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June 10, 2010
I’m gonna take a risk here. I wanted to send this 1-2 days ago, but had computer problems. Things are moving so fast, that my views are almost out of date. And I’ve already read most of the weekend paper, which had some very interesting new articles and opinions (including….30-odd years ago, Israel’s only ‘real friends’ in the M. East were Iran and Turkey – the non-Arab countries in some form of a pact. Today……)
So, here goes…
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BBC had some programme today from Ireland, where they interviewed some of those who were on the ‘flotilla’ last week. I could not believe it: they were comparing the Irish problems with those between Israel and the Palestinians. Well, yes, there are terrorists, but even they are different: no IRA suicide bombers…What’s gotten into people.
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If you follow this link – http://www.terredisrael.com/wordpress/?p=22059, you’ll see what was on the Marmara ship that was the scene of last week’s attack. But who cares anymore? The 9 are dead, they can’t come back. And the World has milked the story dry. There’s no going back to the truth.
For those of you have the time, I attach the words of a Spanish politician, wondering at the imbalance of criticism against Israel and the blindness of the international community.
In one ear and out the other?
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There’s to be a Gay Pride event in Madrid. The organisers have asked the Israeli contingent to stay away – for security reasons.
Next? Will my customers ask me to send presentations on Powerpoint instead of visiting them?
And you, the silent majority, are letting this happen.
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Aviva (my wife) has been hankering after me to get a proper haircut, claiming that the barber really messed things up last time. The problem is a couple of curls that keep standing up on my crown which, as some of you may know is white (grey/silver/old – whichever).
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Trouble is, or maybe ‘what’s great is’ that it makes me look like Geerd Wilders’ grandfather. Who is Wilders? some of you may ask. Well, he’s the outspoken leader of the Dutch ‘Party for Freedom’, PVV, which today is fighting to gain more power in the national elections.
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Wilders spent some of his later youth in Israel and several of the neighbouring Arab countries. To cut a long story short, the guy is ‘anti-Jihadist’, warning everyone of what is happening to Holland, to Europe, to the West. His is a real wake-up call.
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Political correctness forces many to say they are against his views. But some of them, I assure you (as I am one of them) are grinding their teeth, realising that they agree with most of what the man says. Just don’t know how to admit it a) without being criticised by those who like criticising, and b) without fearing for their lives.
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Started this thing yesterday. Could not finish. I actually am a busy guy. So here we are, a few hours later, with the Dutch political scene in limbo. Geerd Wilders won 24 seats – 9 the last time. Now in 3rd place. The ruling party came 4th, and the other 2 are neck-and-neck. The coalition wrangling is expected to go on for months.
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My message? The fight against what I consider to be the real problem is starting to happen in Holland. The PVV may not be made part of the government. The people are still scared to be identified with something that appears to be too far to the right. The 1 person who asked me to take him/her off the ‘Letter from Israel’ mailing list accused me of being extreme. The Dutch situation illustrates that it’s make or break time. We have to face the fact that, to fight for what we believe to be ‘freedom’, we have to make a stance in a position that appears to be far to the right. So be it.
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So what am I trying to say in all this – to get through to the World that does not appear to be listening…?
Don’t you see out there that there is a movement that is impinging on what we call ‘our Western way of life’. That expression may sound arrogant, so put your own label in it. Call it ‘our comfort zone’. Whatever.
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The fact is that we are not going to have it very long. The Dutch are slowly realising it, but it may be too late. There is no ‘politically correct’ way to deal with this. As PLFP leader, George Habash, said back in the 70s: “We shall win. There’ll be more of us”.
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[You know, you really should read Wikipedia’s bit on this guy. It ends with Palestinian President Abbas declaring 3 days’ national mourning at Habash’s death in 2008. You have to be kidding! He was a leader of Black September. He master-minded the first airline hijackings, Entebbe, the attack on Tel-Aviv’s Lod airport. Jordan killed thousands of his Palestinian people, and then welcomed Habash back, made him comfortable until his death at the ripe old age of 82, and they mourned him.
Well, maybe the new West would be so blind, but not me.]
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So, back to Israel and it’s neighbours.
Israel must not make the same mistake as US/UK made in Iraq. However correct they may have been in removing Saddam, going it alone is playing into the enemy’s hands. Don’t let them ‘divide and rule’.
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I believe the situation here is becoming very dangerous. Israel is becoming more and more isolated. Before it – and those countries that are also under threat from Islamic takeover (let’s call them ‘the West’) – reaches the point of no return, it should take a step back and try to get the West united in support of Israel. No matter how futile it may seem, we need to put the onus back squarely in the Palestinian camp.
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Land for peace swap. Give them 93% or whatever of the West Bank, in exchange for negotiated areas of what is today mainly Arab Galilee or Negev
Let them have Jerusalem as their capital, too. What’s the big deal? As long as Israel’s rights are not touched, and the holy sites remain open to all.
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A very limited Right of Return for Palestinians to Israel, but subject to a stringent and fair procedure.
Of course they must change their charter; openly state that they accept the Jewish State of Israel and give up violence.
Etc.
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No, of course it won’t work. But then, perhaps, the World may see
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a) that the Palestinians are not quite the innocent Davids
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b) that the Arab neighbours are not willing to invest in peace
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c) that the ‘West’ feels better when it is more united in a fair cause.
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Because right now, we all feel pretty disgusted.
Stephen
PS – Thank-you Dudi Sela, who just beat Andy Roddick in with an excellent display at the Queens Club tennis tournament. I like Andy, but it was nice to be reminded that something Israeli can cause cheers. Yes, it’s getting to me.
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Published: Sep 5, 2017
Latest Revision: Feb 20, 2018
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