ISRAEL
The future of Israel lies to the East, not to the West.
Although the nation was granted its place in the sun by colonial Western powers (due in great measure by the horrible history of the Holocaust, as well as its own subsequent terrorist intifada against Britain), Israel must learn to project itself as an integrated Middle Eastern country. It must forgo its economic ties to the West: reparations, age old monetary claims, American governmental and private $$$ and other economic incentives, and say to its neighbors (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia the UAR and Iran): "How can we help you? You have oil; we have a history of educational and technical achievements. Let us work together to make our Middle East great."
Jews (which is what the Israelis are by design and desire) have a long history of relatively respectful accommodation with Arabs (and for that matter, Islam). This present period of poisonous tension between them most recently began with the national desires of Zionism promulgated in its modern incantation in the late nineteenth century and culminating with Israel's birth in 1948. Also, the Arabs themselves only recently developed a notion of a modern nation-state; so their desires for fixed and secure geographic entities is somewhat youthful and not fully defined yet itself.
Israel must turn to its neighbors and say: "Let us have a Jewish state; let us have this territory defined by religious affiliation; it is a long-honored concept in this part of the world. Some of you are crying for an Islamic state; why can't we have a Judaic state? Mosques and synagogues have operated side by side next door to each other before. We can be neighbors helping each other in all other things."
If Israel would start to look East rather than West, it would undermine the Middle Eastern argument of Israel as a "modern Crusader state"; in some ways a valid argumnent as a colonial outpost of Western imperialism and intelligence gathering. The Arabs will see Israel instead as a regional partner, not a Trojan horse, a contributing ally in its inevitable confrontation (oil and economic) vis-a-vis Europe and America...not to mention China and Russia.
Let's face it: Its no fun living in any neighborhood where your neighbors hate you. Israel must become a 'good neighbor'...or eventually they will have to leave the neighborhood...for their own sake. Mutual destruction of a neighborhood cannot be considered a viable option. Masada (group/national suicide)--especially in a nuclear world--cannot be repeated.
Although the nation was granted its place in the sun by colonial Western powers (due in great measure by the horrible history of the Holocaust, as well as its own subsequent terrorist intifada against Britain), Israel must learn to project itself as an integrated Middle Eastern country. It must forgo its economic ties to the West: reparations, age old monetary claims, American governmental and private $$$ and other economic incentives, and say to its neighbors (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia the UAR and Iran): "How can we help you? You have oil; we have a history of educational and technical achievements. Let us work together to make our Middle East great."
Jews (which is what the Israelis are by design and desire) have a long history of relatively respectful accommodation with Arabs (and for that matter, Islam). This present period of poisonous tension between them most recently began with the national desires of Zionism promulgated in its modern incantation in the late nineteenth century and culminating with Israel's birth in 1948. Also, the Arabs themselves only recently developed a notion of a modern nation-state; so their desires for fixed and secure geographic entities is somewhat youthful and not fully defined yet itself.
Israel must turn to its neighbors and say: "Let us have a Jewish state; let us have this territory defined by religious affiliation; it is a long-honored concept in this part of the world. Some of you are crying for an Islamic state; why can't we have a Judaic state? Mosques and synagogues have operated side by side next door to each other before. We can be neighbors helping each other in all other things."
If Israel would start to look East rather than West, it would undermine the Middle Eastern argument of Israel as a "modern Crusader state"; in some ways a valid argumnent as a colonial outpost of Western imperialism and intelligence gathering. The Arabs will see Israel instead as a regional partner, not a Trojan horse, a contributing ally in its inevitable confrontation (oil and economic) vis-a-vis Europe and America...not to mention China and Russia.
Let's face it: Its no fun living in any neighborhood where your neighbors hate you. Israel must become a 'good neighbor'...or eventually they will have to leave the neighborhood...for their own sake. Mutual destruction of a neighborhood cannot be considered a viable option. Masada (group/national suicide)--especially in a nuclear world--cannot be repeated.
posted by Cliff Osmond at 7:49 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home