Sunday 20 May 2018

A little more Israeli respect for Islam...will end the conflict - and Israel

Herald journalist John Roughan (john.roughan@nzherald.co.nz) joins the Israel-bashers condemning the United States move of its embassy to Israel’s capital, but with no insight into the Israeli or Palestinian world-views.

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality, today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism. For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan." PLO leader Zuheir Mohsen

Given that Jews have had 1400 years to learn of Islam’s determination to treat them (and Christians) as second-class citizens, and eventually rid the world of them, Roughan’s commentary seems morally shallow, historically naive, and culturally perverse and insensitive.

Following the Balfour declaration, Palestinians had the physically, culturally, religiously and linguistically contiguous states of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to accommodate them. But these states denied Palestinians residence and described those who fled across their borders (under Arab instruction, it should be noted, not Israeli force) as ‘refugees’. Permanently. Palestinian claims are perhaps the most egregious manifestation of moral hypocrisy, ideological manipulation, historical perversion and eleemosynary corruption in centuries. If exceeded, it is only by other Arab nations’ treatment of Palestinians. But it is undoubtedly successful in fooling large numbers of Westerners like Roughan.

Israel is the only MENA state with universal values of human rights, one which will uncompromisingly defend its own citizens, and the only state world-wide under explicit threat of extermination. Should Israel appease Arabs, the state will be destroyed. Christians in the Middle East do not defend themselves and are being exterminated.  This is why the West should support Israel and keep diplomatic representation in its capital and its one sacred place, Jerusalem.  Christians are safer there than anywhere else in MENA states.

The only way Palestinians can gain from the present situation is to admit they have lost the war, and respect the Koran’s surah 5 verses 20-22, recognising Israel as a Jewish state. Only then can they build a civilised country. Israel unquestionably will help them do this.

Meanwhile, if Roughan wants a more objective view of Palestinian history, he could start with these: https://www.meforum.org/articles/2011/how-anti-semitism-prevents-peace

Roughan’s opinion-piece A little more Israeli respect for Islam might go a long way can be found here:

Am I a Humanist?

Am I a Humanist? HUMANISM ESTABLISHED ITSELF in the late 19 th century as an umbrella term for any disposition of thought stressing the cen...