However, I am expecting from my president to be presidential and to show respect and good manners towards people and other parties, besides spending our money and letting the economy down, with millions of Americans losing their jobs for his ideology. I know that the president’s background is part Muslim, part Christian. He believes that he can solve the problem of the Muslim terror by courting the Muslim Brotherhood. He believes that by doing so, all the Muslims will love America and will stop harassing us. Furthermore he believes that by solving the Arab Israeli conflict in his way he does a great service to the world and to the Jewish people around the globe and in Israel. He wants to ignore the ties that unite the Jews with the American people, be it religious, be it as a partner in security and a great partner in development of all kind technologies and electronics. It is time that our president should recognize the size of the Arab lands compared with Israel’s land.
We all know that Israel prefers peace over any war. We also know that Hitler and his Nazism killed half of the Jewish population in the world. The Palestinians never had any country or government. The Palestinian Authority came to power with the grace of the Israelis and cannot make any decision without the Arab League. It is time to recognize that Israel and its leaders are neither Mubarak nor Kaddafi. Our president should remember that we should not underestimate the fact that the Jewish people cannot afford another debacle like in World War II. Today the Israeli people and the Jewish people have the know-how, the will and the courage of free people, which they didn’t have before.
When Israel signed the Oslo Accord for the West Bank and for Gaza, the Hamas was not involved and later, when Sharon abandoned Gaza to the Palestinians, this was another test to see what the Palestinians could perform in the absence of the Israeli Army. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority could not hold or control the area of Gaza.
Hamas didn’t bother to respect his people or his authority; it grabbed the entire Gaza for itself, killing Mahmoud Abbas’s security forces and administrative officials. Not a single country or the United Nations intervened to straighten out the situation. This way, Hamas legitimized its terrorist movement as an official government. The Iranians took advantage and provided Hamas with money and weapons.
President Obama is maybe right by wanting the Israelis and the Palestinians to negotiate a peace treaty, but he cannot convince all Jewish people or the Arab people that this is the right way to go. Since he won the presidency he didn’t succeed to convince the American people about the direction he is taking. He is now challenged by the GOP and by the Tea Party movement. How can he expect to convince the Jewish people without exercising any pressure on them and on the Israeli government? Of course, Netanyahu will accept to sit down with Mahmoud Abbas or any leader who seems legitimate even for the time being. I believe that this is the show that Netanyahu has to put up with temporarily even if his people do not agree with him.
As Prime Minister, he cannot divulge his diplomatic plan in public. Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu knows very well that the real problem is neither the Palestinian Authority, nor Hamas, but the Iranian threat and now the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Obama’s perception and ideology. Even today, neither Israel nor the United States have reacted to the Iranian menaces. The United Nations and Europe are completely paralyzed just like it was before WWII.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who is keeping silence to these threats at the moment, is cautious enough as not to fall into Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s trap or Obama’s perception and conviction. He should continue his policy as he sees it fit, but he should not lose sight of Iran and its surrogates Syria, Hezbollah and now Egypt and Hamas. Meanwhile Israel should hold on to the old Roman adage, “Si vis pacem para bellum” (If you want peace prepare for war).
I agree with the idea, that Israel and the Arabs should live side by side, but I understand that the reference is to “Jordan and Israel” and not “the West Bank and Israel”. The British had given Jordan to King Abdullah, grandfather of the present king, and Jordan extended at that time, east of the Jordan River. The West Bank was not part of Jordan. It was conquered by Jordan in 1948. For me, all the Arabs in Jordan are Palestinians and all Arabs in the West Bank are Jordanians. We should say it loud and clear, let the world know it. I never learned anything else. During WWII the Jews from Palestine were called “Palestinians” and not Jews. This is what it said on their ID’s. The Jewish Brigade who fought with the British against Hitler wore the sign of Palestine on the sleeves.
I believe that many people are confused as they don’t know the history of that time. Everyone involved has no idea, which land is in dispute between the parties. What the British called Palestine included the territories of Israel of today, the West Bank, and Jordan of today. In 1921, the Emir Abdullah, one of the last Sharifs of Mecca, received from the British the oriental part of "Palestine". This part is not called Palestine anymore, it was renamed "the Kingdom of Jordan." This was the simple way to erase the trace which linked this land to the historical name of Palestine.
Before this date no one could find the name of "the Kingdom of Jordan” in history. The Christians knew well that the Jews were the heirs of the entire territory of Palestine, which the Kingdom of Jordan is a part of.
Yes, Netanyahu’s government is right by saying, “How many times do the Jews have to divide Palestine?” If Israel were to recognize two states again, one Jewish and one Arab, living side by side, this wouldn't add up - already they have, as side by side - Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Jordan, and Gaza - this makes five Arab states. Besides, who can guarantee that the West Bank will not be transformed into another terrorist base like Gaza, like the Hezbollah in South Lebanon?
JFK did not accept the Soviet rockets in Cuba, which is 228 miles from Miami; it is understandable that the Israelis cannot accept a new terrorist and rocket base a few miles from their borders. You can see the map and you will understand. President Obama cannot see this simple truth about the entire Middle East.
Mr. President Obama, don’t take this path. Don’t do this to the Jewish people, who are our citizens and fought with the United States and to the Israelis, who fought as allies under the British command against the Germans in WWII and are still our best allies. Don’t drive them into despair! They survived Hitler; they can survive anything.
When reading about the revolts which are ravaging the Arab World, it is hard for a human being not to be confused. Let other nations develop their own capacity according to their way of life in their own countries. Isn't this the real freedom that we fought for and that we are preaching?
I appeal to the Arab protesters, don’t count on outside help, if you cannot do it yourselves! Your lives are precious and sacred. Until now all the excuses to go to war have been proven false.
Please read this saying, “Keep the bad that you know, rather than the one that you don’t know”
In Arabic, “Shed Emshoumek laijik Ashouem menou”
In closing, I would like to add that I feel compelled to share my opinion, as someone who has lived through hard times, as my duty towards the younger generations, who are easily engulfed in all kinds of movements.
Copyright 2011 Emile Tubiana
Chip Bergeron
You said “I agree with you that history is a great teacher and that we should not repeat the mistakes of the past” In your comment, I couldn’t see a single point where the Jews were wrong. However, you fail to recognize the constant attack on their existence and the denial from the entire world including the United States to accept them as human beings equal to others, as seen in anti-Semitism, the French and the Dreyfuss event, pogroms and lately the Holocaust and the Arab World expelling the Jewish populations. I expected from you more understanding for the Israelis than what you exposed here. In my view if you had followed the history of the Jewish people you would have written a different comment. I advise you to read the Jewish history and that of the entire land of the Middle East.
In one paragraph you wrote, “I the region whose center is Jerusalem, locked in an inevitable conflict that will cause great destruction and loss of life, perhaps from a nuclear strike”
I would say do not ignore or misestimate the Jewish people, be it in Israel or somewhere else for their talents and their will as they don’t have anywhere to go and the Arabs know well that they don’t have to play with this people. I advise you to look at the map of the Middle East and please see the disproportion between the Arab lands and the land of Israel. There is plenty of space for the Palestinians to expand in Arab lands, if only their brothers would step forward and help them and welcome them, instead of putting them in refugee camps after telling them to leave Israel in 1948 until the Arab armies would occupy Israel and there would be plenty of good housing for all of them from the Jews, instead of their shacks.
In reference to the Arab Spring it was the theory of Obama and his interference which brought about those revolutions, by telling Mubarak, Ben Ali and others to get out, which could only bring us trouble. We are not the police of the world and do not have to dictate others what to do, while at home we are not able to keep up the dialog between Americans. Obama had better take care of domestic problems but he wanted to hasten the progress of independence, again without understanding the Arab culture, and despite him having been in the Madrassas in Indonesia. There is a big difference between the two cultures – Islam in Indonesia and the Arab World.
I agree with you in reference of the religion. But I like the proverb “Live and let the others live too”
I the region whose center is Jerusalem, locked in an inevitable conflict that will cause great destruction and loss of life, perhaps from a nuclear strike. I don't believe pressure from the United States, the United Nations, or any other entity can prevent a conflict. The powder keg is lit, and it's only a matter of how long the fuse is.
I see the Arab Spring as a hopeful sign, although the global village of the Internet has hastened the process, as we see in Syria, it will take longer than most would like for the younger generation to overthrow the conservative, wealthy elders and controllers.
I don't see Israel's need to expand its territory as a hopeful sign, regardless of the history of why the territory came to be the way it is. If a conflict comes, Israel will exact great damage on its attackers, but Israel may suffer a fatal blow. At least there are Jews around the world to carry on after Israel is destroyed. Just as there were Jews that survived World War II and carried on.
I'm not a fan of religion, but I find culture quite fascinating. If we could rid ourselves of our religious fanaticism, we'd all be better off.
Ron