Paper on Israel Palestine Conflict

The following papers were presented to Ambassador Brownback; Securing Safe Zones for Refugees, Religious freedom and prosperity of a nation, State Departments’ visitors’ program, Religious freedom in India and now this one on Israel Palestine conflict.

I will be talking about this next week, if you have suggestions, please share, a lot has been written about it at http://www.IsraelPalestineDialogue.com

Thanks to Al-bilad Daily Newspaper for publishing this paper http://www.albiladdailyeng.com/paper-israel-palestine-conflict/

Please visit www.RamadanNews.com – everything you wanted to know about Ramadan is here!

A summary of the issues;

Israel Palestine conflict is not going on for thousands of years, it is new, and began with the Balfour declaration in 1917. The actual flare-up started in 1948 with the creation of Israel. For the Jewish immigrants, mainly the survivors of Holocaust, it was a battle for survival, and for the Palestinians, it was a battle to live in their own homes against forcible evictions.

The leadership of the western nations had the arrogance to believe that their solutions were the best and imposed it on others. They were rooted in disrespect for the culture of other people. Even though they talked about equal rights, deep down they believed they are more privileged than the others.

The Colonist left a mess while departing from their colonies. They did that with India and Pakistan, and they have done it in the Middle East. We cannot blame them after 70 years; we have to blame the current regimes that are aggravating the conflicts and passing the misery on to the next generation.

I support Israel and a homeland for Jews; they have been deprived of the sense of security throughout their history. The Jewish people, in general, want nothing but safety, but their political leadership is doing everything to keep them from having it. It is wrong for the administration of Israel to do unto Palestinians, what was done to them.

Security to Israelis and justice to the Palestinians are interdependent, and one will not happen without the other.

Jews have a need to be understood and be acknowledged for their eternal security needs, not the military, but mental security where they can put their guards down and live their lives in peace.

Palestinians have a need to be understood. They have suffered immeasurably, no human should be stripped of his or her hope and dignity; hope to have a family, work and own a house and call a place their homeland.

As Americans, we need to be above reproach and seek justice for one and all.

The policies of the current Israeli leadership will continue to be a source of insecurities for Israelis in the long haul unless Israel is willing to annihilate the Palestinians, which they have attempted repeatedly.

This week the UN passed the resolutions to void the Jerusalem as Capital of Israel. 128 nations including our allies voted, and only seven countries reluctantly voted against it, since they live off our aid. Over the last 70 years, 95% of the community of nations vote one way, and about 4% of countries vote the other way, and usually, our representative in the United Nations vetoes that vote. It is like slapping on the face of 190 some nations and letting them know that their vote is worthless. It results in resentment towards America, and Israel. That resentment is wrongfully called Anti-Semitism. We must condemn real Anti-Semitism with all our hearts, minds and might, but not the anger.

What can we do?

First, we need to quit blaming the Palestinians for their rockets, and understand that they live in open prisons, they cannot go to a hospital, the children harassed, their homes are forcibly taken and bulldozed, their land is taken, and settlements are built in violation of all civility.

What can they do, the world did not do anything for them for 70 years but blame. The only thing they can do is throw rocks at the oppressors or commit suicide as the proud Jewish people did at Masada. As Americans we need to respect human dignity, whether Palestinians “behave” or not, we have the responsibility to do the right thing. Injustice to one will create ripples and affect all of us one way or the other.

Secondly, we need to demand that parties sit down and come out with a solution, we have that right, and we should tie our $3 billion a year donations to bring peace. If you cannot make peace, you don’t get our support. I hope we value righteousness over politics. The dominant party is always in the position to negotiate peace provided they don’t look down upon the weak. Both the American and Israeli leaders need to shelve the arrogance of superiority over the Palestinians, if we can treat, feel and act as equals, all of us will have peace and security. That is the bottom line.

Finally, we need to hold a conference, and I will be happy to organize one to find solutions. We are competent people, and we can do it. I am a part of Israeli Palestinian Federation and have written extensively on the topic at http://www.IsraelPalestineDialogue.com

Request to NGO’s –
Support this initiative.

Request to the Ambassador/ DOS

Commission a survey to see what Americans want, and represent their interest at the United Nations. The study must also include responses from the Jewish Americans.

I suggest that we ask Netanyahu and Abbas to visit at least a dozen children a week of the other populations, look them in their eyes and promise them, that they can hope for a better future and assure them that they are not their villains.

We need to take a firm stand on one state or two state solutions, if it is one state, we the people who stand for human rights, need to encourage it to be an authentic democracy and not have more privileges to one group over the other.

Mighty empires can crush the weak for a short term; in the long run, everyone goes down the tube. We cannot rob anyone and live with a good conscience.

Finally, what will we answer our Grandchildren for passing the problem to them? I am sure they will ask if we did not dare to do so.

Religious Scriptures are a part of the problem

Part of the issue of the Israel Palestine conflict is based on misinterpreted sacred scriptures, and the other parts of the equation are security and justice.

All of us have reduced God’s wisdom to be bigoted, discriminative, and partial. Is this our God? Jesus is not going to hurry up and come down on the earth until the Israeli politicians kill all the Jews and Muslims. The Son of God is not in the business of terrorizing people. What kind of promise is that where God rewards massacring of the people? What kind of God is that who rejects others and accepts only one religion? These are serious flaws in our understanding of religions for thousands of years; it is time to correct these errors in our understanding of the Just God.

Is this God happy that we have killed 58 people in Gaza in the latest bout of ethnic cleansing, wounded hundreds, and continue to shoot the unarmed?

Take a look at the following misinterpretations of the verses, and let me know if God could have said something like that. May I suggest you to say what is right, rather than pleasing a ‘few’ Pastors, Imams, Rabbis, Pundits or religious men.

A few Jews believe that they are the chosen people. A few Christians believe Jesus’ arrival will wipe out everyone but Christianity. A few Muslims think Islam is the only religion acceptable to God. A few Hindus, Sikhs and others have similar arrogant attitudes that they are the best, scientific or the oldest and wisest. Indeed, none of the religions are wrong; the flaw is in our understanding.

God is not a little guy; God is the creator. Should we reduce his words of wisdom to the narrow, exclusive claims as in above?

Knock off Religion from Israel Palestine Conflict

As we start applying common sense to understand the deeper meaning of these verses, maybe we can knock off the religious aspect from the conflict and focus on the land aspect, which may be more comfortable. No one is more privileged than others, and no one is more than equal.
Religions are always used and abused to suit one’s greed. Indeed, all of us have reduced God’s wisdom to be bigoted, discriminative, and partial. Is this really our God?

As we chose representatives to govern us on our terms, we need to appoint a reformatted God that cares for every human and guide us.

Thanks to America, more and more religions are moving towards their central values, which are a common denominator of beneficence, and thanks to each group for chiseling out the fluff. America will eventually have its own version of Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Shinto, Paganism, Zoroastrianism, Tao, Dao, Wicca, and others. Judaism and Christianity have already established reformed versions, others are working on it. I clearly see that.

Your precise comments will be selected to go into the report.

The author is President of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

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Mike Ghouse
Center for Pluralism
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