Posted on 12/07/2002 4:28:54 AM PST by Chairman_December_19th_Society
I have a Jewish colleague and she's a prototypical liberal-voting Jew. She's very family oriented and intelligent so it baffles me that she is so pro-Democrat, but then I realize that most people like her don't even have Republican on the radar screen.
Need to pull my thoughts together and calm down....
I was hoping for a positive outcome. Too much to ask , I guess.
I don't think I told you about my experience about two years ago when we were in Singapore. I had a "boss" from England who came out to Singapore for a few reasons, one of which was to meet us and help us get a school up and running. I enjoyed many of our talks, but on the first night there I got into my pet topic of media bias. I soon found out that he's very far left. He's spent some time in the middle east as part of his research for something you may have heard of called the "Reconciliation Walk." Anyway, he told me that he was with Palestinians once when they could hear Israeli weapons and he felt more anger than he's ever felt, all directed at the Israelis who he was apparently convinced were simply picking on the Palestinians.
The rest of the week I felt like I was walking on eggshells in our talks as I had to avoid a number of topics that I knew we'd disagree on.
We're also looking at a living room set at another used furniture place. First, though, my sister has to go look at it and give her approval.
I asked him if the found it immoral or even unethical for Gray Davis to spend 9 million getting the Democratic governors nomination for beatable Bill Simon in California. He said this is politics and politics is like war. He said victory was to the quick and aggressive.
I noted that Bush will have no oppostion in 2004.
I told him that his comments certainly meant he would have no objections to Republicans spending money in all Democratic primaries in 2004 to get all blacks to vote for Al Sharpton. Plus in all states where it is possible to have Republicans vote in the Democratic primary have them vote for Sharpton.
I told him we could not get likely the nomination for Al but we could give Al Sharpton a lot of delegates from the south and perhaps a couple of other states as well.
Perhaps enough that he could be the power broker at the Democratic convention. I told him Tom Daschle and company would have a bit of problem in trashing Republicans for trying to help a black man win an election..... wouldn't they. I asked if Harry Belefonte would be brought out to call Sharpton, Uncle Tom.
Sorry it turned out badly, but thanks for letting us know.
JUST back from the Craft Fair......It was fun, fun, fun!
They had things marked to sell.....cutest crafts!
I admire folks who are crafty......I am not :(
Must take a nap.....we have a wedding to go to tonight.
To remind you, this man, a Pali Christian from Bethlehem, is making stops in this country and selling olive wood carvings for a group of families he represents. He did this the fall of 2001, and that was the first time I heard him at our UCC church.
Our minister has gotten to know him and invited him back.
In last year's talk, it was clear that while he presented himself as "caught in the middle" he was quietly but firmly anti-Israeli.
This time, there were more people attending - on a Sat, not weekday - more questions, and he talked more.
The bias was stronger than ever, and I believe, there was even out and out propaganda....anti-Israeli propaganda.
I went back to listen with the aim, not of being confrontational, but to provide a context to his statements where necessary, to ask questions that I had in my head going there, and to be flexible enough to ask others as they occurred to me.
There were about 3 others involved with the questions, too. Those questionerss seemed to me to be more accepting of the speakers premise: that Israel is the party doing the wrong here.
So with that in mind, here's how he got started: by describing the "terrible, 2-year 24 hour" curfew enforced in his town by the Israelis, and what it has cost his community in terms of income, population, quality of life,etc.
He went on to appeal to us as Christians to understand that a continued presence in Bethlehem is vital, asking for our sympathies for him personally, too, as his family has lived there for many years.
Should interject here that this man speaks heavily-accented English and very fast....
After this brief speech, he started taking questions...
I asked what event or events preceded the curfew and caused the Israel to establish it....
No answer...he sidestepped that one. And instead he said he realized that here in the US we get a different point of view, a biased one from the media.
So I followed up, and asked him to make clear which view he meant.
He answered this one: pro-Israeli.
I replied that living here year-round that wasn't my impression...that I had to work pretty hard to get a pro-Israeli point of view in the face of the dominant media.
He talked about peace, so I asked him what would be the first thing he would like to see to bring that about: an international peace-keeping force to keep the Israelis from destroying homes, etc. I couldn't follow up on this one....
He then went into some history....mentioning the wars since 1947, and how Israel keeps taking over more land as a result. He didn't mention who started these wars! So I had to provide a little context.:-)
Then he brought up the collapse of the Ottoman empire, the defeat of Turkey and the subsequent British mandate, and finally the creation of the state of Israel.
Fine, I love history, but he didn't mention that Arab states were created out of this territory too! Once again, I provided some extra info.
A few questions from others, then, he mentions the coming election in Israel, and his fear of the extremists there.
My little hand went up again! Said I was glad he mentioned that part about the Israeli elections. I asked if Palestinian Christians were represented in the PA ( I knew the answer), and he replied yes.
Well, my next question was were the people in this body free to campaign and choose different leadership? You'll be so surprised to know that he didn't answer this question either, but instead talked about the Palestinians only had guns, while the Israelis had tanks....
And to be perfectly clear about this, this man understood my questions....that was not the problem....he chose not to answer and/or to evade them.
Now for the final part....before I left, cause I just couldn't take anymore....
His mentioning of the guns vs. the tanks made him remember something. I could almost see the lightbulb go off in his head.
He flat out declared that NO Palestinian guns - the ones from the PA's police authority - were ever used to kill Israeli soldiers on the West Bank.
And furthermore, he hinted darkly at a conspiracy - and then openly declared - that the "Israeli CIA" sold guns to West Bank Palestinians so they could shoot at the IDF, thus providing the excuse for more Israeli tanks and forces to arrive!!!!! On several levels, this is not only a ridiculous accusation, but an obscene one.
From his previous visit, I knew this man blamed his town's & people's plight on Israel....everything bad...he laid at Israel's feet.
But the perverseness of this last- that I heard - specific charge....made me physically ill.
Dupe...terrorist sympathizer...or worse..I could no longer stand to be in that room with him, and left.
Next week I'll have to follow up on this with our minister, and request that someone from the Israeli side be brought in to provide balance. Will also try to engage some of the others who were there and find out their thoughts.
Hours later, I'm finally starting to calm down.
SJackson, thanks for your help and info. Appreciate it so much.
Of course, afterwards, it's easy to think of lots of other comments and appropriate questions.
SJackson, do you know anything more about this gun business - both charges made today by this man?
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