For some of us at least, every now and then we pause, take a look at our situation and ask: ?How in heaven?s name did we arrive at this point??
Just two short years ago, in the midst of some of the worst acts of terrorism against innocent civilians in modern history, it appeared as if George W. Bush, and even many of his political opponents, had finally come to recognise Yasser Arafat and his cronies for what they are ? thugs and terrorists. Official US policy remained what it had always been ? strong support for Israel and definitely no independent Palestinian State.
Then, one fateful day in September 2001, the horror of Islamic terrorism struck the land of the free and home of the brave. As the Twin Towers came tumbling down, killing thousands of innocent people going about their daily lives, vast throngs of Palestinians openly expressed unrestrained joy, dancing in the streets of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Americans, already numbed to the core at the horrific, unprovoked devastation of 9/11, were dumbfounded at the mindless hatred gushing forth from a people seemingly devoid of what civilised people consider to be the normal emotions of humanity.
Such a spontaneous grass roots response of pure venom from ordinary Palestinians, ranging from tiny children to the elderly, should have been a signal to the world that something was drastically wrong with these people. How could they possibly have degenerated to a level where they encourage even little children to celebrate the mindless death and destruction of innocents? How could they have sunken to the depths of encouraging their own pubescent sons and daughters to become kamikaze mass murderers of innocent women and children? How could they have allowed a hateful anti-Semitic education system to be implemented, which breeds antisocial misfits instead of productive members of society?
It was obvious that the Palestinian mindset had been thoroughly tainted with the twin sicknesses of blind hatred, and vitriol toward the Jews and their perceived sponsor, the United States. Terrorist and Palestinian were two words that often appeared in adjacent positions in the sentences of many articles. One would think, therefore, that with a declaration of war on terror, in which a President announced: ?You?re either with us or against us?, that people who openly show their delight at a horrendous terrorist act should be considered enemies.
Nothing of the sort, it seems.
In fact, the more the Palestinians exposed their policy of terror and their agenda of genocide toward the Jews of Israel, the more the rest of the world, including the US, moved toward their position. Just three weeks after Palestinians whooped it up to celebrate the horror of 9/11, President Bush announced a major US policy shift ? support for an independent Palestinian State. One can only imagine how that one went down in the Palestinian streets: ?Gee, this terrorism stuff really works. Let?s really go for it and see if we can get him to de-recognise Israel.? Needless to say, bloody terrorism in Israel, wrought by the hands of Palestinians, simply intensified in the ensuing months and has continued almost without pause up until the present day.
Thus, Israel finds itself in a situation today where its closest ally, the US, has sought to reward its worst enemy, the Palestinian Authority, an enemy that continues to deny the right of Jews to exist in their homeland. Despite intensified terrorism, absolutely no concessions or compromise, and undisguised contempt and hostility to all things Jewish and most things American, Mr Bush has shifted US policy over the past 18 months to supporting the Palestinians? demand for their very own terrorist state. This new independent state, filled with screaming, hate-filled, unrepentant anti-Semitic Arab fanatics, would supposedly co-exist in peace with a ?secure Israel?. What?s more, the CIA will train and re-arm a new Palestinian ?police force? that will overnight undergo a miraculous transformation from being murderous thugs to protectors of law and order, presumably wielding the latest in modern US-made weaponry.
It all sounds like one big sick joke, but, unfortunately, Bush is deadly serious. Furthermore, Israel?s very own champion of conservative Zionist values, Ariel Sharon, a leader that all Jews believed would always stand firm in the face of adversity, appears to have collapsed in a heap, making the joke even sicker. Sharon now not only accepts the establishment of a Palestinian state, but, incredibly, suggests that Jews will eventually have to vacate their own legitimately acquired land in Judea and Samaria.
It has often been said over the past year and a half that 9/11 changed the world forever. This is indeed true. Among other things, that fateful day in September brought home to the free world the fact that it was under attack from forces of evil. Jews, who in the ensuing months watched Israel being unmercifully pilloried in the media, and European Jews being attacked in the streets of Paris, received a stark reminder that the words ?never again? hold no sway with our sworn enemies.
Israel is the shield of the Jewish nation and every inch of its land ? including Judea, Samaria and Gaza - has been fought for at the cost of much Jewish blood. No one on Earth has the right to take any part of Israel from the Jews. How in heaven?s name have we arrived at a point where two great leaders of the free world ? Bush and Sharon - are contemplating giving a large part of Israel to mortal enemies of the Jews in return for nothing? Loss of faith? Temporary insanity?
God only knows.
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Stan Beer, a business and technology journalist, lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Just two short years ago, in the midst of some of the worst acts of terrorism against innocent civilians in modern history, it appeared as if George W. Bush, and even many of his political opponents, had finally come to recognise Yasser Arafat and his cronies for what they are ? thugs and terrorists. Official US policy remained what it had always been ? strong support for Israel and definitely no independent Palestinian State.
Then, one fateful day in September 2001, the horror of Islamic terrorism struck the land of the free and home of the brave. As the Twin Towers came tumbling down, killing thousands of innocent people going about their daily lives, vast throngs of Palestinians openly expressed unrestrained joy, dancing in the streets of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Americans, already numbed to the core at the horrific, unprovoked devastation of 9/11, were dumbfounded at the mindless hatred gushing forth from a people seemingly devoid of what civilised people consider to be the normal emotions of humanity.
Such a spontaneous grass roots response of pure venom from ordinary Palestinians, ranging from tiny children to the elderly, should have been a signal to the world that something was drastically wrong with these people. How could they possibly have degenerated to a level where they encourage even little children to celebrate the mindless death and destruction of innocents? How could they have sunken to the depths of encouraging their own pubescent sons and daughters to become kamikaze mass murderers of innocent women and children? How could they have allowed a hateful anti-Semitic education system to be implemented, which breeds antisocial misfits instead of productive members of society?
It was obvious that the Palestinian mindset had been thoroughly tainted with the twin sicknesses of blind hatred, and vitriol toward the Jews and their perceived sponsor, the United States. Terrorist and Palestinian were two words that often appeared in adjacent positions in the sentences of many articles. One would think, therefore, that with a declaration of war on terror, in which a President announced: ?You?re either with us or against us?, that people who openly show their delight at a horrendous terrorist act should be considered enemies.
Nothing of the sort, it seems.
In fact, the more the Palestinians exposed their policy of terror and their agenda of genocide toward the Jews of Israel, the more the rest of the world, including the US, moved toward their position. Just three weeks after Palestinians whooped it up to celebrate the horror of 9/11, President Bush announced a major US policy shift ? support for an independent Palestinian State. One can only imagine how that one went down in the Palestinian streets: ?Gee, this terrorism stuff really works. Let?s really go for it and see if we can get him to de-recognise Israel.? Needless to say, bloody terrorism in Israel, wrought by the hands of Palestinians, simply intensified in the ensuing months and has continued almost without pause up until the present day.
Thus, Israel finds itself in a situation today where its closest ally, the US, has sought to reward its worst enemy, the Palestinian Authority, an enemy that continues to deny the right of Jews to exist in their homeland. Despite intensified terrorism, absolutely no concessions or compromise, and undisguised contempt and hostility to all things Jewish and most things American, Mr Bush has shifted US policy over the past 18 months to supporting the Palestinians? demand for their very own terrorist state. This new independent state, filled with screaming, hate-filled, unrepentant anti-Semitic Arab fanatics, would supposedly co-exist in peace with a ?secure Israel?. What?s more, the CIA will train and re-arm a new Palestinian ?police force? that will overnight undergo a miraculous transformation from being murderous thugs to protectors of law and order, presumably wielding the latest in modern US-made weaponry.
It all sounds like one big sick joke, but, unfortunately, Bush is deadly serious. Furthermore, Israel?s very own champion of conservative Zionist values, Ariel Sharon, a leader that all Jews believed would always stand firm in the face of adversity, appears to have collapsed in a heap, making the joke even sicker. Sharon now not only accepts the establishment of a Palestinian state, but, incredibly, suggests that Jews will eventually have to vacate their own legitimately acquired land in Judea and Samaria.
It has often been said over the past year and a half that 9/11 changed the world forever. This is indeed true. Among other things, that fateful day in September brought home to the free world the fact that it was under attack from forces of evil. Jews, who in the ensuing months watched Israel being unmercifully pilloried in the media, and European Jews being attacked in the streets of Paris, received a stark reminder that the words ?never again? hold no sway with our sworn enemies.
Israel is the shield of the Jewish nation and every inch of its land ? including Judea, Samaria and Gaza - has been fought for at the cost of much Jewish blood. No one on Earth has the right to take any part of Israel from the Jews. How in heaven?s name have we arrived at a point where two great leaders of the free world ? Bush and Sharon - are contemplating giving a large part of Israel to mortal enemies of the Jews in return for nothing? Loss of faith? Temporary insanity?
God only knows.
-------------------------------------------------
Stan Beer, a business and technology journalist, lives in Melbourne, Australia.