator of all the violence in the region. Just like OCD stops the flow of information from one part of the brain to the other, OCID, stopped the flow of the rest of the important events going in the world.
While a tiny country was trying to secure its borders from rocket attack the world was going through major challenges.
- The Ethiopian military withdrew its troops from the Somalia civil war. This ongoing conflict has killed 300-400 thousand people since 1991.
- Indian Army continued to battle Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed militants in the disputed Kashmir region. This ongoing conflict has seen countless civilian massacres and terror attacks.
- The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Sri Lanka terrorist group, launched major offensives around the northern part of the country including the bombing the state department of defense. 80 thousand people have been killed in the country’s civil war, including 8000 this year alone.
In order to try to understand this disease we have isolated 3 factors that could influence the amount of coverage a country could receive:
- Its population,
- Its geography; and
- Its state of conflict.
As stated earlier Israel’s population is about 7 million. It is roughly the same size as Tajikistan, Papa New Guinea and Honduras, none of which have been able to grab the attention of the world, let alone can most people locate these countries on a map.
What about geography? It is true that Israel’s is in the Middle East but so are countries like Bahrain, Qatar and Oman yet these countries also seldom crack the newsreel, let alone can be located on a map.
That leaves the last category, maybe it’s because of the “disputed” territory in the land. If this is the case, ask yourselves how many stories have there been about Tibet, Cyprus, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the Western Sahara, all U.N recognized cases of disputed territory. There is no logic in understanding this disease
While the media was predominantly reporting only on the conflict in the Gaza Strip as a prime example, the world was going through universal struggle. Their continual criticism and singling out of Israel is baseless in its logic vis a vis its abnormal media coverage. The larger worldly causes of global warming, hunger, aids and genocide have to take a back seat to feed a news aristocracy that clearly suffers from the sociological disease, Obsessive-Compulsive Israel Disorder.
[1] Web MD, Anxiety and Panic Health Center,www.webmd.com
Clever article. I do not know why the world spends so much time on Israel? Perhaps the world has always been overly interested in that nation. In any case, there are many other worrisome flashpoints in the world – I wish Sudan would get more consideration from the media.
Comment by Kieron — 2009/09/28 @ 10:26 pm
It’s frightening… isn’t it?
Comment by Gill katz — 2009/10/12 @ 7:46 am
1) I didn’t know some of these things (especially what was going on Somalia – I need to check the dates) which shows you that even if you WANT to pay attention to these things, it is not easy.
2) You left out Afghanistan and Iraq – and Swat in Pakistan. Here is a significant story. It broke right after the Gaza war:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/world/asia/25swat.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=swat%20pakistan%20january&st=cse
It was on the front page of the New York Times, but only story of many. People did not really begin to pay attention until April and only because the government of Pakistan was thought to be in danger. I am not sure even you know now.
There is of course anotehr media factor: How much people know aboput it already.
But in the end the only explanation for this can be the hand of God.
Doesn’t it say in Zecharia 12:2 and 12:3 that there will come a time when Jerusalem will become a “burdensome stone’ as it is it usually translated – everyone who gets involves will be severely injured – and all the nations of the world will be gathered against Jerusalem? Also Zechariah 14:12 – although there it says the city will be captured and half the people go into captivity (1948 comes close but doesn’t match)
Now how is that going to be possible, unless people all over the workls have been concerned with Jerusalem, for a long, long, long time?
Otherwise why should so many people care?
Of course this is not really an answer – it is a variant of the anthropic principle – the laws of nature have to be what they are, not because of any intrinsic reason but in order to allow us t ask teh question. Similiarly this concern with israe has to be true because otherwise some Biblical prophecies won’t come to pass.
Comment by Sammy Finkelman — 2009/10/29 @ 12:16 pm
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Pingback by Why is the world afflicted with Israel Derangement Syndrome? « Lineman — 2009/11/04 @ 6:49 pm
I wouldn’t say it is an OCD, its just plain old antisemitism (or “Jew Hatred” if that is the preferred term).
Comment by Steven — 2010/01/07 @ 11:18 am
Brilliant!
Comment by Liz Wagner — 2010/01/07 @ 4:33 pm
Tragic gentlemen. Shed many tears for the children of Darfur who have met a terrible end and those who can’t sleep at night for fear of death and torture. I know its safe and warm where the west sleeps, so think hard!
Just saw your OCID on wikipedia. Thanks
Comment by Vembiso Matlangu — 2010/01/12 @ 10:58 am
This disease has led to a new one – OCAIDS – Obsessive Compulsive Anti-Israel Disorder Syndrome. And just as those who spread the other AIDS suffer and then die off, so will those spreading this new
disease. Our Almighty Creator, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob will not be mocked. He told Avraham: Whoever blesses you, I will bless, and who ever curses you, I will curse.
There are people who need to repent now, or suffer the consequences of coming against the Apple of His Eye. You cannot poke our God in the Eye and expect no consequences.
Comment by Desmond — 2010/01/15 @ 8:06 am
Jew hate explains it all, sadly. The world has been obsessed with hating Jews for thousands of years.
Comment by Justin Hoffer — 2010/07/16 @ 6:20 am
what sammy said is pretty much what I would ve said
Comment by elizabeth oneil — 2010/07/27 @ 12:26 am