HARD TO UNDERSTAND THE MIDDLE EAST

I have been engaged in a discussion in reference to a comment about Israel I made on Bob Livingston’s radical Personal Liberty Digest. I read some of what they published recognizing they write to promote hate for a government of any kind. What stands out is not that there is no understanding of what the situation is in the Middle East but rather a profound misunderstanding of what has happened and what is happening in that area. Some of the comments were cutting personal attacks on me. I took the exchange of comments personal because as a young person I had argued strongly in favor of the original United Nation’s partition of Palestine to allow the formation of Israel. Yes, I am that old. My mother was my guiding light, and she was a strong supporter of the U.N. partition. Together, we had listened to the radio and seen the “Time Marches ON” documentary films of the opening of the horrific death camps. Even against the background of daily casualty lists and neighbors who displayed gold stars in their window, the horror of those camps was shocking. Because I do not feel content when I am wrong on something I was so convinced, I was right; I put a lot of effort over the span of the last few years trying to convince myself I had been wrong. After much soul-searching, I have concluded I was not wrong then, nor am I wrong now. Israel must exist as a safe haven forever free of even the fear of pogrom. I think the error was not in how the country was formed but in the way the current government is governing it. The recent discussion in the comment section of Personal Liberty Digest reminded of the “ban the burka” campaign in the United States, Canada, and Europe. By following the “paid for by” notes, I traced almost everyone one the posting to an Israel organization or Jewish based organization in the United States—of course, some were not tractable. With that information, it became clear to me the “ban the burka” campaign was clearly mounted by Israel to promote worldwide xenophobia in the form of hate for Muslims. How would Israel benefit from such hate? Companies advertize to sell their products and politicians promote themselves to gain power, but how would Israel benefit? How would it help Israel if Canadians or Germans, or Englishmen hated Muslims? Therefore, there seemed to me the Israeli government had no obvious foundation for their costly campaign. The task of trying to understand is not easy. We have to take into account the history of the part religion has played in humankind, the comparatively short but turbulent political history of Israel, the manipulation of the U.N. partitions of Palestine, the attitudes of the people involved, the nature and impact on our thinking of the misleading advertising, the dramatic shift to a strong anti-Israel sentiment that has taken place in the U. N. and its relationship of that shift to the attitudes of the people those countries. Obviously, I am not going to try to explain the idiosyncrasies of all of these issues, all of the above even if I could. My point is that five military persons were shot and killed in Tennessee. As happens after any such incident, certain politicians in this country cry out to go to war to fight someone in the Middle East. The question is whom do we go to war with and why? The answer to that question is a knee-jerk response; we must kill all Muslims. The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim. Muslims are evil people etc, etc. It reminds me of shopping for laundry soap in a grocery store. Ask a person why he or she bought this or that detergent and you only get vague answers. I received over 35 responses to my remarks about the Israeli position in the Middle East. Not one comment had substance—not even one. We should kill Muslims because they are there just as we should buy this or that detergent. Not one commenter said the Middle East is in turmoil because Netanyahu does not understand that the United Nations intended Israel to be the spiritual, and not the physical home of the World’s Jews. Yes, as ridiculous as it sounds, I am saying the reason for the “ban the burka” campaign is the same as the reason for killing of four military people in Tennessee. It is the result of the massive advertising campaign supported by Israel because people do not understand why my mother and I argued so hard in support of the establishment of Israel. The only clear step in the right direction has been taken by our country is the recent agreement with Iran. It should be a red flag that the people who want to fight “someone” in the Middle East, and the ones who do not want to ratify the agreement with Iran, are the same ones who invited Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of our congress to help him be reelected Prime Minister. They are the same ones who buy the bright colored package of detergent. URL: firetreepub.blogspot.com Comments Invited and not moderated