Rami G. Khouri Blames Israel for Woes

The Oregonian newspaper printed a nasty opinion piece by Rami G. Khouri, a staff member of the American University of Beirut. I hit the ceiling when I read Rami’s false accusations about Israel, blaming all the Palestinian woes on it. I also hit the ceiling about an American University allowing such filth to be spewed, and then read about the university and understand why.

The American University of Beirut received its charter with the name of the Syrian Protestant College and opened to 16 students on December 3, 1866. It turns out to be a private university in Beirut, Lebanon. Dr. Daniel Bliss, a missionary, raised $100,000 to start the college.

He said that "it will be impossible for anyone to continue with us long without knowing what we believe to be the truth and our reasons for that belief." Supposedly the college was for all men without regarding color, nationality, race or religion. All could enter and go out believe in whatever religion they chose. I was glad to see that truth was an important issue. I guess it’s all in the eyes of the beholder, however, at this university. With Rami it’s obviously his Palestinian truth.

Enter Rami George Khouri, a Palestinian Jordanian who is also a US citizen. His family lives in Beirut, Lebanon, Amman, Jordan, and Nazareth, Israel. He is the Director of the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American U. Of Beirut. Therefore, he’s a part of staff and a leader in thinking in affairs between Israel and Lebanon. He’s also an editor-at-large of the Beirut Daily Star newspaper, read widely in the Middle East along with the International Herald Tribune. He’s an internationally syndicated politcal columnist and author.
Stanford University recognized him as a visiting scholar in October and November 2006, right when bombing from Gaza into southern Israel was an everyday occurrence. He was even given the Pax Christi International Peace Award for his efforts to bring peace and reconciliation to the Middle East.

Whatever could he have done to bring about peace when in his opinion piece, published in our paper August 10, 2008, he does nothing but blame Israel for the Palestinian cause crumbling. The fact that Fatah and Hamas are battling each other is laid on Israel’s shoulders. All their woes are Israel’s fault. He doesn’t examine the facts and proceed to see that perhaps the Palestinians are at fault themselves. He calls these killers a "grand and noble Palestinian national liberation movement" when they are nothing but gangs of terrorists doing indespicable acts of cruelty to Israeli citizens. We read that among Palestinians, they had had a respectable standing. Their image is now being tarnished by fighting each other instead of Israelis. My goodness!

Rami is hoping for better leadership. He explains that they are just acting like children in a treehouse. A bomb struck the middle of Sderot, Israel yesterday, even though we are having a time out from shelling. Perhaps they are working on gaining back their image of august fighters amongst their own people.

Oregonian, August 10, 2008 "Palestinian cause crumbles" opinion page
http://www.agenceglobal.com/author.asp?type=2&id=7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_University_of_Beirut