Middle East Fears

Dictator's Leaving in Tunisia Not Due to Israel

Nadene Goldfoot

Everying thing bad happening has been blamed on either Jews or Israel. Even the 9/11 Twin Towers falling has been blamed on Israel with some extremists. I might add that our American government has been blamed for that, as well. The conspiracy theories keep on making the circuit on the web and in films. Right now Ahmadinejad is threatening Israel and the USA, telling us to stop sedition in Lebanon or the Lebanese will cut off our hands, and that our decline is on a fast track. Even the Saudi investigator into the assassination of the former president of Lebanon has backed out saying that Lebanan is dangerous. Lebanon is made of Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims, the last two as compatable with each other as Ireland's Protestants and Catholics. They had a sharing power practice that went by the wayside after the assassination. They are no longer the role-models of the Middle East. Terrorism has upset the apple cart.

What Arabs fear most is losing their power and control over their people. Israel coming along practicing their democratic values is a wrench thrown into their works. This seems to be more of a threat than practicing Judaism. Since Jews don't proselyze, Arabs aren't really concerned about that. These rulers have felt they have to stop this idea of freedom.

Like a chess game, the Arab chieftains have put the USA on the defensive because they have backed the hated Israel. Democracy and it's inherent evils are too close. The USA changed its tactic trying to show how fair they are to Arab countries by giving a cold shoulder to Israel . They've been quite successful showing that they aren't favoring Israel. Even a lot of Israelis now believe this. Poor decisions have been made, such as breaking our promise to Lebanon to be against Hizbullah.

The West needs to see that as dictatorships fall, such as in Tunisia, it leaves Israel as the only democratic state in the Middle East, a country that is aligned with the West with Western values and can be depended on. My question is, can Israel trust the West? Evidently the Knesset still does.

A Tunisian, an Egyptian and an Algerian have recently set themselves on fire in protest of their respective governments. They didn't do it because they were protesting Israel and the Palestinian situation. Most average citizens everywhere are concerned with their own needs and happiness. These three weren't able to be heard at all in their type of governments. Tunisia just had an overthrow of their government because the people all united into a demonstation against a president acting like a monarchy, in power for 23 years and not doing what was necessary for his people.

The Palestinians have been raised since gestation on the idea that Israelis are to be hated and killed. Their mothers have taught this, their schools are teaching it, and they are brainwashed into not being concerned with their own desires other than seeing Israel disappear. As a teacher I'm very concerned with how Israel is ever going to bridge this monumental elephant in the room. To me it would be a sign that Abbas's Fatah is actually interested in making peace if schools start teaching neighborly behavior with Israelis and then hope the children can convince their parents that this is the best route to take. For what is said in English to Westerners is not what is being said to his subjects. Then again, the idea of freedom's democracy and mutual decisions of getting along with Israel would have to take place in Gaza with Hamas and all their little factions of terrorism. How long will all this take? Perhaps another 62 years. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Israeli fears right now must be on the UN planning on voting against them for building in Judea and Samaria and East Jerusalem, which is part of their own capital. Though USA and Israel will be against this vote, it may pass. A Jewish family of 10 just made aliyah to Israel, fearing the safety of their lives if they remain in Tunisia, while another more cautious family came to Israel on just a visitation from Tunisia.

Of course, Ahmadinejad's threats to destroy Israel with atomic weaponry in his hands is no political rhetoric like Palin's crosshairs. His threats have to be taken seriously. I ask what the U.N. has done about his constant threats? How long the stuxnet virus will warp his computers is not known, but every day is a blessing, for it's stopping an atomic threat to all of us from Iran.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0111/glick011811.php3 Article by Caroline Glick
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=204318