OF WORDS AND MEN - PEACE AND PROSPERITY

    To put in context peace is not really a state. My observation is that peace is at best a temporal perspective based on the achievement of a set of goal(s) that satisfy the stakeholder(s). In general it has been downgraded to a greeting. 

One day my father did something he knew my brothers and I did not like. Seeing my brother approach him he greeted him with, as-salamu alaikum assalaam meaning peace be with you, he hoped to cut the conversation or at least diffuse it. According to tradition and teaching on social conduct, my brother would have to return an equal or greater greeting.    

Peace is freedom from disturbance, disquiet, oppression, and order through agreement, harmony and quiet. This blog is undoubtedly one of the toughest to write since I started. I had to empty myself of a lot of preconceived notions to be impartial. 

I presented the view of colonisation and I explained the concepts of displacement, motherland, memory and mass. These are not the words generally associated with Israel but it is used in terms of colonisation outside of Israel. In fact when it comes to the Middle East (ME) the following comments are heard:

• the land's real name is Palestine
• the Arabs were there first
• the occupation is the problem
• peace is possible with two states as a solution

March 19, 2021, Israel and UAE play rugby 

I have already written on the first comment and I invite you to click on it. By investigating the issue of peace in the ME I can be well on my way to understanding the whole situation. I hope that sounds like a plan you can agree with. It can get rough if you do not start with an open mind so I hope that we do not have any disagreements by the end of this blog, however it turns out. Also, it takes time to unravel so please be patient.

Is the goal really peace? With our outsider thinking, we assume that peace is the goal in the ME. I think to a very large extent this has been taken advantage of. It is a misconception that continues. There are many reasons why peace in the ME is not possible. I have already written on the propaganda that is spread, anti-semitism and the belief system and practices of jihad. Since I have written on the previous issues, for this blog we will look at:

• hatred for Jews and USA
• believers and Islam
• prosperity
• strategy 
• reconciliation
• missed opportunities
• summary

HATRED FOR JEWS AND USA

I will only briefly touch on the level of hatred that is inculcated in the Arab and Muslim world with a few exceptions. This to ensure there is context for the other points I raise. It is in a photo.

Pro Palestinian Moroccans are cleaning the spot where 

the 2021 Israeli Charge d'Affaires, Morocco, David Govrin took a picture. 

What about hate for Americans? In the picture captioned 'KAYHAN' an Iranian paper affiliated with Ayatollah Khomeini  said: 

United States was humiliated again in EIN ELASAD base (by missile attack last night).... at least two Americans went to hell! March 4, 2021 

March 19, 2021, Israel and UAE played rugby

Peace looks like these pictures. United Emirates playing a rugby match with Israel in Dubai on March 19, 2021. 

This is inclusion, diversity and tolerance but you will not see it in the Muslim and Arab world. 

In the video below Mansur al-Marzuki, the first student to study in Israel from the UAE! That’s peace! That is inclusion and diversity. Where is this in Iran, Syria, Turkey, Palestine and Lebanon? I am sure the moderates want it. But why is no one writing about it in relation to these countries? 

What is taught to the younger generations in Palestine is that the entire land mass belongs to them. Throughout the entire primary and secondary school life, this is what they are taught. Additionally, the Palestinian Authority the governing body in Palestine has within its charter that they will wipe out Israel. It is a popular concept in all sectors of society.

The hatred of Jews are inculcated from young and continued in their adult life. It ensures that the conflict will continue. It is a psychological warfare using their own people, making them feel that they were robbed. If you read up on jihad. using families you will understand this more. This way they ensure that the cause continues and is fuelled.

IDF find a storage of rocks to be used after 

Friday prayer by Palestinians youths, June 2021

Look at the behaviour of the young guy following them

Summer Camp Registration, in Gaza. June 2021

Summer Camp Registration in Gaza June 2021

If it is the radicals that are creating the problems then why does the world allow groups that claim to be religious to recruit for war still? Groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis etc. They are taken of the list of terrorist instead. 

BELIEVERS OF ISLAM

I hardly see a distinction between Arab and Muslim and between radical and moderate Islam. It is strange for me because I cannot seem to understand how moderate Islam is said to be in larger numbers but radical Islam has spread all over the world. I suggest that one of the reasons this happens is because moderate believers are afraid to discuss the Quran and the Prophet. That leaves the bold and intimidating radicals. 

Ex-Hamas member Mousab Hassan Yousef has been speaking out every chance he gets about the lack of freedom in the faith to examine and discuss it. This is inclusive of how it relates to politics. He says that the believers of Islam do not know the religion. 

He points out that the text in the Quran is difficult for them to understand. Many of them look at what Islam could be but not what it is. Even the oral tradition of the prophet is difficult to understand. There is no remorse from killing non believers of Islam. There are tolerant Muslims but Islam is not tolerant. You can click here to hear for yourself.

Mosab Hassan Yousef is on panel at Tolerance Museum

PROSPERITY

On April 25, 2021, one of Syria's presidential candidates named Patan Ali Al-Nahar wrote: 

We must work on signing a full peace agreement with Israel. Not for the love of Israel. The truth is that this will be a temporary agreement without our knowledge.

This agreement will lead us to save what is left of Syria and to rise until we become a strong state with sovereignty. And when time comes, we will surprise them and force on Israel negotiations on the issue of Arab Golan lands. These negotiations will be based on the principle of power and not out of weakness.

If they do not return our lands to us, we, for our part, will declare war on them by surprise without them knowing until the release of the last cultivator from our homeland.

On the other hand, at the moment there is nothing to talk about war, it does not make sense as long as the Syrian people live in poverty these days. The Syrian army must also maintain the borders of the homeland without attacking another country at this time. 

Does this sound strange to you? This was recent. To get a better understanding of how agreements are dealt with in the Middle East you can click here. Now for the past. In 1921 a delegation of Palestinians went to London to stop the implementation of the Balfour Declaration. The Mayor of Haifa, Hasan Shukri wrote the British government to oppose the delegation:  

We are certain that without Jewish immigration and financial assistance there will be no future development of our country as may be judged from the fact that the towns inhabited in part by Jews such as Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, and Tiberias are making steady progress while Nablus, Acre, and Nazareth where no Jews reside are steadily declining.

The Jews drained the malaria infested swamps and created irrigation and drainage. They improved sanitation and health care. The permanent Arab Palestine population exploded by 120% between 1922 and 1947 because of the better living conditions the Jews brought to Israel. It attracted more Arabs from neighbouring countries. They made up 37% of the prestate Israel immigration. 

Joan Peters wrote From Time Immemorial in 1984. She was commissioned by the Carter administration, because she was an American Jew who was a liberal, documentary producer for CBS, and an author. She served as White House Advisor on Foreign Policy for the ME under President Carter.

It was expected that her perspective would have weight and that she would write the narrative needed for a Pro-Palestine argument. However when she started researching she found evidence to contradict what she was asked to do. 

Returning the advance payment she was given, she wrote the book to tell the truth. She got into the UN archives. Her research proved that prior to massive immigration of European Jews to Palestine in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the land was mostly barren and under-populated. 

The newly arrived Jews brought great prosperity which attracted a large number of Arabs from neighbouring lands who then moved to Palestine to share in the fruit of Jewish ingenuity and wealth. As a result, many of the people who call themselves Palestinians today are descendants of these relatively recent economic immigrants. Gives peace and prosperity a whole new meaning doesn't it?

STRATEGY

Anything sound crazy as yet? It has a lot of crazy when it comes to the ME. Once again I ask is the goal really peace with Israel? From the actions that are consistent throughout history I am convinced it is not. I think actions are more important than words. The use of agreements is only one Israel-Palestine problem. 

Interpretation of Peace

I believe that the interpretation of peace using the intransitive verb to be obsolete is being applied. Literally to make obsolete not just to quieten. Here is a very telling statement made by the Zuheir Mohsen, Palestinian leader of the pro Syria As-Sai'qa of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (1971-79):

The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism.

Hatred for the Jews has always been a unifying factor. However, Z. Mohsen spoke about an identity. To break it down in case you missed it:

• the Palestinian state is a cloak for what they really want to achieve
• the Palestinian is a made up identity using Jordanians, Syrians and Lebanese people
• national interests is not just Palestinian, other nations are involved and part of the plot to reap the benefits for their national interests even bragging rights
• the plot is to oppose Zionism, it is not about the land

He was not the only person who felt that way. His inspiration came from Yasser Arafat who spoke about this. This is the Strategy of Stages. 

The same evening of the White House ceremony for the signing of the Oslo Accord, Y. Arafat broadcasted a speech on Jordanian television about the treaty being part of the National Council 1974 decision. This would require them to acquire territory through negotiations and then use it as a base for further advancement to annihilate Israel.

It is important to point out that the Palestine Liberation Organisation was at one point or another labeled a terrorist group. In fact although Arafat had been born in Cairo, and served in varying capacities there, he was put out by then President Nasser. Same as Hamas. Yet, Israel is expected to make agreements with such characters and trust them to keep it. 

That same Mr. Arafat was in cohorts with the mastermind of the Ma'alot atrocity, Mamduh Nawfal. He was in company with him when he returned to Gaza in 1994. In 1996 Arafat gave a speech in Stockholm; 

We plan to eliminate the State of Israel and establish a purely Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare and population explosion. … We Palestinians will take over everything, including all of Jerusalem

Statements made since the 1970s to now are consistent. Actions to fulfil these statements are consistent. This intention is still very relevant today. Recently a Fatah official, Abbas Zaki said the goal is to destroy Israel but you can't say it to the world. 

The goal has been consistent and the strategy consistent not just with the speeches but also in the attitude towards agreements. I did say it has a lot of crazy but as it turns out, wars boost popularity for government. That is what the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina was about on April 2, 1982.

click here

Israel the Unifying Factor for Palestine

Z. Mohsen spoke about Arab unity. It is relevant to this day as a basis for attitudes and dealings in the ME against Israel. In May 2021, there was incitement by Iran for Hamas in Gaza to start a war. A whole war! It was to take advantage of the anger the Palestinians felt towards Mahmoud Abbas who was in power for about twelve years as the President of the State of Palestine and of the Palestinian National Authority. 

Abbas had called an election and when he realised that Hamas was more popular in Palestine and could win, he canceled it saying that until they took back Jerusalem they could not have an election. The people were united with one cause. After the war it was back to campaigning. What they could not achieve in more than 40 years they had to achieve to have an election.

 

On the Temple Mount May 23, Fatah supporters (yellow flags) 

against Hamas supporters (green flags). 

Israel the Unifying Factor for the Middle East

Palestine is not one entity, it is Arab and it is ME. Activities concerning Palestine are not individual nor are activities by other nations completely independent of the Palestine cause. Everyone has their own agendas but religion binds them. 

Iran has been able to move into other countries e.g. Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. They are not Arabs but the goal is to punish all those who killed Iran's Major General and Commander for Al-Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani and to establish regional dominance by taking over Israel. Turkey is supportive of this agenda. Already I have listed four countries whose leaders support Iran. 

Extremism

Israel is the only Jewish state in the world. It is the only democracy in the ME. It exercises a fair elections. Yet Israel has to go to a table with others who do not uphold these values. While the practise of democracy are guiding principles for Israel, it is not for extremist governments. 

By extremist I mean governments that appear to be democratic but have false elections and support terrorism under the disguise of religion. It would be Yasser Arafat all over again. 

Elections were held in Iran and Syria recently. In Iran they had to beg voters to come out. Voters took to social media and said they wanted no part of it. They already knew that the Ayatollah's elect known as the butcher would win. 

In Syria the army voted sometimes seven or four times and get this, they used their own blood. That's right folks it was not ink. Bashan Al-Assad won by 95.1%. Clearly there is no opposition. Until this type of regime ends, the madness will not stop, chaos will continue. 

In the video above you will see what democracy is in Palestine. The Palestinian Authority security forces which was the PLO at one point arrested tortured and killed Nizar Banat, one of the outspoken critics of President Mahmoud Abbas. Of course Hamas didn’t miss the opportunity to use this event and call the multitudes to topple President Abbas. 

The egos of these kinds of leaders will not genuinely put the people's well being first. It is easy for them to sacrifice lives to the cause of destroying Israel. They will do this to unite their warring factions and Israel will be the spoils that they all dream of partaking in. 

Genuine Effort for Peace

In comparison efforts to make peace, I look at Mohammad Anwar el-Sadat, assassinated President of Egypt. After waging war with Syria against Israel, Anwar el-Sadat wanted peace and achieved it. In 1977 he negotiated peace with Israel. 

After the 1973 war against Israel he decided that this would be a good strategy particularly as he wanted to maintain an advantage over the Suez Canal. Israel did prove to be a force to reckon with in the war and he knew it would be better to have an arrangement of sorts with them. 

RECONCILIATION

Benjamin B. Ferencz who was a chief prosecutor for the U.S. Army said peace can happen if all of the real players come to the table. I agree to some extent but that would mean revealing the hand on the table where the normal practise is the sleight of hand. He has a Pro-Palestine argument but he is basing it on the players wanting peace and what he thinks peace looks like, that is, a two state solution.

Egypt Border to Gaza at Rafah,
photo by Times of Israel 

International Military Monitoring

Ferencz supports an international military monitoring in areas of conflict. Since the Yom Kippur War 1973, the international body has been monitoring the Israeli borders to Egypt and to Syria. Yet this did not deter the weapons and missiles coming into Gaza nor did it keep them from attacking Israel by firing a missile at a civilian population.

Too Many Agendas

When war rises, the other nations such as USA and Russia are affected and have in the past gotten involved. There are interests that they protect. In 1973, Israel was attacked and it was unexpected. As Israel started to regain control of the situation, Russia joined to rescue the Arabs. Talk about escalating and disproportionate, three countries attacking Israel!

But the saga continues. Oil producing countries then started to manipulate their hold over the nations, threatening any country supporting Israel to be cut off. This is when America started the process for reconciliation. See how easy it is to gang up and for other issues to be affected? 

The whole world should be at that table to be honest. Did you notice that in May 2021, Israel stood alone. America betrayed them by revealing their smoking gun too. When others get involved it puts more strain on Israel. Everyone wants something out of it. 

Reconciliation is possible but even in that there are several issues that arise:

• there are many factions within Palestine and Gaza that makes it disproportionate against Israel 
• reconciliation usually faces off with the attitude that Israel is the occupier and the two states option is turned away 
• the agreements are not binding due to the beliefs in Islam 
• it becomes even more disproportionate when other Muslim nations who have no Palestine claim get involved e.g. Iran through Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

Monitoring with an international military force helps but it is not enough to stop the attacks on Israel. The wars over the years show that Israel has to be on the defensive at all times. That means that they have to look at every situation inside of Israel by Arabs and outside as possible threats. It is not business as normal before and after the war. Lives were lost, property destroyed, business and growth affected. 

New legislation in Kuwait:

Anyone who visits Israel, maintains direct or indirect contacts with Israel 

and even identifies with Israel is subject to life imprisonment, temporary imprisonment or a fine.

The suggestion by some that there should be open dialogue are based on an outsiders' thinking. It does not apply if Israel cannot defend itself without fear of reprisal by the international community or from other ME nations joining in or its Jewish people being attacked in other countries. 

The Role of the United Nations

You are probably thinking that I made a mistake. The UN is a factor that deters Israel from peace. In  response to Israel defending itself in the May 2021 war, the UN decided to investigate it for war crimes and calls were made for sanctions etc. But if the United Nations is biased then how can they investigate?

Matthias Schmale, Head of Gaza Operations was threatened and removed after this interview because he said that Israel was precise in its hits. When foreigners in United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) speak the truth they are removed or threatened. 

The UNRWA is the largest employer in Palestine and the region. Mostly Palestinian refugees. Out of the 29,000 employees only about 200 are foreigners. It has been documented that missiles and rocket launchers are stored in their schools. Even the classes are based on Hamas teaching. 

Even more strange is that Leni Stenseth, Deputy Commissioner-General for  UNRWA sent Hamas leader a message of condolences for the many deaths in his organisation. The letter went on to affirm solidarity with Hamas, thanked him for his cooperation with UNRWA and apologised for Israel's harshness. I guess bias was part of the UNRWA.

The UN had in the past encouraged the situation. They did this by changing the definition of the refugee from time immemorial to two years. This was rather suspicious since this is a drastic change. It did not change to ten years or eight years or five years but it changed to two years which made Palestinians qualify for refugee status. 

They also started the UN Relief and Work Association (operational in 1950) only for the Palestinians and through this unit, gave Palestinian refugees a monthly payment that was more than the average salary in Lebanon prior to its collapse. 

Facing the Truth

It is possible that reconciliation is not possible because of shame. Shame in hiding the truth. Shame in betraying the trust of the world's population with their funding and a mandate to be unbiased. Many nations and the UN are guilty. Not to mention the media who prefer to stage riots in Palestine and report misinformation.

The global community is for the most part ignorant of many things is the ME. That makes it easy for propaganda to spread. All Palestinian problems are blamed on Israel although they govern themselves. Click here to see for yourself what happens at the UN. In this clip Mosab Hassan Yousef speaks out.

Arabs have maintained the same message but we want to hear something else. As a result we are told what we want to hear. The goal is to wipe out Israel. They speak of balancing Zionism when Israel is the only Jewish state. Maybe they read the Bible which states that when Israel moved other peoples trembled? Arab and Muslim nations have greater land mass. 

They have shown us that radical Islam is not for the peace of ME. It is for the spread and superiority of Islam. There will be no peace because Israel is an excuse to push forward the agenda that is beyond Israel. It is beyond Zionism. Take a look at the footage below of the arrest of a Somalian Muslim in Germany. This is now a common scene in Europe. Almost every month.

Somalian Muslim murders 3 and injures 10 people in Würzburg,Germany. 

He shouted Allah hu Akbar in a terror attack. June 25, 2021 

The fight has gone into almost every nation on planet earth. It is being fought in stages already. Wiping out Israel is to establish dominance. It is very clear. Otherwise there would be no jihad with immigration.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Two states is the solution for peace. Former President Bill Clinton wrote in his autobiography that it was a colossal mistake to reject offers by Israel and USA for a state and a capital in Jerusalem. It was not the first time that they were offered this. 

As far back as 1919, two states was refused by the Arabs. Only at that time it was because they did not want to give up their heritage of being part of Syria. The  Muslim-Christian Association in February, had adopted this resolution for the Paris Peace Conference.

Arab leader, Auni Bey Abdul Hadi told the Peel Commission there was no such thing as Palestine. Ahmed Shuqeiri who became the chairman for the PLO said; 

it is common knowledge that Palestine is nothing but Southern Syria

In 1937 they refused the British Mandate which offered it again. The Arab Palestinian nationalism was not an issue until 1967. Allen Hertz, a former Canadian government official, urged for a peaceful process that respects the dignity of both peoples, and [that] effects a reconciliation of the subsequent rights of the newly emerged Palestinian people with the prior rights of the ancient Jewish people. 

If everyone knew that Palestine was part of Syria and they even refused on a number of occasions to have a separate Palestinian state then how come this is now an issue? They decided to change tactics! This is how the psychological warfare using their own children and that of the global community makes more sense.

Here I will list for you the many times the Palestinians refused a two state solution:

1917 - The Peel Commission with the creation of an Arab State

1939 - The British White Paper for a unitary Arab State

1947 - The United Nations offered a larger Arab State

1979 - Egypt-Israel with Palestinian autonomy and full independence

1990s - Oslo agreements laid out a plan for full Palestinian independence but their acts of terrorism broke the agreement 

2000 - PM Ehud Barak offered a Palestinian State for all of Gaza and 97% of the West Bank

2008 - PM Ehud Olmet offered to partition Jerusalem based on demographics and withdraw from almost the whole of the West Bank

I know the popular thinking is that Israel is the one that does not want a separate state but that would be a lie. To understand what happens behind the scenes I present to you a meeting in Stockholm on January 30, 1996. Y Arafat attended a secret state dinner that was supposed to honour him. He held talks with key Arab diplomats saying:

We plan to eliminate the State of Israel and establish a purely Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare and population explosion. … We Palestinians will take over everything, including all of Jerusalem.

Does Israel want peace? Just looking at the national emblems and listen to the national anthem there can be no doubt. With the history Israel has and the amount of violence it faces continuously I do not think there could ever be a people who can want peace more. What most nations face temporarily or within decades the Jews has faced for thousands of years.

SUMMARY:

Peace and prosperity is given a new understanding when it comes to the ME. It is obvious that there is cause for concern by the global population. However, due to the widespread propaganda and the unholy relationship between the United Nations and Iran and Palestine it may be too late to do anything about achieving peace. 

To date Iran has not been held accountable for its role in the May 2021 war. Palestine has consistently refused two states which is the olive branch that the world is mistakenly promoting right now. It is clear that this is not their intention. There is no such thing as balancing Zionism either. How can there be peace if the people negotiating cannot be trusted and the goals are not true? 

There are several consistencies to look for; the rhetoric to wipe out Israel, the strategies that appear sporadic but are connected, the role of a misunderstood religion, the passing of the torch to the younger generations, the intention to take Israel after it is developed and the consistent jihad towards attacking Israel. 

If peace is possible how can it be sustained? It is temporary at best based on agreements, monitoring and military intervention from the international community. But and there is a big but here, how will there be peace of mind? Not just for Israel but for the Muslims and Arabs? 

It will take a complete overhaul of the education system, admittance of two states as a solution and that no other conversation should be entertained and freedom from the people in ME from dictator democratic leaders. I am saddened to say, the time for reconciliation is over. We the outsiders have not been listening. Pinky and the brain are taking over the world and they want to start with Israel.

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Sources:

https://iris.org.il/quotes/stockhlm.htm
https://www.unrwa.org/userfiles/file/financial_updates/2011/Blue%20Book%202012-2013.pdf
https://www.unrwa.org/userfiles/file/financial_updates/2011/Blue%20Book%202012-2013.pdf
From Time Immemorial-The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict in Palestine; 1985 JKAP Publications

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/247514/why-france-is-losing-one-religious-building-every-two-weeks

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9648477/Author-visited-Muslim-mosques-Britain-reveals-no-areas-white-men.html?ito=native_share_article-top
https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/muslimpopulationintheuk
Ferencz, Benjamin B. Common Sense Guide to World Peace. New York, Oceana. HeinOnline, https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.unl/csgwp0001&i=89.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/argentina-invades-falklands
https://hyperallergic.com/400528/how-a-mark-twain-travel-book-turned-palestine-into-a-desert/
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The Oslo Syndrome by Kenneth Levin
https://youtu.be/3ViFr3oIM4M
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https://sadat.umd.edu/about-us/anwar-sadat
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/palestinian-maps-omitting-israel
https://www.statesman.com/story/opinion/columns/more-voices/2021/05/26/anti-zionism-isnt-anti-semitism-someone-didnt-get-memo/7432897002/
https://historica.fandom.com/wiki/Zuheir_Mohsen
Myths and Facts - A Guide to Arab-Israeli Conflict; Mitchell G. Bard (2017) 
http://revolutionegypt.blogs.wm.edu/2014/10/24/comparing-nasser-and-sadat/
"Wij zijn alleen Palestijn om politieke reden". "Trouw", March 31, 1977.
https://beholdisrael.org

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