The Jews & Arabs

The Jews and Arabs

By Roy D. Follendore III

December 12, 2001

I happen to like Jews, and I also like Arabs. Both cultures have contributed a great deal to my culture. But let's face it. The countries of Israel and Palestine do not just have problems, they are problems. Israel and Palestine have been a costly problem for the United States for quite a long while. People who live there don't seem to want to get along with one another. And, I can't see much difference between the bigotry there and the bigotry in America. Bigotry works both ways and there it seems to just be covered up with religion. In the past, we have often deliberately covered bigotry with religion in America society too. So we Americans, both North and South should already know all about that.

Some say it isn't bigotry because this is some kind of holy land. I find that hard to swallow. Maybe this was once a holy land for some. But for other people it never was. It does not seem to make much difference now regardless. All I know is that if God exists where good exists, then God does not seem to exist in Israel or Palestine right now. There is too much murder there. There are too many people seeking vengeance for every slight and evil done to them. The political majority groups want to take and justify the taking. Everyone there is apparently willing to sacrifice their children and their souls to do the taking. No one seems to want to give out of the concept of kindness. In fact, no one is willing to speak out for kindness. No one is living up to all of those teachings about which they claim to be religious...to be kind.

Apparently America is the only country giving anything there and we have been giving billions and billions for a half century. I personally can't see a single justifiable reason why America should continue to pay for Israel's problems. I can tell you that I personally feel absolutely no compulsion to have to go to Israel to pray, and I frankly can't see why others like me should have to pay for those who have that particular costly religious compulsion. When I pray I am most comfortable in a natural forest. I feel certain God is there. It takes me no more than about two minutes, it does not cost anything and it does not burn ten thousand gallons of jet fuel into the atmosphere.

To be perfectly honest, I think that if people can't seem to get along then they should deal with the root of their problem. Propping up a minority religious groups with sophisticated weapons does not seem to be working out for anyone. If you look at the rational face of that idea, it is obviously pretty foolish. It is very much like arming a wife with a machine gun so that she can stay in the same house with a Husband and family she despises. Weapons may solve the short term problem of self defense, but it certainly does not encourage her to solve the longer term problem.

For it's part, the fact is that Israel is a tiny country surrounded by an Arab culture. If it all were to be planned from scratch at this very moment, I could not think of worse possible place to insert what is essentially a white European ethic. It makes no difference if Israel was the location where some particular religion began. Good old planet Earth has moved around the sun two thousand times. The religion has changed because the world has changed. There is not much left from 2000 years ago but rubble along with ethnic and religious hatred. Having said all of this, I am perfectly aware that this is not politically correct. This is what I have left to say.

If I were the Son of God coming back to the planet Earth, Israel or Palestine would be the last places I would want to visit. I think I might pick some other place where people are more hospitable. Maybe I might want to visit some place in Canada. It gets cold, but things are apparently more civilized and polite there. Perhaps I would want to visit the native Indians. They seem like pretty good folks. But I would not let them know who and what I am. And I would definitely make sure that I did not let any particular group know they were expected to be the chosen people. It seems to go to their head and causes them too many enemies.

On the other hand, maybe I would ask my Father to make all of the people with hate in their hearts disappear. But then again if I did, except for the meek, Israel and Palestine would be a virtual wasteland. Now where have I heard that idea before?

So Merry Christmas Israel and Palestine. The people of the United States do not hate you. We are not doing anything to you. You are doing it to yourselves.

.