# 329 – 25 Years Oslo

25 Years Oslo

This is, literally, the view I have at this moment of writing. On our roof garden. I may move before I finish the letter. May get a coffee, stare at the clouds, trim a bush or pick a kumquat. But right now, with Fauré’s Requiem on the bluetooth speaker, the dissatisfied people can go take a jump.

This will be Letter # 333, and will appear just after e-mailing on the ourboox.com website. All 333 of them are there, each one appearing as a separate ‘boox’. And then, under a separate section, I have 49 other ‘boox’ on poetry, nature, fiction, fact, dreams and nature’s image. The free online publishing site is expanding rapidly, with almost 60,000 boox listed, in over 25 languages. Donations are coming in for the authors, orders are coming in for printing. Ourboox.com has an exciting future…. Check it out.

I’ll be in Oslo in 3 weeks, working the national dental expo, exhibiting the UBrush! A reminder that, after 54 years in this business, all of which representing US companies, I’ve joined a Dutch company and we are launching the World’s first efficient interdental toothbrush: the UBrush! Check it out. Soon you’ll be telling your friends that you know me, one of the small team who started this trend.

Look it up – www.ubrush.nl. Watch the video. See my lovely partner, Malou de Kok, who is not only the Dutch hygienist who developed the UBrush!, but also the recent recipient of innovate prize in the Netherlands. And she is also the (George Cluney) face of the company. It was a case of her face or mine.

In November last year, I wrote about the play ‘Oslo’ I saw in London. Excellent play, and excellent illustration of the naiëvety of believing that peace between Israel and the Palestinians is possible. Do not give up trying was, the message I got. But not much else.

What’s interesting is that the opinions have not changed much. The Left still believe that we’re all human, we basically love peace and each other, and that an agreement is ‘just around the corner’. The Right (starting just Right of Left, which is where I stand), see Oslo 25 years later and know that peace between these 2 peoples is ’not just around the corner’. In fact, it’s further away today than it was 25 years ago.

In this weekend’s Jerusalem Post, they have 2 opposing points of view. Yossi Beilin was the main Israeli political force behind the attempt to bring the 2 sides together. He is now retired from politics. He feels that the propositions were sound, only that the agreement was not implemented. Duh….

Nearly all other articles and comments, including mine, look back at what has happened since the Oslo accords were placed on the table, and have come to the quite obvious conclusion that, so far nothing has worked. Of course, we can continue to speculate. ‘What if’ must always be on the table. But 25 years of consequences show us clearly the 2 sides are speaking different languages, playing a different game on a different pitch, and have differing agendas on their respective tables.

And I can assure you that, from THIS point of view, the Palestinians are missing an enormous opportunity. They also could have a roof garden like mine.

And….

In Thursday’s issue of the J-Post, an article by Gershon Baskin, the paper’s permanent Left contributor, who has spent his whole in Israel here since immigration, pushing for peace and dialogue between the 2 sides. His latest dream is to have a joint Israeli-Palestinian list on the upcoming municipal elections in Jerusalem. He guarantees they will get HIS vote. (Reminds me of Supertramp’s great hit: ‘Dreamer’.).

The Sec-Gen of UNRWA is still crying about the cancellation of US-funding of that ridiculous institution. What a creep! Of course, his job perhaps depends on the organisations’ survival, and what about the Palestinian employees, who make up 95% of the total. Only tears from him.

No mention of the approx. 70,000 JEWISH refugees from the same area, the approx 700,000 JEWISH refugees from the Arab countries, the approx 2 million citizens of Jordan who still claim to be Palestinian refugees. What a scam!

The current recipients of UNRWA’s generosity should re-register with the UN’s only other official refugee dept., UNHCR. That will separate the real from the others. Can’t blame the great-grandchildren who are currently receiving free food, medical, education etc. from UNRWA, but, as nicely as possible, the responsibility for their development should be taken over by…the Palestinians.

Jerusalem may be the capital, but we’re not stupid. Following tradition, the winner’s country in the Eurovision song contest is the venue for the following year’s show. Happily, common sense has prevailed, and, next May, Tel Aviv will get the show, not Jerusalem.

Still won’t be simple. The religious community will still try to stop activities on the Sabbath (which of course begins Friday at sundown), the BDS movement will still call Israel an Apartheid country, and it’s doubtful that the Palestinian contestant will get a look in. But get ready for the party – which will take place about 1/2 mile from this very roof garden..

Stephen

September 14, 2018