I was initially struck by the URL. RabbiDov.com/HateIsraelWeek... HATE ISRAEL WEEK?
What is the world is Hate Israel Week? As I read, the good Rabbi made some insightful points, many similar to my father's arguments.
As it turns out, at UCI around May 5th of every year, the Muslim Student Union hosts Hate Israel Week.
Wow.
I know it is kinda the popular thing right now... talking about Israel as the occupiers and vilifying Israelis. But the reality is that it was not so long ago that Israel was hailed as an incredible country and garnered support from most of the world.
What I find so remarkable is the factual history that is always ignored. The fact that Israel is less than one percent of the region. That there are (and I quote from the article) "There are some 23 independent Arab Muslim countries. There is only one Jewish country. There are two countries for people of Korean descent. Two countries for people of Chinese descent. A proud nation for people of Japanese descent. Even Mongolians have two countries: Inner and Outer." But Jews are not afforded that right? Even though we were in Israel before Islam was a twinkle in Muhammad's eye?
Despite the fact that we pray towards Jerusalem but all other conquerors refrained from seeing the importance of Jerusalem before this.
Despite the fact that Israel really does afford citizens of Israel (Jewish, Christian or Muslim) the same rights and even allows the people who sneak across the border to kill Israelis to have access to Israeli public services (medical, etc). But sometimes that border closes because when they let people in, those people come in to only kill innocent civilians. Or sneak across and capture soldiers. If Canadians were launching rockets into Milwaukee, wouldn't we close some borders too?
And despite the fact that the Palestinian refugee problem was caused by the Muslim states refusal to absorb their own people, as is the typical response when faced with the refugees of war...
Israel is vilified. It bothers me when people don't learn both sides of the history. I am fully sympathetic to the want and need of the Palestinians. I feel the pain of living under these horrible leaders, of thinking they don't have options, of wanting space of their own. But until bombs stop falling and suicide bombers stop being recruited and the Palestinian leadership stops saying "All or nothing, run the Jews into the sea." There can't be peace.
One of the most shocking things I have ever seen, with my own eyes, mind you, is a school book from Gaza and the West Bank... the math problem said, "If you have 5 Jews and you kill 3 of them, how many are left to kill?" Or the Sesame Street like TV show where the little girls and boys talk about becoming martyrs. That is not right.