Chutzpah is defined in so many ways and rarely with one word. It’s often misused and sometimes abused. True chutzpah can often be diagnosed accurately by the impact it has on others. For example –
A young Arab goes to do some work in the Israeli embassy and when a security guard walks in the room, the Arab takes his screwdriver and attempts to stab the guard. The guard is stabbed in his back and neck but still manages to draw his gun, fire and kill the Arab. No, that’s not chutzpah; that’s karma.
The Jordanian government is enraged. No, not at the Arab who made a mockery of Jordanian hospitality, but at the Israel guard. That’s called hypocritical.
The Jordanian government has been looking for a way to defuse the results of their incitement in regards to the Temple Mount crisis in Jerusalem. They figured that they could blackmail Israel into removing the metal detectors that were installed following the murder of two Israeli policemen by refusing to let the Israeli embassy personnel return to Israel. That’s called kidnapping and a violation of the Geneva Convention.
The Israeli government agreed to remove the cameras and metal detectors in exchange for the Israeli embassy personnel and have rushed to assure Israelis that, despite massive rioting, things are fine and security will still be maintained. I haven’t discovered a word for this one.
So, the Israelis came back from Amman to a much relieved Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone with the security guard that was injured and welcomed him with a hug when the guard came to his office the next day. That’s called Israel.
According to a YNET report the Jordanian Foreign Minister has condemned Israel for welcoming back the security guard. He says it was shameful and that Israel should have behaved “diplomatically.” And here’s where we get to the perfect definition of chutzpah.
In March of this year, Jordanians celebrated the release of Ahmed Daqamseh, who attacked and murdered 7 young Israeli school girls in Naharayim in 1997. And, in October, 2011, Jordanians took to the streets to celebrate the return of Ahlam Tamimi, the Palestinian terrorist who helped perpetrate the Sbarro attack in Jerusalem in August 2001, in which 15 people were murdered, including 8 children.
Chutzpah is Jordan having the nerve to question Israel for celebrating the return of a security guard who was attacked and managed to kill his attacker after they had the absolute nerve of celebrating child killers like Tamimi (may God curse her miserable life) and Daqamseh (may God curse his miserable life).
And how do you know what they did was chutzpah? When you understand that they celebrated cold-blooded murderers, did you sputtering in outrage at their audacity? Were you shocked at the nerve? Did you think the pathetic and dishonest actions of the Jordanians were disgusting? That, my friends, is chutzpah.
