Forgotten History
Jimmy and Mother of all Talk Shows host George Galloway discuss this curious pseudonymous phenomenon among Israeli leaders.
Did you know that Netanyahu's real family name is Mileikowsky? Did you also know that every Israeli Prime Minister changed their name to sound more Jewish or Middle Eastern? Investigative journalist Richard Medhurst describes the litany of Israeli politicians who abandoned their Eastern European names to create the pretense of a stronger connection to the Levant.
European Jewish Leadership and Hebraization of Surnames
In the early years of Israel's statehood, leadership was predominantly held by Ashkenazi Jews—those of Central and Eastern European descent. Many of these leaders adopted Hebrew surnames, a practice known as Hebraization, to forge a new national identity rooted in ancient Hebrew culture.
Notable Leaders and Their Name Changes
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David Ben-Gurion (born David Grün): Israel's first Prime Minister, he changed his surname to "Ben-Gurion," inspired by a Jewish historical figure, to reflect a strong Hebrew identity.Blind
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Golda Meir (born Golda Mabovitch): Born in Kyiv, she adopted the surname "Meir," meaning "illuminates" in Hebrew, aligning with her Zionist ideals.
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Yitzhak Shamir (born Yitzhak Yezernitsky): He chose "Shamir," referencing a mythical stone-cutting worm from Jewish lore, symbolizing strength and resilience.
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Ehud Barak (born Ehud Brog): He selected "Barak," meaning "lightning" in Hebrew, reflecting a dynamic and forceful persona.
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Benjamin Netanyahu: While he retained the surname "Netanyahu," his father, Benzion Netanyahu, was born Benzion Mileikowsky and Hebraized the family name in the 1920s.Blind
This trend was part of a broader movement among Zionist leaders to establish a cohesive national identity, distancing themselves from the diasporic past and emphasizing a connection to the land of Israel.
Mizrahi Jews: Integration and Representation
Mizrahi Jews, originating from Middle Eastern and North African countries, immigrated to Israel in large numbers during the 1950s and 1960s. Despite now constituting a significant portion of the population, they faced socio-economic challenges and underrepresentation in political leadership.
David Levy: A Pioneering Mizrahi Leader
Born in Morocco, David Levy immigrated to Israel and rose through the political ranks to serve as Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. He was instrumental in advocating for Mizrahi rights and improving their socio-economic status. Levy's career symbolized the gradual integration of Mizrahi Jews into Israeli political life.Wikipedia+3apnews.com+3thetimes.co.uk+3thetimes.co.uk+1Wikipedia+1Wikipedia
Conclusion
The early leadership of Israel was shaped significantly by Ashkenazi Jews who sought to create a unified national identity through practices like Hebraization of surnames. Over time, Mizrahi Jews have become more integrated into Israeli society, with leaders like David Levy paving the way for greater representation. Understanding this historical context is crucial to comprehending the socio-political dynamics of modern Israel.
The “true realities” of what history has seen—and continues to witness—can’t be neatly confined to a single narrative. History is layered, messy, and often distorted by those in power or those who write it. But certain themes keep reappearing, and when you look through a critical, wide-angled lens—especially one that doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths—a clearer picture emerges. Here's a breakdown of those deep-running currents, based on recurring patterns across time:
1. Power Centralizes, and Liberty Is the Exception
Across ancient and modern civilizations, centralized power has been the norm, not the outlier. Whether through monarchies, empires, theocracies, or modern technocracies, history shows that governments and elites often consolidate control, while freedom and self-rule are rare, fragile achievements.
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Ancient Rome started as a republic but became an empire.
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The American experiment was a radical deviation—built on liberty, personal rights, and limited government.
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In modern times, bureaucracies and global institutions have increasingly taken power out of the hands of citizens.
Reality: The natural drift of power is always toward centralization. Liberty must be actively protected, or it vanishes.
2. The Winners Write the History Books
What we’re taught about history often reflects the values and interests of those who prevailed—not necessarily the full truth.
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Columbus “discovered” America—but millions already lived there.
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The Crusades are taught either as brutal invasions or holy wars, depending on who’s telling the story.
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20th-century world wars are framed through a Western lens, ignoring some of the dark deals and global consequences that still ripple today.
Reality: Historical narratives are curated to shape public perception, control identity, and reinforce power structures. The truth is often more complicated—and less flattering.
3. Mass Movements Are Often Engineered
What appear to be organic uprisings or cultural shifts are frequently guided or exploited by those behind the scenes—governments, corporations, or ideological groups with a vested interest.
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The French Revolution began with real grievances but was hijacked by radicals and led to the Reign of Terror.
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20th-century revolutions (Bolshevik, Maoist) were propelled by utopian ideals but ended in mass death.
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Today, many social movements are funded by political NGOs, tech billionaires, or government-backed entities, manipulating public emotion for deeper agendas.
Reality: Movements that seem grassroots are often astroturf. Emotional narratives are tools for control, not always justice.
4. War Is Nearly Always About Money and Power
Governments rarely go to war for the noble reasons they claim. Behind almost every major conflict lies a resource, territory, ideology, or profit motive:
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WWI: Empires fighting for global dominance.
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WWII: Yes, a war against fascism—but also about carving up a post-colonial world order.
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Iraq: Officially about WMDs—unofficially about oil, power, and strategic positioning.
Reality: Wars are often sold as moral crusades, but they’re usually about economics, empire, or distraction from internal unrest.
5. Technology Has Always Been Used to Control Populations
From the printing press to AI, every major leap in communication or computing has been used both to liberate and manipulate:
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Radio and film were tools of propaganda in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.
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Television shaped public opinion in the Cold War and domestic policy debates.
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Social media, once hailed as democratizing, is now monitored, censored, and used to push certain narratives while silencing others.
Reality: Tools can serve freedom or tyranny—depending on who controls them.
6. Truth Becomes Dangerous in Times of Mass Delusion
When lies become culturally accepted, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. History has seen this repeatedly:
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In totalitarian regimes, questioning the government was treason.
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In religious inquisitions, questioning doctrine was heresy.
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In modern culture wars, questioning mainstream narratives can get you banned, doxxed, or fired.
Reality: Societies often reward compliance over truth. Those who see clearly are often attacked, not celebrated.
7. God, Faith, and the Soul Have Been Systematically Undermined
Across centuries, societies have alternated between theocentric and materialist paradigms. In recent decades, a hard shift has occurred toward secularism, often not through open debate, but by cultural engineering:
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Biblical texts removed from schools, yet ideologies with less historical grounding are promoted.
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Institutions mock faith while promoting moral relativism.
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Transhumanism, AI worship, and climate messianism now replace spiritual frameworks.
Reality: History shows that without an anchor of transcendent truth or moral absolutes, societies drift into moral confusion—and eventually collapse.
Final Thought:
History is not a clean, academic record of what happened. It is a living battleground between truth and manipulation, freedom and control, vision and delusion. When you study it without the filters imposed by modern ideology, you see the same cycles—of empire, corruption, awakening, and revolution—repeating with eerie precision.
And right now?
We’re in one of those cycles again.
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