Monday, July 30, 2012

Romney Spoke In Israel: Palestinians' Excuse for Not Being Productive

Nadene Goldfoot
It seems that the Palestinians took offense when Romney spoke in Israel pointing out the differences in economic vitality between Israel and the Palestinians.  He mentioned that as he looked at the city and thought of the accomplishments of the people of Israel, he recognized the power of at least culture and a few other things.  He cited the innovative business climate and the Jewish history of thriving in difficult circumstances.

Palestinian Labor Minister Ahmed Majdalani called the statement "a clear racist spirit."  He felt insulted.  The Palestinians noted that Romney wasn't addressing the stifling effect of Israel's occupation and used that as an excuse as to why they were not a productive group of people.  What kind of spirit do the Muslim Religious Leaders display by putting fatwas on all Jews everywhere to be killed?  How racist can they get?

I would reply that if they put their energy into work instead of bombing Israel with missiles, mortars and rockets constantly, they could become a different productive culture as well, but right now their culture is all wrapped up in doing in Israel!  How dare he use "occupation" as a crutch.  The only reason restrictions have come about is because of their murderous behavior towards all Israelis.  Saeb Erekat, senior Palestinian official is now blaming Romney's comments as hurting the US efforts to restore Washington's standing in the Muslim and Arab world.  Well, what was it getting the USA?  Were the Palestinians coming to the peace table with Netanyahu?  No!  Nothing Hillary was saying induced them to respond in a positive way.

Israel does not want to have to deal with war, contrary to other's beliefs.  "As Golda Meier had said, "We hate war. We do not rejoice in victories. We rejoice when a new kind of cotton is grown, and when strawberries bloom in Israel."  This is a far different culture than what the Palestinian Arabs have developed.

The Palestinians interestingly reminded readers that there are 57 Muslim and Arab countries while US diplomats are exerting every effort to explain their position.  I think Romney has far more knowledge of the region  than Obama ever has had, so they are in for a surprise, which they just realized.  57 Muslim countries exist and they want to add one more-Palestine.  I'm behind times;  I only had listed 48 Muslim majority countries.  Who else are they counting?  Are they including England and France already?

Israel withdrew all Jewish people from Gaza in 2005 in the offer of peace, and what they got instead was the slap in the face of bombings.  Their homes became the grounds from which death-harboring rockets were fired from.  Any restriction of trade and movement there is due to their bringing in these weapons to use on Israel.  They refuse to have any peace pact with Israel or live in any sort of peaceful life such as Mexico, the USA and Canada enjoy, or England and France, etc.  It's a state of war.  The same goes for Judea and Samaria.  Fatah and Hamas have joined together in their desire to destroy Israel.  What do they expect?  They are receiving far better treatment than they ever gave to Jews who had lived in Muslim lands.  Their people are existing by being on the dole with the United Nations!

They speak of Occupation.  It was Jordan who occupied Transjordan and took it over when it was originally planned by Britain who held the Mandate to be part of the Jewish National Home, and then Britain gave in to them because of their demanding nature and Britain wanting to keep a hand in the Middle East.  Then Jordan occupied Judea and Samaria illegally, as that certainly was to be part of the Jewish National Home as well, having been the original Judah.  Jews had lived in Gaza since the beginning of Jewish history and that was given up for a peace we didn't receive as well.

Jews have treated Palestinians like people, but it hasn't been reciprocated.  What they teach their children in schools is disgusting.    In Muslim countries like Syria, Jews were less than 3rd rate non-citizens.  They were called "dhimmis" and had to pay special taxes.  Testimony against Muslims didn't count in courts.  They were forbidden to ride a horse to town; forbidden to wear Muslim clothing; forbidden to carry arms; prohibited to build or repair places of worship.  They were oppressed, suffered from extortion and violence by local authorities and the whole Muslim population.

In Aleppo in the 19th century, money was extorted by officials on every pretext, petty bullying was a commonplace thing, and if a Jew walked in the market, people would throw stones at him, trying to kill him.  Others might try to pull his beard or his ear locks, spit on his face and just be an abused person.  By 1831, Christians had full equality but not Jews.  1840 saw an economic slump in Syria so that they pulled out the Damascus blood libel.  In the 1850's Christians were treated with violence again.  1936 saw anti-Jewish riots on Jews in Damascus and again in the late 30's.  Jews were stabbed by activist Muslims.  By now a Nazi delegation visited Damascus so that propaganda grew and German and Arab youth organizations developed and were against Jews.  As it turned out, Jews were held prisoners in Syria and not allowed to leave, and if they tried, were killed.

One of the differences in cultures is another comment that Golda Meier said that is quite deep.  "When peace comes, we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons."  I think Romney recognizes this difference quite easily.

Resource:  http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2012/07/30/romney_angers_palestinians_with_pro_israel_comment/?page=2
Book:  From Time Immemorial by Joan Peters, page 60-65 on Syria
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Golda_Meir

1 comment:

Nadene Goldfoot said...

Saeb Erekat blames "occupation" for Palestinian poverty. But the PA has dominion over almost all of the West Bank and Hamas has control over all of Gaza, so the word "occupation" is all but meaningless. (New York Post)

One reason Palestinian economic growth has been so disastrously slow is the terror war that Yasser Arafat launched against Israel in 2000 - the Second Intifada. It shattered Israeli hopes for peaceful concert with a new neighboring country, and led to an economic estrangement that proved horribly costly to Palestinians. Israelis stopped employing Palestinian workers and stopped buying Palestinian goods. Transit and trade between the two became difficult and painful. The fault was exclusively the doing of Arafat, who served as a reverse Ge orge Washington - rejecting nationhood for violence.