Over my friend's Ahmad blog http://colddesert.blogspot.com/ , I wrote a comment, afterwhich an Israeli blogger invited himself for a coffee in Beirut. But of course, he had to be aggressive at first without dropping the victim act for one second. This was my response:
Let's not flaunt strenght at each other, we were trying to have a civilized discussion. Being stronger doesn't mean you're right. Better still let's agree, we're are Right, you are Strong [see my posting below]. Or the other way around, shall we sit and talk this through or should we proceed with killing each other? Or shall we wait till you march on to Beirut and then rockets start falling from across the Dead Sea &Aqaba & Golan from discedents and guerilla fighters who might "just" slip the attention of their governments?
If HA singlehandedly - with Syrian and Iranian support as you claim - put 2 million Israelis in bomb shelters, HA, add to it the new HA of Syria &Jordan &Egypt ...oops, forgot Gaza, sorry.. (you and I know that all the people on those fronts are just Hizbollahs-to-be if this war doesn't stop now). Katiousha anyone?
Or maybe a nuclear bomb from Iran with Pistachio flavour and Khomeini picture painted on the barrel might do the trick? Do keep in mind that Iran lost millions of its people in the Iran-Iraq war. Numbers do not matter for the Ayatollahs - not Iranian, not Israeli, and certainly not Arab numbers. They have already booked their people and ours a place in heaven. Did you make any plans for the afterlife in case of a nuclear warfare? Hurry up, the place is filling up fast.
Bottom line, Iranians can claim they are stronger and more cruel, do you want them to drop their Nuclear Arsenal on you - for God's sake? Perhaps an itsy bitsy drop of your own poison? Come ON!! Put an end to Maddness NOW before it gets out of hand! If the Iranians aim right, we'll fry from the Radiation for ages. If they aim wrong, they'll just shoot another one at you!!
As an Arab, anyobody is welcome into my home as a guest to have coffee or tea or fresh squeezed lemonade, as a guest. Leave your machine guns outside and F-16 grounded, and come to Beirut as friends - you will note that while you stroll around the down town of the city, that the Jewish neighbourhood - NOT Ghetto - neighbourhood in the middle of Solidere - is still there, and that the 20,000 Lebanese jews who chose to move abroad in 1977 because of the war are still Lebanese citizens and welcome back to their homeland and town anytime, and they are welcome to help rebuild the country that was destroyed by Mad Generals. Can you say the same about the Palestinians who were driven out - even out of courtesy?!
Come as enemies, and the cycle of violence will not cease, and coffee or tea in Beirut you won't have - nor will you have it in Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Haifa, Yafa, or anywhere outside a bomb shelter because them rockets will be falling like rain from all sides next time...
The sky will be filled with war planes and deadly rockets instead of kites and birds.
That's one nightmare, and there's a rosy dream. Wake up and smell the coffee!!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Arabs are Right, Israel is Strong: Let's go over this one more time
One questioned I received from a very learned man was:
Was their no invasion of Israel in 1948 by five Arab armies? Was their no economically mortal blockade of the Suez Canal in 1956?
Of course, I needed a strong drink to calm down. Then I thought that alcoholism would not put an end to ignorance, although it might turn one oblivious to the 4 ton bombs the Israeli Jets are dropping over civilian homes, so I decided to write down another research instead – in simple terms, for those who never read history.
It comes as a surprise to most westerners to know that before 1948, there was no such thing as Israel... there was a country called Palestine.. If green people from Mars drop into Washington D.C. and decide to establish a state of Green Folks right next to Capitol Hill, and the US Army goes in to drive them out, would that be entitled as an invasion of Greenfolksland?
The problem is that no one reads one year before 1948, and if they do, they selectively move two millennia in time, when Jews/Hebrews lived in Palestine, to give Historic Land rights to the Jews in Palestine.
Of course, it escapes their attention that there are plenty of Arab Jews, in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Morocco, Tunis, and perhaps the Arabs were the only Civilization in HISTORY never to prosecute the Jews. If and when in doubt, find out for yourselves. Many are flabbergasted to know that there are Christian Arabs, or Christian Palestinians. What do you expect; Jesus was born in Palestine for Jeez sake!!
Better still, no one reads how Israel was established over the land of Palestine, and at what humanitarian cost. Before 1948, or to be precise, before May 1948, there was no country on earth called Israel - for more history on that, please check the following link: http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_palestine.html - Jordan is a moderate Arab state that is "friendly " and at peace with the US and Israel, so I would assume their recounts of the tragedy of Palestine should be well balanced,
Why is that legitimate for the USA but not for the Arabs? Or is it that the European settlers in America, having terminated the Native Americans "Red Indians,' and reduced them to semi-animals and worthless people, consider the land to belongs to the powerful, not to the rightful?
I fail to understand how it is acceptable for one to walk into your home, kick you out (meanwhile, rape your wife, tear you with a knife, kill your kids, steal your money), then call the police every time you try to break back in Your OWN home? Is that NOT audacious? Am I required to keep my temper and knock politely? It reminds me so much of the movie, Anger Management - Jack Nicholson? Someone drives you mad then cries foul!!
1956… In Simple Words
In 1956, Abdul Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. If you know anything of slave labor, you should check how the Egyptians were dragged in slave marches to dig the canal in the 1850s, and how Colonial Britain and France took the full proceeds of the canal because "they built it" - just like the farmers of the southern states "planted tobacco and cotton" – ignoring their labour. In 1956, Nasser nationalized the Canal as a property of the Egyptian People.
Please run a quick moral comparison with George Washington. Washington was an English man, but still he rose against England and demanded independence and land rights and equal treatments - Washington rose against HIS own country. At least, Nasser was an Arab, asking for the Egyptian Canal to belong to the Egyptian People. In military terms, Washington betrayed his homeland (England), Nasser didn't. Why do you acclaim Washington a hero but Nasser a terrorist?
"We the people," said the Egyptians, want our resources back. We the people, said Nasser, Shall take it back. What happened, England, France &Israel attacked Egypt (not the other way around). If it weren't for the Soviet Union threat to side with Egypt, they would have occupied Egypt. Let me repeat, English, French armies, and Jewish Immigrants who barely knew Hebrew at the time, want to take a canal back from Egyptians who dug the canal in 1856, with their hands, with their sweat, in their land, between the two seas that separate their country.. Land belongs to the people; Arab Egyptian Land, Arab Egyptian people, Arab Egyptian right of self Defense. No more, no less.
Israel rose on the bodies of dead Arabs in 1948, Arab states (just like Texas would run for the help of Florida) sent their armies to help their brethren.
Because, "We the people" cried the Arab Palestinians "want to have our country." Therefore, the 1956, 1967, 1973 wars were a continuation of wars not to "get Jews out of the land" only, but to "get them Palestinians back into their homes as well. Those wars did not have any relationship to the Jews history, to their origins, to their grievances against Europeans and everyone else except the Arabs. It had to do with their attitude and actions. Remember, Arabs & Muslims were the only two civilizations in history not to prosecute Jews per se. Arabs and Muslims are not responsible for the discrimination against Jews or for the prosecution of Jews or for the Holocaust. Arabs were next in Line on Hitler's list to be turned into fertilizer.
In 2006, Israel is destroying the country because it is "defending its citizens", and the US, Bush and Rice are both watching over protectively. How come Arabs had no right to "defend their citizens and sovereignty" in 1948?
An age when the victim turns oppressor, and the oppressor plays victim is a very sad age indeed. It's sadder when this happens when it happens in a world of free flow of media.
For God's sake, or for whatever you believe in's sake, go to www.google.com, type Palestine, Israel, 1948, Nakba, and Read.
Human life is sacred, human dignity is valued, human rights, including the right of having a country and a nationality is universally agreed.
Admittedly, regardless of who is right and who is wrong, both sides have committed atrocities against each other, and the conflict was not between armed forces, civilians were caught in the line of fire. Could it have been different?
Jewish life is sacred, Jewish dignity is valued, Jewish rights, including the right of having a country and a nationality is universally agreed. Of all people, we the Arabs agree.
Equally important, Arab life is sacred, Arab dignity is valued, Arab rights, including the right of retaining their country and their nationality is universally agreed. Yet all peoples of the world seem to turn the deaf ear and the blind eye.
Could it have been different? See my post tomorrow, it will be titled:
Only if Theodore Hertzel were Theodore Hertzelian?
Was their no invasion of Israel in 1948 by five Arab armies? Was their no economically mortal blockade of the Suez Canal in 1956?
Of course, I needed a strong drink to calm down. Then I thought that alcoholism would not put an end to ignorance, although it might turn one oblivious to the 4 ton bombs the Israeli Jets are dropping over civilian homes, so I decided to write down another research instead – in simple terms, for those who never read history.
It comes as a surprise to most westerners to know that before 1948, there was no such thing as Israel... there was a country called Palestine.. If green people from Mars drop into Washington D.C. and decide to establish a state of Green Folks right next to Capitol Hill, and the US Army goes in to drive them out, would that be entitled as an invasion of Greenfolksland?
The problem is that no one reads one year before 1948, and if they do, they selectively move two millennia in time, when Jews/Hebrews lived in Palestine, to give Historic Land rights to the Jews in Palestine.
Of course, it escapes their attention that there are plenty of Arab Jews, in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Morocco, Tunis, and perhaps the Arabs were the only Civilization in HISTORY never to prosecute the Jews. If and when in doubt, find out for yourselves. Many are flabbergasted to know that there are Christian Arabs, or Christian Palestinians. What do you expect; Jesus was born in Palestine for Jeez sake!!
Better still, no one reads how Israel was established over the land of Palestine, and at what humanitarian cost. Before 1948, or to be precise, before May 1948, there was no country on earth called Israel - for more history on that, please check the following link: http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_palestine.html - Jordan is a moderate Arab state that is "friendly " and at peace with the US and Israel, so I would assume their recounts of the tragedy of Palestine should be well balanced,
Why is that legitimate for the USA but not for the Arabs? Or is it that the European settlers in America, having terminated the Native Americans "Red Indians,' and reduced them to semi-animals and worthless people, consider the land to belongs to the powerful, not to the rightful?
I fail to understand how it is acceptable for one to walk into your home, kick you out (meanwhile, rape your wife, tear you with a knife, kill your kids, steal your money), then call the police every time you try to break back in Your OWN home? Is that NOT audacious? Am I required to keep my temper and knock politely? It reminds me so much of the movie, Anger Management - Jack Nicholson? Someone drives you mad then cries foul!!
1956… In Simple Words
In 1956, Abdul Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. If you know anything of slave labor, you should check how the Egyptians were dragged in slave marches to dig the canal in the 1850s, and how Colonial Britain and France took the full proceeds of the canal because "they built it" - just like the farmers of the southern states "planted tobacco and cotton" – ignoring their labour. In 1956, Nasser nationalized the Canal as a property of the Egyptian People.
Please run a quick moral comparison with George Washington. Washington was an English man, but still he rose against England and demanded independence and land rights and equal treatments - Washington rose against HIS own country. At least, Nasser was an Arab, asking for the Egyptian Canal to belong to the Egyptian People. In military terms, Washington betrayed his homeland (England), Nasser didn't. Why do you acclaim Washington a hero but Nasser a terrorist?
"We the people," said the Egyptians, want our resources back. We the people, said Nasser, Shall take it back. What happened, England, France &Israel attacked Egypt (not the other way around). If it weren't for the Soviet Union threat to side with Egypt, they would have occupied Egypt. Let me repeat, English, French armies, and Jewish Immigrants who barely knew Hebrew at the time, want to take a canal back from Egyptians who dug the canal in 1856, with their hands, with their sweat, in their land, between the two seas that separate their country.. Land belongs to the people; Arab Egyptian Land, Arab Egyptian people, Arab Egyptian right of self Defense. No more, no less.
Israel rose on the bodies of dead Arabs in 1948, Arab states (just like Texas would run for the help of Florida) sent their armies to help their brethren.
Because, "We the people" cried the Arab Palestinians "want to have our country." Therefore, the 1956, 1967, 1973 wars were a continuation of wars not to "get Jews out of the land" only, but to "get them Palestinians back into their homes as well. Those wars did not have any relationship to the Jews history, to their origins, to their grievances against Europeans and everyone else except the Arabs. It had to do with their attitude and actions. Remember, Arabs & Muslims were the only two civilizations in history not to prosecute Jews per se. Arabs and Muslims are not responsible for the discrimination against Jews or for the prosecution of Jews or for the Holocaust. Arabs were next in Line on Hitler's list to be turned into fertilizer.
In 2006, Israel is destroying the country because it is "defending its citizens", and the US, Bush and Rice are both watching over protectively. How come Arabs had no right to "defend their citizens and sovereignty" in 1948?
An age when the victim turns oppressor, and the oppressor plays victim is a very sad age indeed. It's sadder when this happens when it happens in a world of free flow of media.
For God's sake, or for whatever you believe in's sake, go to www.google.com, type Palestine, Israel, 1948, Nakba, and Read.
Human life is sacred, human dignity is valued, human rights, including the right of having a country and a nationality is universally agreed.
Admittedly, regardless of who is right and who is wrong, both sides have committed atrocities against each other, and the conflict was not between armed forces, civilians were caught in the line of fire. Could it have been different?
Jewish life is sacred, Jewish dignity is valued, Jewish rights, including the right of having a country and a nationality is universally agreed. Of all people, we the Arabs agree.
Equally important, Arab life is sacred, Arab dignity is valued, Arab rights, including the right of retaining their country and their nationality is universally agreed. Yet all peoples of the world seem to turn the deaf ear and the blind eye.
Could it have been different? See my post tomorrow, it will be titled:
Only if Theodore Hertzel were Theodore Hertzelian?
Beirut "Poem by Nadia Tueni"
"Beirut is the last sanctuary in the East - Where a man can wear light"
--Nadia Tueni from "Lebanon: Twenty Poems for one Love"
Give it your best Shot... Halutz!
Israel should try harder to destroy more. The Wimps!! Considering that we are under attack, and under siege, everything in Beirut is available and plenty thank God - except severe shortage of Fuel. The problem is to get aide through - inside town and outside town - to almost 1 million displaced people.
One might ask, what's the use of piling food/medicine/fuel in storage if they don't get to those who need them? Having failed to stop the resistance forces, the IDF (Indiscriminet Destructive Force) of Israel has destroyed 150 bridges that connect cities, and their warplanes attack everything that moves, including Ambulances. With nothing left to destroy, now they are trying to level the mountains with their fury.. they have gone mad .. There are the sort of people who would run after a mosquito with an F-16.. the poor poor poor little minds.
Poor Poor Poor little jealous minds!
One thing there is no shortage of is High spirits, we know it won't be easy, the war mongers have managed to throw 700,000 people into public schools and the rest into friends homes or even driving them out of the country, they are still working to destroy Lebanese houses and livelihoods, but they have not destroyed Lebanese spirit. Hell, they've not even scratched the surface!
I have never seen so much unity in Lebanon as I've seen in this war.. Unbelievable.. People are actually SMILING at each other at supermarkets and on intersections, and opening their houses for complete strangers. Another thing Israeli generals succeeded in was to make Israel as an enemy for every single Lebanese. Some had illusions that Peace can prevail, but Israel just proved to every single Lebanese, and to 200 million Arabs that Israelis are not after self defense, otherwise how do you justify targeting Farmers two hundred kilometers NORTH of the border. Do they think Lebanon is North Korea? Do they think that if Hezbollah (HA) has weapons of 200km range, they would shoot them from the El Qaa Village when they're capable of shooting RIGHT under the noses of the IDF at the border line and right under the nose of the IDF warplanes
How it Started, Before it Ends.
Blogging was not on my mind at all, as other things in life, like vacationing and wrapping up work before I run away to Europe for two weeks - were keeping my quite busy for the first half of July.
Then something happened. So many things started unfolding that one thinks it's a nightmare. For History fans, or for movie goers, to sum it up, if Nazis invaded Switzerland, they would have been more compassionate than the Israelis are inflicting on Lebanon.. I have yet to comprehend how people who claim to have survived a holocaust can inflict so much pain and hatred on others. They are killing children, bombing hospitals, disconnecting highways, targeting even the Light-houses, bridges, aracheological places, water dams, milk factories (?), ambulances, humanitarian aid, gas stations and all. They are dropping 25 tonne bombs, all that for a kidnapping of two soldiers - for heaven's sake they are two soliders , not two nuns, or two old ladies with flower brimmed hats!!! They forgot that they have stolen someone else's land, thrown a million Palestinian refugees out since 1948, and gone to war against their neighbours in the name of finding a safe haven for their people. They have brought nothing but hatred and destruction.
For those who will throw accusations back at me of being anti-semite, I can afford to be called an anti-semite, as I am a semite myself!! Try something else.
Another thing to be said, the US tax payers are paying for F-16, they are defending Israel on false pretences and whether they know it or not, they are contributing to genocide against a whole country.. they are inviting havoc and hatred on themselves more and more.. then someone asks, why do Arabs &Muslims hate the US? Perhaps they should take some more time to see what is being done and committed in their names with or without their knowledge.
Ignorance is not always the best defense in the face of terrorism and hatred.I'm back at work despite the dangers involved, in the afternoons and weekends I try to contribute some work with the disaster relief efforts. To make it easier to comprehend, Lebanon is asking for Earthquake relief equipments , a magnitude 8 earthquake. As if it's not enough destruction, any moving vehichle heading towards the severed cities or towns, whether an ambulance, a truck, a motor cycle, a UN or International Red Cross truck, ANYTHING is being targeted. Those are the civilized people who survived Auschwitz - who have the right to defend themselves.The problem is not the lack of food, medicine, supplies, the problem is that the civilized helpless defenseless [yeah.. right] Israelis hit any truck carrying aid - or should i say, especialy any truck carrying aid. They managed to kill 65 people, including 42 children in Qana in a bomb shelther last sunday, and prevented ambulances from arriving there for 12 hours. The very same village they "accidently" dropped a bomb that killed 102 civilians in 1996 who were seeking refuge in a UN barracks, and lately they have grown accustomed to the killing of civilians everywhere else around the country. 1000 Dead civilians.
My friends, coworkers and family are still fortunate to be alive, but we dont know when our luck will run out. Until then, we will not give in to the force of evil. Until then, we dare to dream of peace.
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