Help with quote about Israel

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I can't find this on Google, but I know I remember there being some famous quote from the 1948 war in which some Israeli leader said something like "For the first time in history, the world has seen the fighting Jew." Am I just getting the wording totally wrong and that's why I can't find it? Did I make this up?

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 30 June 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

There's a poem by Damon Runyon called The Fighting Jew iirc

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 30 June 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

I think it's about a Jewish soldier in WWI, not 1948.

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 30 June 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

Ok. So I guess maybe it was just quoted in reference to independence. I was looking for it because I was trying to explain to friends the way Israel is presented to you as a young American Jew.

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 30 June 2005 15:17 (twenty years ago)

It's not from some film with Kirk Douglas (?) in it about the 1948 war? There's a bit in it where one Israeli soldier gives this rousing speech about how up to now Jews have been apologetic about being Jews, but no more.

The Fighting Jew does sound a bit like the name of a superhero from a less politically correct era.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 30 June 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

I wasn't aware of that movie, but apparently it's called "Cast a Giant Shadow" and also features John Wayne.

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 30 June 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

Hurting, the meme at least sounds right. Less of the Yeshiva going nerd or the cowed peasant, more of the ass-kicking soldiers/hard scrabbling pioneer/Kibbutzim.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 30 June 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

Which, I have to admit, is a pretty powerful idea when you're an 11-year-old cowed peasant nerd, so to speak.

― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 30 June 2005 15:26 (twenty years ago)

As a young American Jew, I'd be very interested in your explanation. It's kind of a hard idea to wrap around, because it's something projected towards you, understanding all of the unstated implications is at sometimes painfully obvious and at others quite obscure. Do you mind sharing?

― heeb, Friday, 1 July 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

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