The Arab Spring
As an 81-year-old citizen who survived WWII, I feel that it is my duty to share my insights in politics. In1956, I had fulfilled my duty for France and Israel. As a Jew and a Frenchman, I took part in the war for the liberation of the Suez Canal, as an officer.
I am urging my fellow citizens to please not succumb again to lovely words and empty promises. Many of those who lost their job understand the suffering of their families. Until today, they could not find a job or an open ear to listen to their pain and suffering and their complaint during these last few years. As the American press was entirely biased and it didn’t divulge the truth, some information was hidden from the public.
Many from the government who have access to the media are confusing the American people, our friends and enemies. Those facts alone show a lack of maturity from our elected officials. Every day I read a different version of what is going on in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Iran, in Egypt, in Libya, in Tunisia. Our world and our country became like a place without leadership. What do the media think? That we cannot find information in other foreign media? What happened in Benghazi, our media kept silent. If this is a question of security, the people should know. In my view, not a single war is terminated, be it in Iraq or in Afghanistan, despite the sacrifice our soldiers made for their mission.
Have we not encouraged all those Arab revolutions? Some of their people fought vehemently, believing in our help and in our leadership. I just received a letter from a Tunisian friend, for whom I have a lot of consideration and respect, telling me about the disaster they are experiencing with the new religious government, which gets knowledge and advice from the Muslim Brotherhood. Unfortunately we left the population facing the new religious government alone, such as the “Ennahda” in Tunisia, where they burned the Mausoleums of Saida el Manoubia, of Sidi Abdelaziz in the town of La Marsa, and Sidi Bousid El Baji in the town of Sidi Bousid, including the holy books of the Koran. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, instead of bringing stability, they are abusing the kindness of their population. The president of Egypt, Mr. Morsi is playing games with us, while Qatar is trying to arrange a meeting with the Iranians. Is this why we want to give 20 F16’s and 200 Abrams tanks to Egypt? In many cities in Tunisia, the Salafists which is now a branch of the Tunisian Government is intimidating the population, breaking every art museum with the pretext that art is against the Koran. Did we not tell them that the free election would bring them democracy?
As for Iran, since the religious came to power, it is playing games with our government. I wonder if we are purposely buying them time to finish the development of their Atom bomb or what? The Israelis are very serious; if they have no choice, they will do whatever they can to save their people and their nation. This silence during so many years is interpreted as a weakness of America in the world, and particularly in those countries. We know that the Iranians are very intelligent and smart, even more than Saddam Hussein, with his motto: “Cheat, retreat, and repeat.” And you know that the Jews have learned a lesson. I recall the words of David Ben-Gurion who was the main founder and the first Prime Minister of Israel, saying to the young generation of officers, while talking about the holocaust:”This time, if we have to die, we will never die alone again.”
We as Americans, we often forget who we are and which strength and capacity we have at our disposal. Mr. President, please do not forget that you are elected to lead and to show strength and not weakness. I understand diplomacy is better than any war, but your policy hasn’t stopped Iran from pursuing its goal of getting a nuclear bomb, for many years.
Mr. President, how long should we wait, in order for you to find a diplomatic solution? Israel never used any single American soldier for any part of its defense.
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I know from my World War II experience and from other wars that no leader is perfect. Those who are watching without any responsibility can easily criticize the one who is acting and carrying the burden. I understand that nothing is perfect, but as Americans we should unite in a common cause before it is too late. I know that you have your way of thinking and how to handle every problem, but in my view a president of such a huge country should take into consideration the entire population, and not do the same as for the healthcare act, where all the final negotiations took place behind closed doors.
I believe the Arab Spring is and was inevitable. It is also very painful because it pits the old values (the religious right) against the idealistic and open-mindedness of youth. The reason that youth will prevail is simple. They have the Internet and access to worldwide information. And, they will outlive the older, more conservative leaders that now exist. There is no good way to bring down these regimes. if the United States is involved in every skirmish around the world, our treasury and our military forces would be sorely compromised. We have to use our military for defense and not for offense in countries we think we have a right to intervene and save. The most effective way that these Arab countries can be converted would be through nonviolence. Even though we would see stories of horrendous sacrifice, the death toll from nonviolence would be much less than war and the results would be better, kinder leaders, than dictator ex-warlords.
As far as Benghazi is concerned, the cost to our federal budget to provide adequate military security to all threatened embassies around the world would put our deficit through the roof. The loss of an ambassador and a couple of aides is small potatoes on the world scene in spite of political and media hype. I much prefer the reporting of Mickey Leland losing his life in a plane crash in Ethiopia and the fact that my good friend, Dr. Leonard H O Spearman, ambassador to Rwanda, and his family were rescued without media fanfare during the terrible genocide that occurred there.
As for Israel, the concession for the Holocaust granted by the Allies in Britain planted the seeds for the current untenable situation. The need for Israel to grow to maintain its population and the pressure that is placed on the surrounding Arab lands will eventually lead to horrendous war. If only Jews had been accepted where they lived and not provided a homeland to go to, this whole situation would be moot.
Ron
Love ya!
Jane