Happy New Year...Same 'ol blog...same 'ol opinions...

Firstly, let me say Happy and Healthy New Year to you all.

I'm still in London, and I apologise for not blogging more often - oddly, I've bought a journal - so I'm multi-tasking...

Now, I ask that you click on the title link and read the article in full - THEN...read my response (which I submitted to CNN) - doubt that they'll read it, but I sent it anyways...

just in case here's the link - http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/09/btsc.wedeman.bush/index.html

Same 'ol Ellie, eh kids??

Here's my response below:

The following is a response to CNN's Ben Wederman's report on President Bush's trip to Israel and the Mid-East. Mr. Wederman made mention of the fact that President Bush would be traveling to Gaza and the West Bank but would not be getting a "behind the scenes look" at the plight of the Palestinians - and he's right, the Palestinians are suffering - and its all because of Israel.

Israel created the infrastructure, the roads, the electric grids, the homes, the sewage systems etc., which one finds throughout Gaza. When Israel was the occupying force in the territory, when it had its defensive measures in place to protect Jews living in Gaza - it was Israel's fault that the Arab (be they Christian or Muslim) population was made to suffer. When the Arabs and indeed much of the world demanded that Israel walk away from the Gaza strip - and hand over full control to the Palestinian Authority, it did so; at a painful cost. Today, the area is run by Hamas, there are no Jews, no Israelis present in Gaza. Gazans are free to travel from the Northern point of the Strip to the Southern point, free to bask in the beautiful beaches of the Strip - and not a single "occupier - (read Jew/Israeli)" is there to prevent that. Yet, its still Israel's fault that Gazans are suffering.

Israel and indeed Israel's supporters cannot (read USA) cannot nor should not be held liable to a ridiculous double standard that much of the world's media and influential body-politic (read UN) impose upon her. When, tell me, will it be the responsibility of the Palestinians (be it Hamas, PA, whomever) to take care of themselves? When will they be held accountable for their own degradation of their surroundings? Perhaps, just perhaps, if the ruling terrorist, yes, terrorist - anyone that condones, recruits, applauds for the suicidal killing/torture of its own peoples, along with those of innocent others is in my books, a terrorist - perhaps, if they weren't too busy building bombs, but rather fixing roads, perhaps instead of building tunnels to smuggle arms, if they were building foundations for revamped housing, or schools, or hospitals - if they held telethons to raise millions of dollars amongst Arab countries, not for the buying of armaments, but for the collection of food and diapers and clothing - maybe, just maybe, the situation in Gaza might be a bit better, don't you think?

I have accepted Israel's doghouse status in the world - Israel can never do enough good, only evil in this world...but that will not deter me from pointing out to your readers and reporters the truth - the fate of the Palestinians rests squarely on their own shoulders. Palestinians that support governments that condone the use of terror, that call for the destruction of Israel, will only be met with determined defense and conviction by Israel and her supporters. Palestinians brave enough to forge ahead for peace, will have to struggle to depose those ruthless and savage "people" who are determined to see their own people fail and suffer.

Israel is not responsible for the Palestinians. Israelis are not responsible for Palestinians...I have yet to hear about Arab-nation states that have helped their brethren. It seems as though, the Palestinians are responsible for themselves...and its time they started demanding better for themselves.

I ask you Mr. Wederman, will President Bush visit a classroom of Palestinians learning about their Israeli neighbours? Will he visit a mosque that preaches peace and love with her Jewish neighbours? Will President Bush visit any other Arab nation (asides from the cold peace between Egypt and Jordan) that is willing to make sacrifices for Peace? Has any other state in the region have any leaders who are not interested in self-preservation and greed? Will President Bush get to see Saudi classroom texts that call for the destruction of Israel and the Jews (assuming that those textbooks even recognize the State of Israel in the first place)??

The point is - Israel is not perfect, and we all know this, but to square the blame for the plight of Palestinians squarely on her shoulders is ridiculous. I suppose next we ought to blame the farmers of the mid-western US for agreeing to send their sons and daughters to countries like Afghanistan and Iraq - perhaps we ought to drudge up these patriots and charge them with crimes against humanity and blame the plight of innocent Iraqis/Afghans squarely on their shoulders - we might as well...its only a short connection of the dots...something you don't have issue with doing at the moment.

You need to understand that browbeating THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC AND TRULY FREE NATION-STATE IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS NOT GOING TO WIN YOU MUCH SUPPORT.

Why not more coverage of women's rights in Iran or Saudi Arabia? How about some behind-the-scenes stories at the treatment of non-Muslims in some of Israel's neighbouring countries?

Or is it Israel's fault that those people are suffering too?

Imagine sir, if you will the following scenario:

22 nation-states in the Middle East. 21 of whom are predominately Jewish in religion/culture. 1 Arab state. How many wars do we have then? How much hatred exists? How many executions? Beheadings? Calls for Jihad? Roadside bombs? Scud-rocket attacks? Invasions? Calls for genocide/Acts of genocide? Flag burnings? Tortures? Kidnappings?

Yes, clearly, Israel is to blame...