Posted on 04/21/2004 5:01:57 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
For the last five weeks I have been traveling through the Middle East, meeting diplomats, officials, policy experts, military leaders, students and ordinary citizens. I learned something very important: the greatest single cause of anti-Americanism in the Middle East today is not the war in Iraq; more surprisingly, it is not even American support for Israel, per se. Rather, it is a widespread belief that the United States simply does not care about the rights or needs of the Palestinian people.
"The Palestinian issue is really what discredits the United States throughout the region," a senior Western diplomat with years of experience in the Middle East told me. Or, as one student after another put it after the university lectures I conducted across the region: "Why do Americans have to be so biased?"
In Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and other countries, the large majority of people I spoke with are ready to tolerate the Jewish state — most even understand that the final boundaries of Israel will include some of the heavily settled areas beyond the pre-1967 borders. They also understand that few if any Palestinians will return to the homes they lost after the war that erupted when Israel declared its independence in 1948. And they are prepared to accept, though not to relish, America's close relations with Israel. Beyond that, they want increased American support for their domestic political reforms and for initiatives to enhance regional cooperation for economic growth and fighting terrorism.
But one thing sticks in their craw: Why doesn't America care more about the Palestinians' future?
They have a point. America's Middle East policy is unnecessarily zero-sum. We can be more pro-Palestinian without being less pro-Israeli. Indeed, to the degree that American policies help create support for compromise among Palestinians, pro-Palestinian initiatives can help Israel too.
Take compensation. United Nations resolutions call for financial compensation for Palestinians who cannot return to their family homes in Israel. Israel's position that it cannot accept millions of refugees and their descendants is reasonable enough, and the Bush administration's support of it is nothing new. But we should be equally clear about compensation.
Many questions need answering: where can Palestinians go to have their claims for lost property adjudicated and certified? What tribunal will hear these claims? What principles will guide its deliberations? Where will the money come from to pay the claims when peace is finally made?
The United States can and should take the lead in building an international consensus on the compensation issue and, working with allies in Europe and elsewhere, help raise money to ensure that it is more than a pious wish.
There is more we can do. Millions of Palestinians are now stateless. (Jordan has integrated the refugees within its borders; other countries have not.) When peace comes, all Palestinians should be citizens of some state with full economic and social rights. The new Palestinian state will need financial help to absorb many of these refugees; and neighboring states who agree to integrate Palestinians should also receive international aid.
In addition, while many Palestinians are well educated, many others are poor and lack skills. They depend on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for basic services and support. Who takes the agency's place when peace comes and the Palestinians aren't refugees anymore?
Taking the lead on these and other issues vital to the Palestinians would not bring quick progress toward peace in the region, nor would it undo overnight the consequences of decades of suspicion and resentment. But it would help to reduce anti-Americanism in the Muslim world and beyond, as well as to advance the cause of peace.
Walter Russell Mead is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of "Power, Terror, Peace and War: America's Grand Strategy in a World at Risk."
Maybe because they act like heathens?
They can't seem to live side by side with ANYBODY! Even their own kicked them out and that's how they wound up where they are now.
They blow up their own - and other peoples' children. Why should anyone care what they think.
I can only say; GET over it, Palestinians. . .
Are we to change our 'spots'? Personally do not think so.
Last I checked; it was 'Judeo-Christian' values that our culture merged with. . .and emerged, from.
Isn't that what costs the US so much money and so many lives, trying to prove to the undeserving (and ungrateful) how much we care, and how fair we are?
It's time the pissants prove something to us for a change.
I'll tell you why. For decades, the Arab nations and peoples have been doing much to screw us. They've murdered our citizens at home and abroad, murdered our allies, rejected generous offers for peace, and used us as the public whipping boy to keep their own populaces from placing the blame for their own problems where they belong. Given the chance to abort the birth of yet another Arab thugocracy, we should make the most of this opportunity.
Not all biases are unjust.
Imagine if you will, that we were able to replicate the land and infrastructure of Israel, and place it 2 miles off shore in the Mediterranean Sea connected by a causeway. All Israelis are evacuated to this new land mass, and the Palestinians are given back Palestine.
The Palestinians would have their homeland back, and the Israelis would be offshore, not bothering the Palestinians at all. Would this end the conflict? Would the rest of Islam stop hating us? No and No. Israel's existence would be a continuing affront to the Arabs, and its extermination would be their most fervent desire. The Arabs would still be wretched, and they would hate us for making them feel even more so in comparison.
I know that I have a real dificult time trying to 'feel' for a culture that sends people to another country to blow themselves up...and take as many men,women...and (especially) children with them.
redrock
The palestinians have already determined their future. Ignorant and insane savages
Who cares...really?
We're not changing America..."they" hate us...that's all we need to know.
Everything else is needless, mindless speculation.
1. PA Mufti calls for destruction of America Arafat appointed Mufti of Palestine has called on Allah (God) to destroy America, which is controlled by Zionist Jews: "Oh, Allah, destroy America as it is controlled by Zionist Jews...Allah will avenge, in the name of his Prophet, the colonialist settlers who are the descendents of monkeys and pigs... " [Ikrima Sabri, the Mufti of the Palestinian Authority, (from weekly sermon in the Al-Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem). Voice of Palestine, July 11, 1997.] 2. The U.S. and Israel are the source of terrorism in the world… Palestinian rejection of the US list of terrorist organizations, which included Islamic and Palestinian organizations.. “We reject the definition of Palestinian and Islamic organizations as terrorist organizations [by the U.S.]…The US and Israel are the source of terrorism in the world… “ [Sheik Hamed Al-Bitawi, Head of the Palestine Association of Religious Scholars [and the PA’s appointed Manager of the Nablus Municipal Religious Courts] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, 10.11.97] 3. The US, bloodsuckers and barbaric culture, will disappear from history. History will forget the United States, but will remember Iraq and Palestine. “...History does not remember the United States, but it remembers Iraq, the cradle of civilization, and Palestine, the cradle of religions. History remembers every piece of Arab land, because it is the bosom of human civilization. On the other hand, the murderers of humanity, the creators of the barbaric culture and the bloodsuckers of nations, are doomed to death and destined to shrink to a microscopic size, like Micronesia. “ [Hafez Al-Barghuthi, editor, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 15, 1997] 4. Arafat:“The two people, Iraqi and Palestinian, are together in the same trench." Arafat sends his blessings to the brother Iraqi people. "[A PA leader]... expressed President Arafat's blessings to the brother Iraqi people and its leadership, since the two people, Iraqi and Palestinian, are together in the same trench." [Al-Quds, Nov. 30, 1997] 5. Palestinian rally in support of Iraq Arafat: A Palestinian victory over Israel and an Iraqi victory over the US are mutually dependent. "Yesterday in Hebron a large rally was held in support of the Iraqi people who are facing the American arrogance. [A speaker said in Arafat's name]: "The words of President Saddam Hussein to President Arafat still reverberate loudly in our ears: 'If you do not win this war, then we will not win, and if you do win then we shall win." The Minister of Supply, Abu Ali Shahin...expressed his willingness to fight as a soldier against anyone fighting Iraq." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 1, 1997] 6. Palestinian Legislative Council condemns America and rioters burn US flag The Palestinian Legislative Council condemned the American threats against Iraq while hundreds, waving Iraqi flags and pictures of Saddam Hussein burn an American flag. "The Palestinian Legislative Council … Political Committee condemned the American threats against Iraq …Hundreds of people participated in a sit-in strike, waving Iraqi flags, pictures of President Saddam Hussein and posters denouncing American policy...The rioters also burnt an American flag." [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 11, 1997] 7. Israel and America twin bastard entities Israel is the bastard entity in Palestinian land and America is the bastard empire of the New World Order. “... Everything that happens in Jerusalem is done with America's blessing, in spite of the false announcements periodically released by Washington. Whoever is familiar with the real connection between the bastard entity in our land and the bastard empire in the new world order, undoubtedly grasps this strong tie between the American resolution and the Israeli action. We must not believe the Americans, especially since we have a long history with them, full of schemes and false promises ...perhaps you remember...the plots of the infamous Jew Henry Kissinger...” [ Fuad Abu Hijla, columnist. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 29, 1997] 8. US’s New Ambassador to Israel is worse than “Johnny Walker.” The US Congress, the ‘Council of the Elders of Zion’, appointed American Ambassador to Israel Edward Walker, who is worse than the Whiskey “Johnny Walker.” “…the newly appointed American Ambassador to Israel, Edward Walker, who “went through extensive hearings in the [US] Congress, or, that is, in the ‘Council of the Elders of Zion’ in order to win this post. He managed to get a certificate of good conduct with an ‘A+’ on the scale of nausea, rather than on the scale of honor, because he said that he once volunteered to work on a kibbutz. He almost said that he is going to volunteer to be a settler and revealed that he studied Hebrew, which proves that he is a worthy heir to his predecessor, Martin Indick. … This is Edward Walker’s record, who has no connection to the Scottish [Whiskey] Johnny Walker, but is much more damaging. For his mission will be to intoxicate us by calming statements, so that we do not hear the sound of the settlements’ bulldozers that gobble up our lands. Albright says that we believe [these bulldozers] are a provocation, but she does not think so. From such a den, only foxes can come out.” [Editor, Hafez Al-Barghuthi Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 30, 1997] 9. America and Israel release darkness and hatred of mobs with long beards. America and Israel release hatred, darkness, death and evil upon the world as opposed to the ‘jasmine and life’ exuded by the Arabs. Albright and Ross are equated with Israeli Prime Ministers Rabin and Netanyahu. "...We have Sonia and Mahmoud and Halima and they [Israelis] have Madeleine, Dennis, Binyamin and Yitzhak...We exude the [scent of] jasmine ...throughout the world, and they release the darkness and hatred of the mobs with the long beards over the land. We declare [an allegiance to] life ...while they have shut themselves up behind death and have been entrenching themselves in its [death's] excavations for the last fifty years, which is also their age, the age of evil..." [Fuad Abu Hijla, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 11, 1997] 10. Palestinian Authority sides with Iraq against the US. The aggression against Iraq is aggression against Palestine. “The aggression against Iraq is aggression against Palestine… Anyone who does not say “no” to the U.S. is an enemy of Palestine.” [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, November 12, 1997] 11. Israel controls the American Congress Congressional blind submission to world Zionism is due to Israeli power and control of key U.S. institutions. The Zionist Congress uses threats of sex and morals scandals against Clinton and his administration. “What "Israel" is trying to do...by way of its control over a number of institutions in the US, such as the Congress and its allies ...reveals the nakedness of those people and their blind submission to world Zionism... The peace equation was somewhat violated, since the Zionists were able to demonstrate their power in the US... that is the power which was clearly revealed in the Zionist American Congress which led to the terrorizing of the American president and the administration, through threats of sex and morals scandals which are disseminated by the obedient media in the US...” [Brig. Gen. Khaled Al-Musmar, assistant head of the Palestinian Indoctrination Directorate. Falastin Al-Yaum, August 21, 1997] 12. Palestinian Council demands boycott of American Embassy celebrations. Palestinian Legislative Council members request an internal investigation into the presence of PA Council’s member at American Embassy 4th of July celebrations, in spite of official PA boycott. “Minister of Communications, Imad Al-Falouji sent a request to the presidency of the Palestinian Legislative Council to investigate the presence of council members at Fourth of July ceremonies organized by the American embassy, especially since the council decided to boycott these ceremonies. Council member Hatem Abed Al-Qader...demanded to conduct an investigation in order to find out who were the members who attended [the ceremony], and Ziyad Abu Ziyad... expressed approval for [the proposals].” [Al-Ayyam July 16, 1997] 13. Call to raise Hell in Albright’s face In a televised interview, the Palestinian Authority Minister for Trade and Industry calls for the Palestinian nation to raise hell in Madeline Albright’s face. “We, as a nation, must raise Hell in Albright's face.” [Muadh Al-Abed, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, P.A. Television Aug. 31, 1997] 14. The War of the West and the Jews against true Islam Arafat and the PA will never fight their brothers of Hamas and Islamic Jihad (who represent true Islam), despite the demands of Washington’s Jewish emissaries Ross and Albright. This is why Ross’s current mission has failed as will any in the future. “Dennis Ross' mission is finished...This Jewish emissary failed to convince our president and our national authority to wage war against our brothers the "Hamas" and the "Islamic Jihad". It was made clear to him that we will not be the spear in the war of the West and the Jews against the true Islam... Ross...will return, and with him or in his place will return his Jewish Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, when Washington feels Israel is in distress...” [Fuad Abu Hijla, in his column "Window". Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, August 14, 1997] 15. Congress accused of being Zionists Abu Alaa, the PA Legislative Council chairman, accuses Congress of being more extremist and Zionist than the Netanyahu government. “Ahmad Qurei [Abu 'Alaa], Legislative Council Chairman, said that he is not surprised by the American resolution [to shut down the PLO offices in Washington] ...since it appears that the Congress of the number one world superpower is more extreme and more Zionist than the Netanyahu government, and even more than the extreme of the extremist right-wing movements in Israel. Abu 'Alaa pointed to the stupid, irresponsible congressional resolution on Jerusalem and the settlements.” [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Aug.14, 1997] 16. Nablus demonstration against U.S. Effigies of U.S. envoy Ross, Netanyahu, as well as American and Israeli flags, were burned during a sanctioned mass demonstration in Palestinian Authority controlled Nablus. “...Yesterday, on Aug. 12, a mass demonstration was held in Nablus...The demonstration was organized by the National Emergency Committee... A number of demonstrators burned an effigy of the prime minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, which was attached to an effigy of special envoy Dennis Ross, and also burned US and Israeli flags.” [Al-Ayyam Aug. 13, 1997] 17. The American administration afflicted by Zionism The PA Secretary of the Cabinet claims that the American administration suffers from a disease called the Zionist lobby in Washington. “Let us not forget that the American administration suffers from the disease called the Zionist lobby in Washington.” [Ahmad Abdul Rahman, Secretary of the Cabinet of the Palestinian Authority. Voice of Palestine, April 14, 1997] 18. Terror attack the impetus for Ross meeting with PA A senior member of the Palestinian Legislative Council comments that Ross “honors” them with a visit only after Jews are blown to bits at a Jerusalem market by Islamic suicide bombers. “...Mr. Ross honors us with his visit today, only after the shattered limbs of the Jews are scattered throughout Mahane Yehuda.” [Nabil Amr, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida,August 9, 1997] 19. American abuses of the American Indians America inflicted violence, torture, mass murder, camp burning, and expulsion against the American Indians. “Netanyahu, Albright… and the Indians” by Dr. ‘Isa Salti “…. Hollywood movies do not show the violence, torture and crazy coercion that the unarmed peace loving American Indians suffered, these included mass murder, camp burnings, the expulsion of tribes from their land, the eradication of wild life, the spreading of contagious diseases and the desecration of holy sites…. The American administration disregarded the agreements that it signed with the tribal chiefs and forced the tribes to live in closed reserves with poor living conditions…Anyone who knows this subject can recognize the similarity between our Palestinian problems and the history of the American Indians.” [Al-Quds, Dec.14, 1997] 20. Palestinian warning: “The Arab mothers will not be the only ones crying” The Americans won’t learn their lesson in Iraq without 45000 deaths, warns the PA daily “...Iraq will not succeed in the conflict with the US... however, the firm Iraqi stand against the [US] dinosaur military apparatus that bases itself on the myth of the blood-spilling cowboy who chases Indians will remain an achievement... Warning-signs will light for the American people only after the American Ambassador escapes, defeated from the Embassy’s roof, and after 45,000 bodies of American soldiers will return to the US like airmail... This is the same mentality that caused the Marines to enter Beirut—and to run away from it, after one bold operation was carried out by a Shahid [holy martyr] who suckled from his mother’s bosoms a pure Jihad tradition... [ed - nearly 250 US Marines were killed in Beirut by a suicide bomber] If most Americans support hurting Iraq it is because they think it will be a television war, without American bodies. But Arab reality will not remain frozen. It can change and send gifts back to the US via airmail. The Arab mothers will not be the only ones crying...” [Editor of the official PA daily, Hafez Al-Barghuthi, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, November 23, 1997]
source: http://www.pmw.org.il/new/
Only a lefty could be so educated and yet be so stupid. Where has this guy been for the last 30 years? How much money has ben shoved down the RAT hole and how many "peace" overtures has the United States made for these animals called the Palestinians? Hell, no Arab country on the face of this planet wants to deal with these @sswipes! The Jordanians sure as hell don't want any more of them - the last time the Palis made trouble in Jordon, several thousand of them were shot en mass by the Jordanian Army; that didn't get much press in the US. Israel is the only country in the region (if not in the world) that allows the ungrateful murdering scum to be citizens and own property. I don't see the governments of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Jordon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait (who, after the Gulf War, rounded up 300,000 or so Palis and kicked them the hell out of Kuwait) or any other rag-head oil tyranny rolling out the welcome mat. What I fear is that after the Palis finally get the crap kicked out of them big time by the Israelis once and for all, the survivors will end up here in the United States, sucking off the welfare teet and contributing to the crime problem.
I'll go over this again: Rule # 1. If you attack me and I kick your a** I get to keep EVERYTHING you own. Only if I am a benevolent democracy do I let you have your stuff back. And, if you so much as look at me crooked you will get nothing back for three generations. Once you attack me, you deserve any harm which I may cause to befall you. And, if I think you have any chance whatsoever of winning I will bring EVERYTHING at my disposal down on your sorry a**. No quarter, No rules of engagement, nothing but survival. You decide. And if your countrymen permit you to behave in this way, they are accountable just as you are.
As others have pointed out, none of their Arab "brothers" have helped them out other than to provide arms and point them at Israel. There "leaders" have robbed them blind. They claim to value death more than life.
Doesn't sound like there's much to save.
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