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Posts Tagged ‘peace’

28
October
2010

It’s been a long time since I …

Well, Led Zeppelin would say “Rock N’ Roll” but I’ll settle for “written on my blog”. No it’s not because there is an all out war in Israel, and certainly not because I do not care about my readers, just been a bit busy, life takes you by surprise when you least expect it, you know what they say.

Another reason I was absent for a while is the lack of sensations lately, no riots, no one is threatening anyone, and it seems too peaceful for the middle east, the end of days perhaps? Time will tell ;)

in any case, the national morale is rising, economy is improving significantly and people on the streets are smiling again after the long period of economic darkness the world experienced, but is that all there is to it? Talking to Israelis, who are well adjusted to such peaceful periods being followed by a period of chaos and uncertainty you will learn that althoug everything seems well, we are planning for the worst. Maybe it’s a Jewish thing, but we are not really used to not being persecuted or threatened at least once a week.

Juts the other day I opened my radio and when they didn’t say anything about some foreign politician condemning Israel for something, I thought the radio was broken, I cannot remember a time when Israel was not condemned for something, anything, selling too orange oranges to other countries, buying too much soda, taking a too long afternoon nap on weekends – anything.

Sarcasm aside, I really do feel, like many of my countrymen, something is “going down” something is boiling underneath awaiting to erupt, I just hope we will have the power to contain it when it does.

Cheers and have a great weekend.

26
August
2010

Peace talks? Where?

Israel prime minister Mr. Binyamin Netanyahu agreed to have direct peace talks with the Palestinian Authority, in CNN there is a nicely written article about the issue trying to view it from an optimistic point of view although it is written as if there is no hope of success.

Here are a couple of reasons why these negotiations will be futile:

Nobody even noticed there are scheduled peace talks.

In the Oslo talks, Madrid talks and almost any other peace talks, things heated up to a boiling point – at least here in Israel. The newspapers wrote about it weeks before it began, Television delayed other shows to make to for commentators and political advisors in special TV shows.

Until yesterday, a day after the announcement was made, the local newspapers did not even mention the issue in the front page, other issues are apparently more interesting.

From what I understand, the Palestinians are no better press wise.

The Palestinians layout demands before the process even starts.

This have always been a fail point for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Israel will not agree to anything prior to sitting at the negotiations tables, even more so when the Palestinians keep firing rockets and missiles on Israeli cities and “Demand” that Israel will extend the moratorium regarding building at the settlements as if this is the only thing stopping them from making peace.

And the most important reason:

The Palestinians don’t want peace! – I am not talking about people on the street, I am quite sure that there are many that do, but the politicians – i.e. the hamas, and Islamic Jihad and their leaders are quite happy with how things are. The can always blame Israel for the poverty, lack of food, lack of basic services to people and in fact – everything bad, while they do they incite their people against Israel, the Palestinians believe their leaders and keep voting for them and the wheel goes round.

If there is no war with Israel, there is no reason for the Hamas or Islamic Jihad to exist now is there?

Thats the main reason why peace will never make the middle east it’s home, in countries where militants rule and the masses go after them like a herd of sheep “in the name of allah” there can never be peace.

If I was Mr. Netanyahu – I would decline and not go to any peace talks – until the Palestinians show real sincere intent for making peace. In other words – Show Me you Wanna make peace of STOP wasting my time

29
July
2010

Nonconstructive Sanctions?

Iran showed it’s resentfulness on recent European Sanction following Iran’s persistent will to achieve nuclear abilities. The Iranians are claiming that these sanction are “neither assisting the negotiations nor do they impose any harm on Iran”.

I only have a couple of things to say to the Iranian leadership:

  1. Sanctions are not supposed to be constructive – at least not when they are imposed against you, these sanctions are supposed to be destructive and nonconstructive as to make the country against which they are imposed change it’s way and agree with the international community.
  2. The whole world knows that Iran is NOT crating nuclear weapons for peaceful purposes. So stop acting like 4 year old and stop showing your stupid grin saying “We want nuclear power for peaceful purposes…”, yeah and Hitler only wanted to see how world domination feels like. In short – Iran will never have nuclear capabilities, just as Iraq didn’t (hint).
  3. What negotiations are the Iranian talking about?no one is negotiating anything – the world Demands that Iran will stop enriching Uranium and cease all nuclear development – no one is negotiating with you! Besides there is a saying:”If one person tells you you’re drunk – tell him to piss off, if two people tell you you’re drunk tell them to piss of, if everyone tells you you’re drunk ….. go to sleep….”.

To sum it all, Iran probably thinks the international community is playing it’s game, like Bart Simpson they are saying “we didn’t do anything , nobody saw us do it, you can’t prove anything…” but I can I assure the Iranian government – you can test the worlds patience for so long…. afterwords there will be no talking just the ruins of what used to be Iran….

25
March
2010

Peace of cake

Did anyone ask the Palestinians in the street what they really want? If a country is what the average Palestinian wanted the whole middle east conflict would have been finished long ago. I think that what most people want, be they Palestinians, Israelis etc is to live in peace, the problem is that we have these politicians and religion people which make a fuss over nothing.

What’s with the blaming or arguing over a few square miles? Is that worth killing yourself for? If peace was the real goal, would a couple of houses here and there stop such a process?

I think some people simply have to justify their positions and make it look like they do something “for their people” otherwise they have no right of existence, and with that in mind both sides send their people to fight and die.

My guess ( after talking with some of my Arab friends ) is that most Palestinians do not want a Palestinian country led by Palestinians, they see their “brothers” in the neighboring countries and I really don’t think anyone would want to live in such fear, but the leadership in Palestine keeps motivating them to keep fighting because “Israel stole their land”. Let me ask you something, what will the average Palestinian get if a Palestinian country will be established? NOTHING, even less then what they have now. The whole infrastructure in the west bank is Israeli. Electricity, cellular phones, land phones you name it – whatever technology Israel has, they have it too.

No one can deny the fact that Israel provides more jobs to Palestinians then they could ever provide themselves, in that case, a country with closed borders will not be such a good idea for most of them, they will not be able to pass freely (as they do today) and most of them will not be able to make a living.

I think most Palestinians know that, I think the Palestinian leadership knows that and I think that is exactly why they will never sign any peace treaty. But – fighting and war have always been a great way to make money and gain power and I think that is exactly what they are doing.

They know that Israel will NEVER give Jerusalem up and that’s why they keep insisting on this matter – to make the peace process – everlasting – without ever reaching the real goal – peace.

18
March
2010

Disputed land in peace talks

I guess politicians do not really understand the situation here in Israel and the surrounding area called the middle east. President Obama asked the Israeli government to suspend the building of 1600 residential houses in east Jerusalem which are, in his yes, disputed lands.

I wish to clarify some things:

First, Jerusalem has never been nor is it considered a land in dispute. It is part of Israel and will never break apart from it freely. Until everyone around the globe understands it, there is no real chance of a peace treaty. Otherwise, Israel would have given it back and avoid all the conflicts which it has suffered all these years.

Second, president Obama asked Israel to stop building in the territories to show “good will”… here’s a suggestion for Mr. Obama, why don’t you ask the Palestinian government who acts like a terrorist regime to free the poor Gilad Shalit to show good will. I think it will also show that we are dealing with a real government and not with a terrorist organization. Keeping prisoners and not allowing any contact with them – not even to UN representatives is not the action a country wishing for peace takes.

Third, Personally, I do not believe there will ever be peace between Israel and the Palestinians, the conflict is so old no one even remembers why it started, and the demands from the Palestinians (if they could say them freely) is that Israel will vanish from the globe along with all the jews in it. With that kind of approach, I do not see a way for peace to reside.

One must understand, Israel doe’s not build its army for conquest, if we did, we could have conquered half the middle east by now, but the fact is that NEVER did Israel got into a conflict by it’s own will, we were always forced to engage after being provoked, so why are we always considered the aggressor? Because we have tanks? Because we have airplane? YES, we do have a strong army, and we do maintain it, but wouldn’t you? How did you think Israel survived all these years with enemies around it threatening to annihilate it i the first chance they get? No with good will I tell you that.

The fact is that Israel survived until today by being strong and making all it’s enemies shiver by only thinking to launch a strike on it. That is why we will always have an army, and we will always have conflicts. One must take into account, that the Palestinians are the the Canadians living up north being good neighbors and behaving politely. They launch missiles daily – though it doesn’t make the news because – it’s not news anymore – it’s routine!

If Canada would launch rockets on the US I am not sure how many Americans would like to negotiate a peace treaty with Canada…

14
February
2010

Political statements

 

Its Ridicules in my eyes how our political leaders behave like kids in the playground. The Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Netanyahu said today in the Israeli Parliament that “Israel’s goal is to make peace with it’s neighbors” after a week of militant statements from both side one would call even threats.

I think that if I took my 4 years old daughter and put her in front of a Syrian 4 years old girl – they would make peace and all will be well, but as it seems – we adults, and politicians especially, must be heard. We say things we don’t mean, we act not upon our will but with pride and honor as our guides when the basic principle is the same, no one wants to die, no one wants their people suffering and no country needs the burden of war on it’s shoulders so what is so difficult? Why does everything have to be so complicated?

 

I think complexity is another word for opportunity in the politics world, the complex a problem is the more people need to work on it, teams, councils, committees and many other words politics invented for that purpose, when in fact, all that needs to be done is just sit down and decide! – no need for advisers, mediators or any other disturbance, just the will to make things happen, be it peace, prosperity, progress or any other issue which our politicians are in charge of.

Its Ridicules in my eyes how our political leaders behave like kids in the playground. The Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Netanyahu said today in the Israeli Parliament that “Israel’s goal is to make peace with it’s neighbors” after a week of militant statements from both side one would call even threats.

I think that if I took my 4 years old daughter and put her in front of a Syrian 4 years old girl – they would make peace and all will be well, but as it seems – we adults, and politicians especially, must be heard. We say things we don’t mean, we act not upon our will but with pride and honor as our guides when the basic principle is the same, no one wants to die, no one wants their people suffering and no country needs the burden of war on it’s shoulders so what is so difficult? Why does everything have to be so complicated?

 

I think complexity is another word for opportunity in the politics world, the complex a problem is the more people need to work on it, teams, councils, committees and many other words politics invented for that purpose, when in fact, all that needs to be done is just sit down and decide! – no need for advisers, mediators or any other disturbance, just the will to make things happen, be it peace, prosperity, progress or any other issue which our politicians are in charge of.

13
February
2010

Peace for peace

There is nothing most Israelis would like having then peace in our region especially with our neighbors.  With that said, I guess peace comes at a cost for those who wish it, I mean for peace to be or more accurate – real peace – a peace treaty is not enough, no piece of paper can make people live together with no quarrel and both sides should have the same goal – to live together, benefit from each other and prosper.

In recent peace negotiations Israel had with some Arab countries, the main subject have always been – “what will Israel give for peace” be it land, laws, real estate, letting criminals go etc etc, That puzzles me a bit, as the first phrase of this article states – for real peace to be – both sides should want it above all, Israel is not a supermarket where you can get in and ask for whatever you want, we do want peace but a real one and more importantly – not at all cost.

If Syria, the Palestinians, Lebanon (Hizbollah) or any other side of a peace treaty with Israel, would really want peace they would not put impossible terms and conditions before even sitting on the negotiation table, that means, in my eyes at least,  that the peace they want is merely hoax, let me tell you a little secret: If the Palestinians wanted real peace and were willing to live peacefully, trade  and basically be good neighbors, I am quite sure Israel would let go of any territory they ask – After a while in which the peace would be tested (a couple of years) and israel sees no threat from the Palestinian side. same goes for syria, Hizbollah (Lebanon) and the rest of our neighbors. But – I assure you – no Israeli will be willing to let go of the Golan heights (Ramat Hagolan) which is strategic piece of land which today may be a big problem should anyone attack Israel from there, for any kind of peace.

One more thing – Terrorism and war threats are only a nuisance for Israel – Israel cannot be brought down on it’s knees today, we are the most powerful country in the region with strong international bonds and relationships which will keep it here forever – although some Muslim radicals think and preach against peace and think they can bother Israel enough to make us change our mind to them I say – look at the history. What they are doing now is nothing compared to what Israel had to go through in the past be it wars, kidnaps, terrorism or anything else and we still stayed and did not change our international stand regarding peace, why would it change because some bombs or missiles?

The thing is Israelis understand that there is no other way – and it’s either peace or continue fighting forever – some of our neighbors I guess don’t think so – I guess they still think they can move the Jews out of Israel or “drive Jews into the sea”, gladly I say – it’s not going to happen, if Israel will be threatened enough, it will probably unleash it’s full military power and after Israel does that – I don’t think anyone would want to live in the region.

I really do hope that peace will take it’s course and the middle east will be a pleasant place to live and travel, but for that to happen, everyone here must want it – really want it – not just in the media.