Worldwide solidarity with Gaza

In reading all the ‘supposed’ experts on this thread, I find it shocking that very few seem to have visited the Middle east and therefore , are fueling their opinions based on second and third party information/propaganda . Having been ‘there’ and being a military history student, a few FACTS must be presented, because of the highly SELECTIVE arguments being used by some here.

1-      In 1948, the PARTITION of the UN Palestine mandate, called for a Jewish state (Israel) and a Palestinian state. David Ben –Gurion pleaded on radio for Arabs to join Jews in creating a land together. The grand Mufti of JerusalemHaj Mohammed Effendi Amin el-Husseini (a devout Muslim and WW2 Nazi collaborator) ordered the Arabs to leave on radio, having convinced the Arab neighbours (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lenanon, Irak) that they “will throw all the Jews into the sea”.

2-      There are some who claim that Israel is a false nation created to ghetto-ize European Jews, hence stealing land from the Arabs. Well, I am happy to report that there are Sephardic Jews who originally where expelled from their homeland and sought refuge in Morocco, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Irak and Turkey. Their traditions and culture are entirely Arabic in nature. In fact, Israeli culture and Arabic culture share many customs since they have been living there since the dawn of time. The claim of apartheid is ludicrous and patently false.

3-      “Israel is committing genocide”. Perhaps you are not aware that there are almost 2 million Arab Israelis in the original, non-occupied territories, who not only are citizens with a VOTE but also are in the Israeli army. They are the descendants of the ones who stayed and did not become refugees at the begging of the Mufti. They are attorneys, lawyers, politicians, policemen, taxi drivers etc…I saw Arab villages near Haifa, cafes with both obvious religions in discussion with each other, Arabs are everywhere in Israel. No torture or genocide there. I know of no Jewish ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, AlQeida, Al Shahhabb or Taliban, they are no Hebrew videos of public beheadings, mass shootings, stoning and throat slashings.  

4-      Proportional? The Israelis use missiles to protect their civilians and Hamas uses its civilians to protect its missiles. This is another fact conveniently forgotten. The Israelis already pulled out of Gaza in 2005 while still supplying water and electricity, and then having entire villages evacuated by the Jews razed, pillaged and burnt to the ground by vengeful Hamas militants. The Hamas reaction? Build tunnels, not to protect its people but to infiltrate and fight the ‘Zionist’ enemy.

5-      Hypocrisy. Over 300.000 Syrians have died in the Civil war there. Sunni and Shiite going at it full bore. Who cries for them? Argentina?

6-      Finally, as always with conflict, everyone is entitled to their opinion. So I ask, please go there, visit the antagonists, talk with them. Every single Israeli I have talked with is just DYING for peace, praying for it.

 We live in a complicated world where responsible governments must abide by certain principles, such as the right to exist in peace with their neighbors. Unfortunately, the Muslim (not just the Arab) world is a newborn in terms of institutionalizing democratic elections with multiple political parties (which is why the Arab Spring happened in the first place), Hamas is an ARMED political party that has only one mission as per its charter, the expulsion of all Jews from the Holy Land. Why should Israel accept threats to its existence? Would you accept a militarized ARMED political party ruling your country? Be it Belgium, Russia or Serbia? Or Canada, Spain and France? There are no democratic political parties available in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Algeria, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, UAE, etc….

Would you leave your home if your neighbor pelts you with eggs, hurls abuse at your children or threatens to kill you every single day since the dawn of time? Maybe the correct cure would be for Israel to cease to exist altogether, send them all back to loving countries like Uganda or the Russian Far East. That is not going to happen. Get over it and make peace.

The irony of course is that a two-state situation where Palestinians and Israelis would create an economic powerhouse that would quickly overtake the oil drenched autocrats with new technologies, irrigation, farming, science etc..Living in harmony , together. 

We all pray for resolution and salvation.