Saturday, December 25, 2010


Getting to Know you, Oh Future Palestine

Nadene Goldfoot

Like the song goes, "We're getting to know you, getting to know all about you, but.....

Getting to like you, getting to hope you like me,

Getting to feel free and easy..When I am with you.

You are precisely

My cup of tea,

Getting to know what to say...Because of all the beautiful and new Things I'm learning about you

Day by day".

Oscar Hammerstein

Well, we know a lot more about the leadership and how the people think about us and we're not feeling so free and easy; in fact, we don't feel that way at all. The things we're learnings are not so beautiful, either.

Abbas took over from from Arafat in the Fatah terrorist organization. Fatah has changed their tune outwardly but not inwardly. They're still teaching their children that Israel doesn't exist on their maps, and hatred for Israelis still reigns. They wouldn't mind at all if Israel really were wiped off the earth. In fact, they celebrate riotously when Israelis are killed, even celebrating on the anniversary of terrorists deaths who caused the death of Israelis. Israelis wince and wonder how in heaven they can ever become friendly neighbors with such a people.

They want Palestine to be Juden-free; have no Jews or Israelis in their midst. It bothers Israelis in that the state of Israel has over a million Palestinian citizens living with them, and even being a part of the Knessett. Yes, they can vote. So what is happening is that Abbas is even refusing to talk turkey with Israel (come to the peace table to arrive at some decisions). This makes it impossible to think about a peaceful state. After all, Israel was created 62 years ago and nothing like peace has happened with Fatah who now reside in Samaria and Judea. Israelis are also getting tired of waiting. Judea and Samaria fell into Israel's lap after the 67 War when the Muslims lost. Since 1967 the land has just been sitting there and Israel has all sorts of reasons thrown at it for resisting settlement. The time has rolled around and the reasons are there to do so. Israel has had it with 43 years of patience waiting for a peace accord with some decisons.

So, after waiting for 10 months and not building in Samaria and Judea, land that goes back to Israel's biblical days that is extremely important historically as well as geographically, Israel has decided that they have the right to build and carry on with a normal life. They aren't getting any younger. According to the Oregonian article this morning, they are expanding somewhat into territory that would not be part of Israel in a land swap. I see it that there is no land swapping at present, a decision of the Palestinians, and so they are going ahead and doing it. If Fatah wants Israel to stop settlers from straying farther afield, they'll have to sit down with a cup of tea and some bread with salt and talk. Because as the song goes, as time goes by, we are not liking what we see or even hear, and Palestinians still are not doing anything to change their charges to like Israelis. That's not what lovers or even neighbors do.

The one beacon of light that is happening is that a start up business in Israel has found that a Palestinian is nicer to work with than other outsiders. Their thinking in business is similar and this is turning out fantastically. It makes me joyous to read that business is bringing these two opposing people together. Possibly it will be contagious.

Living across the freeway from each other makes us neighbors, and we both want to feel free and easy being we are together this way. Living like the "Hatfields" and the McCoys" is not anyone's idea of living. Now, Fatah will have to convey this to Hamas over in Gaza, as they are a deal-breaker. From what I have been reading, the opposite is happening. Hamas is wielding a lot of influence over the population of Fatah.

Is Israel expected to have to continue living with the anti-social Gazans who want to kill all Israelis? Are they to be a part of "Palestine?" Abbas can't influence them at all. They were driven out of Gaza into Judea and Samaria. So much is left unanswered and must be discussed in any peace discussion.


Oregonian Newspaper 12/25/2010 page A7 With freeze ifted, Israeli settlement building booms

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