Arab and Muslim supporters of democracy and Israel

[PlanetWarrior]

Wtf is this thread all about? Self pitying Zionists seeking love from self pitying Islamists. C'mon give yourselves a hug all round and move on. Nobody really takes your mudslinging at each other seriously anymore. The rest of the world just regards the animosity between you two groups as a major pain in the rear. It may pay dividends to those not involved in your little shenanigans. Other than that, nada

 

[Pakistanisage]

This is lies. This is propaganda.
The Arabs are not the indigenous people of Sammaria and Judea. The Arabs have come into the land of Israel as conquerors and occupiers.
* The Jews had three independent states in this land before the establishment of Israel, the Arabs had ZERO.
* There was always a Jewish population in Israel despite the prosecution by the Greeks, Romans, Crusaders and Muslims.
* The vast majority of Arabs who live in this land immigrated into Israel in the last few centuries, just like the vast majority of the Jews came here in the last few centuries as well. Before that this land has been described as barren.
* Genetically it has been proven in every study that the origin of Ashkenazi ("European") Jews is from the Middle east.
* The Palestinians had no historical heritage earlier than this century, they name is twisted from the Tribal Philistines who were of Greek origin and not Arab, many of whom are described as gingers.
* Colonialism is what the Muslims did to Israel, but since then many centuries have past and we accept your presence and wish to work together for a better future, while many of the Arabs/Muslims choose sadly to nurture hate, which based on lies and propaganda. just like your piece right here.
* Arab countries controlled the West Bank and Gaza for 17 years, they never even considered to give autonomy to the Arabs who lived there (now called Palestinians), not to mention independence neither did the Arabs asked for this, since most of them were descendents of immigrants from Egypt and Jordan anyway.

It saddens me that an intelligent person like yourself chooses to tell lies. Or was the brainwashing really that successful? well that's a reason for sorrow as well.

Some more revisionist History by the ZIONIST BRIGADE.......

 

[Battle of Kursk]

True democracy cannot happen without liberalism, and Zionism is antithetical to liberalism since, by definition, it elevates the rights of one group over others.

Notice the contortions Zionists need to go through to preserve the "Jewish" character of Israel while maintaining the fiction of an egalitarian society.

P.S. To give you one example, Israeli law requires all members of the Knesset to affirm that Israel is a Jewish state. Can you imagine the uproar if the Egyptian MB required a similar oath from the Egyptian coptic members?

Lies again, not surprising. Zionism, as I have pointed out before and you surely know is just a name for Jewish nationalistic movement. It has nothing to do with the rights of any other group. In effect you are saying that European countries were never liberal while being also nationalistic, by definition. Which is obviously wrong. I presume you are just counting on the fact that the Arab lies and propaganda is doing well in distorting the meaning of words to suit them.

You are also lying on the count of the Israeli law. For example this is what one of the Israeli MK has said:

"Balad's concept, which rejects the 'Jewish state' idea, is the only idea that can remove [Avigdor] Lieberman from the circle of political and moral legitimacy... When you agree with the 'Jewish state' idea, you necessarily agree with the idea of loyalty to this state. Rejecting the 'Jewish state' concept will block the road for anyone who demands our loyalty to such a state."[7] Zoabi sees no difference between Lieberman and more mainstream Israeli politicians, saying that Lieberman, Tzipi Livni, and Benjamin Netanyahu are "all a bunch of fascists pure and simple."

- Hanin Zuabi (Balad is the name of the party), yet they were not disqualified.


Let me get this straight, you have no problem with Pro Muslim disposition in Muslim countries and call this natural. But when Israel has pro Jewish disposition (on much smaller scale) then it's suddenly it's something wrong? hypocritical much.

 

[Battle of Kursk]

There are Israeli historians who claim that the modern Jews in Israel are not descended from the ancient Hebrews of Palestine, but from other regional converts.

Yes, we promote freedom of thought. And where there is freedom there would always be eccentrics who believe anything.
This guy is a historian, but his expertise is in history of modern France and Europe. He chose to write about ancient Jewish history based on his political view and has never done a throughout research on the subject.
Just as you would not take a design of a bridge drawn by an electric engineer I see no reason to take the views of Zand on the subject that is out of his area of expertise.

By the way what he said there was refuted in later genetic studies:

In June 2010, an article in Newsweek titled "The DNA Of Abraham's Children" addresses through genetic analysis the centuries-old assertion, which the article claims has been revived by the book, that modern European Jews are descended from Khazars, a Turkic group, and not from the Middle East: "The DNA has spoken: no."

This guy is an eccentric in this field. Would you treat the much throughout research done by many other Israeli Historians on the Jewish origins? Researches that are actually backed by historical artifacts from the middle east and Europe, as well as by genetics?

 

[Developereo]

You are also lying on the count of the Israeli law.

ICL - Israel - Basic Law: The Knesset

Section 7a Prevention of Participation of Candidates List

A candidates' list shall not participate in elections to the Knesset if its objects or actions, expressly or by implication, include one of the following:
(1) negation of the existence of the State of Israel as the state ofthe Jewish people;
(2) negation of the democratic character of the State;
(3) incitement to racism.

Let me get this straight, you have no problem with Pro Muslim disposition in Muslim countries and call this natural. But when Israel has pro Jewish disposition (on much smaller scale) then it's suddenly it's something wrong? hypocritical much.

No one here is claiming that accepting Islamism is a sine qua non for being a democratic state. I was responding to the claim in one of the articles that Arabs cannot have true democracy unless they accept Israel and Zionism.

My claim is that Arabs cannot have democracy until they accept their Jewish citizens as equals. Accepting Zionism has no relevance.

This guy is an eccentric in this field. Would you treat the much throughout research done by many other Israeli Historians on the Jewish origins? Researches that are actually backed by historical artifacts from the middle east and Europe, as well as by genetics?

That's fine. His argument is but one of many.

Even without it, the Jews were but one of many tribes in the ancient land. The ancestors of Palestinians were also amongst the early indigenous tribes. The ancient Hebrews rose up for a while, colonized the rest of the land, and were beaten back, as were other tribes. There is nothing special about the Hebrews that they should be entitled to claim the whole of the land.

 

[Battle of Kursk]

@Developereo

you have written that:

Israeli law requires all members of the Knesset to affirm that Israel is a Jewish state.

Such affirmation is not required. Zoabi for example has never affirmed that Israel is the state pf the Jewish people yet has been an MK twice. She is not the only example.

My claim is that Arabs cannot have democracy until they accept their Jewish citizens as equals. Accepting Zionism has no relevance.

I was referring to this part which you wrote, which is pretty clear in itself.

"Notice the contortions Zionists need to go through to preserve the "Jewish" character of Israel while maintaining the fiction of an egalitarian society."

There are no "contortions" to preserve the Jewish nature of Israel. Since Israel is a Jewish state much like KSA, Egypt and Indonesia are Muslim states, there are dispositions toward Judaism in symbols etc. Never heard you call the affinity towards Islam in other countries as "contortions".

That's fine. His argument is but one of many.

Even without it, the Jews were but one of many tribes in the ancient land. The ancestors of Palestinians were also amongst the early indigenous tribes. The ancient Hebrews rose up for a while, colonized the rest of the land, and were beaten back, as were other tribes. There is nothing special about the Hebrews that they should be entitled to claim the whole of the land.

Not so, his views are in a minority among historians, and are described as radical (not just concerning this topic, he was described as always favoring the radical thesis in every subject).

The ancestors of Palestinians were also amongst the early indigenous tribes.

That's not only a bold lie, this is clearly rewriting history. The Arabs left the Arabian Peninsula over a thousand years after said period. In fact up till a few decades back both Jews and Arabs who lived in Palestina were called Palestinians.(Palestina was a name given by Romans after the Jewish rebellion, nothing to do with Arabs)
My great parents have "Palestinian" written in their passport.

Do you have any data to show there were Arabs in the land of Palestina/Israel before counting?

Hard to believe how bold people have become in re-writing history...

 

[Developereo]

Such affirmation is not required. Zoabi for example has never affirmed that Israel is the state pf the Jewish people yet has been an MK twice. She is not the only example.

Has anyone challenged the Jewishness of Israel and been in the Knesset?

There are no "contortions" to preserve the Jewish nature of Israel.

The Law of Return itself is the biggest contortion to maintain the Jewish nature of Israel. It is discriminatory.

Never heard you call the affinity towards Islam in other countries as "contortions".

Once again, if those countries claimed to be standard bearers of liberalism, then they would be challenged. If Israelis accept that Zionism is antithetical to liberalism, then there is no issue.

Not so, his views are in a minority among historians, and are described as radical (not just concerning this topic, he was described as always favoring the radical thesis in every subject).



That's not only a bold lie, this is clearly rewriting history. The Arabs left the Arabian Peninsula over a thousand years after said period. In fact up till a few decades back both Jews and Arabs who lived in Palestina were called Palestinians.(Palestina was a name given by Romans after the Jewish rebellion, nothing to do with Arabs)
My great parents have "Palestinian" written in their passport.

Do you have any data to show there were Arabs in the land of Palestina/Israel before counting?

Hard to believe how bold people have become in re-writing history...

What you call 'rewriting history', others call history and they call your claims rewriting. Everything in Israel/Palestine is tinged with politics. Even genetic studies point all over the place, depending on whom you believe and how you interpret the results.

What is undisputed is that, after WW2, the former colonies were returned to the peoples living there. The ONLY exception was Palestine, which was reserved for people migrating in from elsewhere.

 

[Battle of Kursk]

Has anyone challenged the Jewishness of Israel and been in the Knesset?

Yes, some Arab mk's do it all the time.

Once again, if those countries claimed to be standard bearers of liberalism, then they would be challenged. If Israelis accept that Zionism is antithetical to liberalism, then there is no issue.

Once again, Zionism is nationalism. are you saying that nationalism is antithetical to liberalism?

The Law of Return itself is the biggest contortion to maintain the Jewish nature of Israel. It is discriminatory.

You are wrong. A country has to have the same laws for all it's citizens. The laws a country has for non citizens is foreign policy and in no way is a country required to act the same towards all non citizens. The laws are the same for all citizens, Jews or Arabs, Christians or Muslims.

What you call 'rewriting history', others call history

You can call Arabs living in the land of Israel before their invasion "history" all you like, you would still never find a single evidence to support this. Throughout history every single regional civilization has interacted with the Jews living in Israel and has left written accounts of this. Not one has left accounts of an Arab civilization in this lands prior to their invasion.
That is what rewriting history is all about my friend. You seem to not care at all about the facts

What is undisputed is that, after WW2, the former colonies were returned to the peoples living there. The ONLY exception was Palestine, which was reserved for people migrating in from elsewhere.

Actually Palestine (A name for the land given by the Romans after the JEWISH rebellion and has nothing to do with Arabs), was in fact returned to it's indigenous people. The Jews, who had multiple kingdoms in this land in the past. Unlike the Arabs/Muslims who only had Israel as a conquered colony. Even when Israel failed to retain the West bank and Gaza in the 1948 war (land which were historically parts of Israel). Even then, when those lands where in the hands of Arabs, they did not consider even once to create "Palestine", but only treated these lands as a conquered province, once again.

 

[Solomon2]

Peace on paper is not peace on the ground
By YAN BARAKAT
09/02/2013 21:12

The physical distance between Israel and Jordan is small, but the distance between the people is not something a bridge can easily join.

Rabin, Hussein and Clinton at Arava peace deal Photo: REUTERS/Jim Hollander

Despite a 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan signed by the late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein, this agreement has yet to be put in effect in the hearts of the people of the neighboring countries.

As a Jordanian, I was taught in school and at university that Israel is our first and last enemy. Why is this? People in Jordan (and almost all Arabs in the Middle East) think that Israel seeks to destroy them. It is common to hear conspiracy theories asserting that the decisions by governments of the United States, Russia and Europe that have adversely affected Arab countries can all be traced back to the Jews. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that if we stop Israel, or expel them from the Middle East, our situation will be better.

In the mosque, a prayer from the Imam asks for God to make widows of Jewish wives and orphans of Jewish children. It is common to hear the Jewish people referred to as “sons of pigs” and “killers of the prophets.” In the street, to call someone “Jewish” is a heinous insult and may well end in violence. In the minds of most, nearly any problem in the Middle East can be traced back to Israel.

One absurdity is that Jordanian cabinet members accused and blamed of corruption were suggested for their positions by Israel. An Israeli can’t even drive a car into Jordan without having to change the license plates. A sticker on products that say, “Made in Israel” will always be removed before sale. Any Jordanian looking for a visa to travel into Israel has to wait months, and approval is never guaranteed.

And there are 26 Jordanian prisoners that I don’t know when Israel will release, as a gesture of goodwill so they can return to their families.

My question is: How can we make real peace between us? Peace on paper is not enough, it needs to come from our hearts. I don’t want to lie again when I introduce Israelis to Arab friends and say that they are American or Dutch. My heart aches for those on both sides who have lost loved ones, but when will we forgive and move on so we do not lose more brothers, sisters, sons and daughters? My visit to Israel showed me how close Jordanians and Israelis actually are – just a couple of hours – but in our hearts, more than 1,000 years. I truly believe that many of my Arab friends have an open mind, but traveling on the bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, I posted on Facebook that I was pleasantly surprised for the free WiFi. Within minutes, there were nasty comments below and friends who I’d known for a decade or more blocked me on the site and deleted my mobile number. They called me to ask whether I was a spy and how much Israel paid me to say this.

My visit to Israel showed me how much work needs to be done to make one world between us – not merely a bridge.

When I crossed the border, I saw the opposite of what people told me. No policeman detained me for hours.

Instead, people were welcoming and one beautiful woman actually said, “Welcome to Israel Habibi.” It was wonderful.

I took a taxi into Jerusalem and when I told the driver I was from Jordan, he responded, “Welcome for King Hussein and his people!” I asked him, “Why not King Abdullah II?” He replied, “Why not?” On the way, he invited me to drink a Pepsi and have a chocolate. He told me, “This is a gift from Israel to Jordan.”

I said, “You are smiling and your welcome is a better gift.”

We talked with each other about peace between us. He told me that he did not think there was a genuine peace if there are people who believe that war is the first and last solution.

I told him that I trust that there are a lot of people who believe in peace from both sides but keep silent because they are timid. We are afraid of the religious and traditional people who think that having a friend from Israel is unpatriotic.

When I arrived in Jerusalem it was Friday night, I had forgotten that it was Shabbat and was surprised over how empty the streets were and that all the stores were closed. I asked one of the few people I saw how I could go about buying a SIM card and they suggested I go to the Israeli Arab neighborhoods. There, I met Arabs who love their country, Israel. After I asked one of them his opinion about racism from Jewish Israelis, he told me, “If I am in an Arab country, I will not have what I have here. If I go to a hospital, I find all the services I need.

I have insurance because of my age. I do not experience discrimination.”

The second day, I met Mickey. An Australian Israeli woman and mother with a sense of humor that never failed to lighten the darkest of conversations.

We discussed in depth the history and political issues of the Middle East and she expressed her hope to make peace with Arabs without violence. She said that this generation or a new generation might be able to find a peaceful way.

In a garden in Jerusalem, I met a religious Jewish man. He and his wife have nine children and he described each one as an expression of his faith and a gift from God. He said he loved having so many kids and he would always take care of them. I told him he was just like an Arab! I asked him about the peace agreement between Jordan and Israel and he said it was good but not enough. He said that when he went to Jordan, the police asked him, for his own protection, to change the license plates on his car and remove his hat. He asked them why he had to do these things and they simply replied that he could not receive a visa otherwise. I opined that the 1994 Peace Agreement was just between the authorities but that the hearts of the people are still in 1967.

An Israeli peace activist invited me to his home to meet and speak with more than 20 people. He opened the door for me so that I could understand Israeli culture through Israeli eyes and not through religious eyes.

Everyone in attendance welcomed me warmly, saying they had wanted to meet someone from Jordan for a long time and thought that I was their angel. They explained that a majority of Israelis do not seek enmity with Arabs, nor are they racist, but complained about a minority of ultrareligious people who do.

At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem I met with a professor who said he had a wonderful life growing up in Iraq, but being Jewish in that changing society became very difficult.

I expressed my frustration in finding a way to stop this hostility and to accept people as humans.

While there are a large number of people in Israel who want peace, there are those that are still angry with Arabs. An older religious man, who was defiant when he spoke about the grandfathers from Jordan who had fought in Israel, said he will believe in peace when it comes from the heart, when Arabs stop talking and encouraging their children to fight Jews.

There are people who have lost brothers, sisters or children in fighting and still want to make peace with Arabs. An Israeli named Jonathan said his brother was killed fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip. “He pleaded not go to Gaza, to not kill anyone,” Jonathan said. “But Hamas still fire rockets into Israel. My brother was both religious and peaceful.”

Jonathan’s father said he lost his own father in the Six Day War of 1967 and is still sad to think of how he was killed, there was no place his body wasn’t wounded by bullets. Tears welled in his eyes when he said, “I still pray to God to continue to give me peace in my heart, to forgive, and give my children [the chance] to change this land for the better.” Before I said goodbye, he encouraged me to be brave, to not quit, because this land needs peace more than water and food.

I believe the animosity towards Israel is over more than just land.

Arabs are generally happy to introduce friends from the US or England to other Arabs, despite being angry over the actions taken by these countries in the Middle East, but this would rarely happen with Jewish friends. Both sides have lost a great deal. Jewish people in the past could live side by side with Muslims in Iraq, Yemen or Libya, but after 1948, these Jews were blamed for the situation and life in these countries became more and more difficult.

Before 1948, Jewish and Arab negotiations took place between religious or military leaders, which meant that there was inevitably inflexibility on both sides and an inability to compromise. [Solomon2: Whaatt? Author can only be talking about Arab leaders here; the Jews' negotiators were politicians like Ben-Gurion or Golda Meir, unless he's counting the British military. Furthermore, Jewish leaders compromised a great deal; apparently the author is still unaware of such things.]

But in the end, it was the general population that was made to suffer, including women and children. [Author doesn't appear aware of the primary role of Jordan's armed forces in this matter.]

What can we do in response to this situation? There are many issues that keep our law makers busy today; water resources, environmental issues, agriculture, unemployment, terrorism and border security. It would be better to concentrate our resources on health and science, for example, rather than weapons. We can attempt to heal this pain between us by exchange programs for university and high school students from both countries.

Allow them to visit, to study, to learn from the other. I would like to encourage my friends here in Jordan and cousins from my tribe to visit Israel and to meet real Israelis in everyday life, to break down the stereotypes they hold onto.

I will not be intimidated by organizations which seek to enforce a boycott on those who visit Israel. I plan to visit and meet my brothers and sisters in Israel again and to listen to them, to share with them, to learn from them and to fight with them against evil ideas. Religious and political groups are stuck in entrenched positions and are enslaved by vested interests. We can love each other without signatures on agreements. I have hope that our relations will be normalized in the future because I know many Jordanians, men and women, who greatly desire the relationship between the countries to be better. When we are able to visit each other, to listen with open minds and learn from our history rather than perpetually reliving it, only then can we give our sons and daughters a better future.

The author is a Jordanian journalist.

 

[Solomon2]

Arab actor portrays Holocaust survivor

How can young Arab man play Jewish child who survived Nazis? 'Everyone who knows me accepts it. My humanism is even more important to me than acting,' says Elias Matar of northern village of I'billin

Yoav Birenberg

Published: 12.17.13, 14:30 / Israel Culture

Standing on the stage at the Children's Museum in the Ghetto Fighters' House is one child who is actually three: Rami'le, the Zionist kibbutznik from the valley, Avrahamale, the orphaned Holocaust survivor, and Elias Matar, a Christian Arab actor who portrays the two of them in the show "Avramale – the Boy from Over There."

Matar, 23, who was born in the northern village of I'billin, doesn’t get all excited when he is asked what a young Arab man has to do with these two children, who are so far away from him.

Perhaps it's because he is a graduate of the Center for Humanistic Education (CHE) at the Ghetto Fighters' House and serves as an instructor at the center for groups of Arab and Jewish youth, and mainly because he was educated to understand everyone, regardless of anyone's color, race or religion.

"The Holocaust or any other event which damages humanity are against my humanistic ideology," he says. "I will play any story which could may people live differently and accept the other, even if it is very far away from me. Any harm caused to Jews and Arabs hurts me.

"I arrived at this show very mature to play the other, the different, although the need to understand the different here is fading away, unfortunately. I am different too, like the children in the play, and I bring this complexity to their characters. The moment you release your pain and you're not constantly absorbed in it, you can also understand the pains of others, and that's what I do."

'The moment you release your pain, you can understand the pain of others.' Elias Matar Photo: Chava Barak
​

"Avramale – the Boy from Over There," written by Amit Gur and directed by Hava Cohen, complements the new exhibition at the Children's Museum in the Ghetto Fighters' House, "My Childhood Began Here," which presents the tales and rehabilitation of the Jewish children who survived World War II.

Matar, an actor at the Beit Hagefen Arab-Jewish Cultural Center in Haifa, has been part of the museum since he arrived there as a curious 16-year-old. Since then, he has obtained a bachelor's degree in social theater from Haifa University, acted at the Akko Festival and Children's Theater Festival in Haifa, joined a Haifa dance company, volunteered at the ELEM association for youth in distress and participated in international conferences on the Arab-Israeli conflict through social theater. He also writes songs for singer Miriam Tukan.

You must face many questions – from your side too – about the decision to participate in such a show and work in a museum commemorating the Holocaust.

"Definitely, but whoever knows me, on my side too – the Arab side, knows that this is who I am and accepts it. The play takes place in 1948, and I can obviously understand – just like the Holocaust surviving child or kibbutznik – what is war.

"That date sends shivers down my spine too. My family fled toLebanon in 1948 and I have not seen them to this day, not even my 98-year-old grandmother, who is very excited over the fact that I'm an actor. When I hear the sire during the show and I'm afraid as Rami'le, I immediately see my grandmother. And when I say that it must be hard growing up without a family, without a mother and father, I think about my mother."

That’s the power of theater.

"Absolutely. We're not doing an avant-garde show. That's not the intention. The fact that I'm an actor who does such roles allows me to get a better sense of the strength and magic in theater. If this spell works on me, it will work on the others as well.

"My humanistic place is the most important thing for me, even more than the creation, and that’s not just jabbering. It's my ideology, and I feel that I live for that."

 

[Solomon2]

Arab Writers Praise Israel's Technological Superiority, Morality And Democracy, Call To Learn From It And Mimic Its Success

Arab media is known to be unsympathetic towards Israel. It even avoids using the country's name, usually using terms such as "the Zionist entity" or "the Hebrew state" instead. Furthermore, reports and editorials in Arab press are rife with expressions of hatred and hostility towards Israel. However, the Arab press occasionally features articles by Arab intellectuals and pundits praising Israel, listing its achievements – mainly in hi-tech – and urging Arab countries to learn from the Israelis in order to better their own global standing.

This report will include excerpts from recent articles praising Israel.

Israel – A Country With Technological And Scientific Superiority

Many articles in the Arab press portray Israel as a powerhouse of cutting-edge technology and science, which invests in education; rewards its entrepreneurs, scientists, and businessmen; and works to draw in Jewish minds. They claim that this is done to ensure Israel's future and superiority over Arabs in particular and the world in general. Some of these articles also point out the Arab inferiority compared to Israel and call on Arabs to learn from it.

In a belated response to a Saudi hacker attack on Israeli websites in January 2012, Saudi columnist 'Abdallah bin Bakhit tweeted: "You rejoice when hackers attack Israeli websites, but how would you feel if Jews around the world carried out a similar attack on Saudi Arabia?" He stated that, unlike Arabs, "the Jews help create civilization and are not [merely] consuming it," and added: "The culture [whose technology] we use to communicate, whose air conditioners we sleep under, whose hospitals we are treated in, and whose cement roofs we pray under, is the culture of the Jews and the Crusaders."[1]

Kuwaiti Writer: Unlike Arab Countries, Israel Encourages Its Entrepreneurs, Scientists

In February and March of 2013, Kuwaiti columnist 'Omar Al-Tabtabaee published a series of three pro-Israel articles, in which he focused on the unique characteristics that enabled Israeli society to achieve superiority over regional countries despite its lack of natural resources.

In the first article, Al-Tabtabaee addressed the great importance that Israel attributes to experts and the conditions that it provides to industry leaders in order for them to live and work in Israel. He wrote: "Have you ever asked yourself how the small entity called Israel managed to hold the entire world in its palm? Instead of continually cursing the entire world, have you tried to understand how Israel made all those achievements in all areas?"... During the nineties, Israel encouraged its economic firms by establishing new entrepreneurial companies. The Israeli finance ministry formulated a new strategy that helps create Israeli business initiatives by supporting small businesses and ventures through a program called Yozma ["Initiative"] This indicates how well their government understands the importance of supporting small businesses and the role they play in economic growth...

"Israeli society is built on attracting Jewish minds from around the world to benefit from them. This is the 'Brain Drain' strategy, which was also employed by the U.S. and Britain to attract inventors and benefit from their minds... [But] Israel does more than that – it tempts prominent Jews to leave the U.S. and Britain and return to Israel so that society there can benefit from the expertise they acquired abroad. [This is called] 'Reverse Brain Drain.' Now ask yourself, dear reader: What have our Arab countries done for creators and their minds? Anyone observing the state of our Arab nation would undoubtedly understand that our governments have done the opposite of what the Israeli government did..."[2]

In the second article in the series, Al-Tabtabaee outlined Israel's ability to confront major challenges, while Arab countries give up at the first signs of difficulty: "Several main elements caused Israel to focus inwardly on itself in order to achieve what it has thus far achieved, but perhaps the most important element is its ability to adapt to circumstances and formulate a strategy by defining goals in any situation and under any pressure or influence, in complete contrast to Arab countries, which stand helpless and paralyzed at the sight of the first sandstorm...

"This entity made tremendous efforts to build [itself] culturally, and focused on individuals via the military and education. It relinquished 'generational selfishness,' understanding that the most important thing is to raise future generations that will participate in achieving goals by constructing a [sound] basis upon which [these future generations] rely. [This basis ranges] from simple things, which our Arab governments and their advisors do not even consider, to the most complex things."[3]

Israel Treats Education As Its Most Valuable Resource

In the last article in the series, Al-Tabtabaee pointed out two important values in Israeli society, which he claims enable it to progress: education – which he called "Israel's most valuable resource" – and Israeli chutzpah. He contrasted this with Arab society, where the orders or instructions of a superior are rarely questioned: "Israel is an entity that lives beside us, has a climate similar to ours, and if we look a bit farther we will discover that this entity has no natural resources – and despite all this, it surpasses us! ... This entity knows that education is the basis of society and the basis of its culture and unity. In fact, education is Israel's most valuable resource, because in their culture, they see it as the [key] to saving Israel's future... Their educational system bears the prime responsibility for developing the personality and creativity of the Israeli individual, which enables [Israel] to discover the skills, abilities, and creativity of each individual Israeli, 'pick him out,' and develop and train him so that he can positively influence their society.

"The number of patents registered in Israel [between 1980 and 2002] is 7,652, while the number of Arab patents registered between 1980 and 2002 was as follows: Saudi Arabia – 171; Egypt – 77; Syria – 20; Jordan; 16; the UAE – 32; and Kuwait – 52. If we add all the Arab patents we will see there are only 367! ...

"The Israeli military command only recruits the smartest and most successful high school students, which might be the exact opposite from the recruitment method used in our Arab countries and in the Gulf in particular. Furthermore, the military there has created a discourse as part of which orders are discussed and analyzed, so that if a soldier is unconvinced, he can object [to an order]. Pay attention, dear reader – yes, he can oppose an officer that outranks him! This has created a culture that is an important part of the greater culture of Israeli society. This is the 'chutzpah,' which means that workers [may] oppose and confront their superiors if they think something is wrong. This is how societies work to overcome challenges and future hardships... This is the exact opposite of the culture of our Arab societies. Prayer alone does not build the Arab homeland. Without planning and defining a strategy with a worthy goal,... the Arab body will continue to bleed furiously from a wound called Palestine!"[4]

Egyptian Writer: "Jewish Revolutions Are Scientific And Arab Ones Are Tragic"

During the Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt, Egyptian writer 'Ali Khamis published an article in the oppositionist daily Al-Wafd in which he claimed that Jewish revolutions are scientific, while Arab ones are violent and political. Khamis attributes this to the fact that national expenditure on scientific research in Arab countries is low compared to Israel and other countries around the world. He remarked sarcastically that in Arab countries, political Islam groups spend more money on militias than the countries themselves do on research: "Jewish revolutions are scientific and Arab ones are tragic. This is the painful truth and the bitter harvest that we have reaped from the winds of the Arab Spring that tore us apart... We must avoid discussing the theory of a foreign plot, because the violence in our universities, which occasionally reaches the level of bullying, will never lead to a scientific revolution... Israel spends 4.7% of its GDP on scientific research – the same amount as all Arab countries put together. Germany spends 2.3% of its GDP on scientific research. It should be mentioned that Malaysia and some other countries have made advances in terms of scientific research, while Egypt spends less than 1% of its GDP in this field. The sums spent by politically violent groups to arm their militias on the streets and in schools and universities are much larger."[5]

Saudi Pundit: Israel Has Become A Pillar Of Global Technology Thanks To Its Military

In an article in the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Saudi economic analyst and pundit Hussein Shobokshi explained that the Israeli military is a research and development [R&D] incubator for Israeli hi-tech firms, which makes Israel attractive to large companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon. He wrote: "Along with the regional implications of the Arab Spring, and as Arab countries deal with its various repercussions that continue to this day, there is news coming out of Israel that should be followed closely and carefully. This is economic news, or more accurately [reports on] Israel's remarkable excellence in cutting-edge and advanced technology. Today there is extensive global interest in the performance of Israeli firms in this field, and people have already started calling it the Silicon Valley of the world.

"We must ask a clear and logical question: What is the secret of these Israeli successes? The answer is simple but fascinating: The military establishment, with its weight, experience, and power, is behind all this. The modern commercial technologies that Israeli companies enjoy are the result of the experiments and development done by the military establishment, which serves as a kind of R&D center. This has piqued the interest of giant international companies such as Google, which purchased Waze, [the developer of an application for GPS] navigation, for $1 billion; Facebook, which recently purchased Onavo, [the developer of an application] enabling to reduce data consumption on mobile devices; and Amazon, which announced that it is establishing a massive R&D center in Israel...

"Western governments and large companies paid close attention to this and began contacts with Israel at the highest levels, turning it into an alternative to India, Malaysia, and Taiwan – which, together with the Silicon Valley, held a monopoly on advanced and cutting-edge technology. These countries and companies began appointing advanced technology representatives in Israel to build bridges and strengthen the added benefits of relations with that country. All this explains the massive amount of businessmen flying in and out of Israel these days... The most important story in Israel today is that it has become a central and crucial pillar in the new digital economy."[6]

Israel Is A Moral And Decent Country

Other articles in the Arab press praised Israel for being a moral country that even treats its enemies in a humanitarian manner.

Iraqi Writer: The Extent Of Israeli Morality Became Clear To Me

In an article titled "Arabs and Muslims Should Learn from Israeli Morality," posted on the liberal website elaph.com, Iraqi writer Mahdi Majid 'Abdallah wrote: "I have suffered and still suffer from emotional complexes I inherited from the Arab and Islamic society in which I have lived for a long time. [These complexes] planted the idea in the heart of society that the Jews are the most lowly and cowardly people and that no one believes them; that they are traitorous, hypocritical, narcissistic, and strive to corrupt nations and peoples; [that they are] a people that anger Allah, and a jealous and resentful people that does not wish well for mankind... As time passed, and after I met a group of Jewish men and women up close, the fog lifted and the basic assumptions that were solid facts in my mind crumbled and quickly became lies. I was very sorry that I had ever hated Israelis and defamed them with ugly expressions and false statements that I was fed by [Islamic] society. After coming in contact with Israelis and seeing their behavior and morals with my own eyes, the extent of their morality and their good and kind nature became clear to me, even with regards to the Palestinians who bombard the capital of Tel-Aviv again and again."

Later in the article, 'Abdallah presented data on the number of Palestinians receiving medical treatment in Israel in recent years as evidence of Israeli morality and added: "Would any Arab country agree to treat Israelis this way? Of course [not]." He also addressed the Israeli foreign minister's offer to present humanitarian aid to the Syrian people and stressed: "I have never heard any Arab official, whether junior or senior, making a similar statement regarding Israel. On the contrary – I heard curses and wishes of death and loss..."[7]

Israel – A Country With Real Democracy And Proper Rule

Writers in Arab countries aren't only envious of Israel's education, technology, and morality, but also of its democratic system. Thus, for example, in his speech on International Women's Day in March 2013, Algerian People's Assembly Chairman Mohamed Al-Arabi Ould Khalifa chose to praise the Israeli woman's participation in politics, unlike in Arab countries. According to Khalifa, the Israeli parliament is made up of 250 seats (sic.), with women occupying 30 seats, which constitutes 12% of the parliament.[8]

Articles in the Arab press also pointed to Israel's democratic system as an achievement that should be learned from. Iraqi writer Mahdi Majid 'Abdallah wrote: "Israel has a democratic parliamentary system made up of three branches: the legislative, the judicial, and the executive. Its main government institutions are the Knesset (parliament), the government, and the court system. The regime is based on the separation of powers, which requires the executive (the government) to receive the confidence of the legislative (the Knesset) and has a law [mandating] an independent judiciary (taken from the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs website). The constitutions of many Arab and non-Arab countries set out the same formula for the regime, but [their] realities are completely tyrannical. The man sitting on the throne covers his backside with glue so that nothing can remove him, aside for death, a military coup, or some other cosmic wonder such as the surprising Arab revolutions...

"The Israeli regime [on the other hand] does not recognize the sanctity of public figures, and sees every official as a servant of the people. Once [an official] makes a small mistake, he is easily suspended [from his position], prosecuted and punished, and later dismissed in disgrace. This happens publicly in and out of Israel, and the prime example of it is the trial of Israeli president Moshe Katzav for sexually harassing his secretary…, along with the trials of Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman and others... In Arab countries, presidents do not make due with harassment but rather resort to rape... This even reaches the level of sexual deviancy for some of them... Beyond tyranny, dictatorship, and absolute rule for many years, we haven't seen one president who stood trial or was ousted and whose reputation was damaged at all. Unfortunately, there are clerics who will excuse [the dictators'] corrupt and despicable actions...

"Since Israel's establishment in 1948, it has been caring for the national and religious minorities living there. The Israeli constitution states: '(The state of Israel) will grant complete equal social and political rights to all its citizens regardless of religion, race, or gender, and will ensure freedom of religion, conscience, language, education, and culture; will preserve the holy sites of all religions, and will be faithful to the principles of the UN charter' (from the Israeli Declaration of Independence). When you watch sessions of the Israeli Knesset, you can see the freedom that Arab MKs enjoy [despite] their harsh criticism of the Israeli government and even the entire Israeli regime. You can see mosques and [hear] the echoes of the Islamic calls to prayer in the Israeli landscape; you see women with [Islamic] head coverings and veils, you see Arab schools, organizations, and institutions in the capital Tel-Aviv and in other Jewish areas; you recognize that the Israeli constitution is a realistic constitution and not just words on paper, and that the distance between it and Arab and Islamic constitutions is as great as the distance between heaven and earth."[9]

Egyptian Writer: Before Electing A President, We Should Receive A Medical Report Like In Israel

Egyptian pundit Khalid Muntasir published an article praising Israel, where the health of the prime minister - which can affect his decision making and, by extension, the future of the country as well - is a public matter: "Believe it or not, every Israeli prime minister must submit a detailed annual report on his health. Imagine that in Israel, the medical records of its leader – who plans policy and makes the decision to press the button detonating its nuclear bombs – is more important than his bank statements, his certificate of good conduct, and his romantic liaisons...

"Arabs became aware that Netanyahu was hospitalized to remove a colonic polyp [thanks to] his medical records, which he submits at the end of each year of his term. The records are presented to the public, to parliament, to the media, and to public opinion with full transparency and details: from urine and blood tests to MRI and ultrasound scans. Israelis and members of Netanyahu's party held their breath [in anticipation of the publication] of the test results, because if pathology revealed them to be cancerous, then the report [could have spelled] his departure from power, whether willingly or due to the opposition objecting to a man with a terminal illness ruling the Israeli people... Because [when it comes] to politics, the regime, and the fate of peoples, there is no place for emotions, mercy, and [flattery].

"Compare the situation in Israel to that in Egypt, when some people asked the [ousted] president Mursi to present his medical records to the public before submitting his candidacy for president, after it became known that he had had surgery to remove a meningioma from his brain and [that he had suffered] from Hepatitis C, which was treated with Interferon.[10] Those who asked [to see] Mursi's medical records did so in order to see whether his medical treatments, illnesses, and medication would affect his decision-making or not... They didn't do it to defame him, publicly shame him, or take vengeance on him... [Despite this, their demand caused] pandemonium and panic in the Muslim Brotherhood, [which said]: how dare you offend the honorable president? As though it were not the people's right to know about the health of its president, which could lead this poor people to a terrible calamity and a path of sorrow..."[11]



Endnotes:



[1] Twitter.com/a4bakeet, April 7, 2013.

[2] Al-Rai (Kuwait), February 25, 2013.

[3] Al-Rai (Kuwait), March 4, 2013.

[4] Al-Rai (Kuwait), March 11, 2013.

[5] Al-Wafd (Egypt), November 4, 2013.

[6] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), October 25, 2013.

[7] Elaph.com, March 14, 2013.

[8] Al-Jazeera (Algeria), March 5, 2013.

[9] Elaph.com, March 14, 2013.

[10] Protein therapy for cancers, viruses, and parasites.

[11] Elwatannews.com, January 2, 2014.

 

[Solomon2]

Being a proud Arab and a proud Israeli

Op-ed: If we maintain our Arab identity and integrate into the State of Israel as proud citizens, we will create a better future for ourselves.

Jalal Safadi
Published: 05.06.14, 09:57 / Israel Opinion

Senior Israeli government members recently made a proposal to annex settlement blocs to Israel in exchange for transferring Israeli lands in the Triangle area to the future Palestinian state. According to this proposal, the Arab citizens in this areas will stop being Israeli citizens and will become citizens of the Palestinian state.

The only bright side in this mad idea, which is unconstitutional and illegal, is that it provoked a public debate, which is important in itself, about the status of Israel's Arab citizens. I believe in balancing between the complex identities of State of Israel's Arab citizens.
Since 1948, the future and fate of the Arab minority have become intertwined with those of the State of Israel, and the question raised since then is how to define ourselves as Arabs inside the state. On the one hand, there is the Arab national identity with the Palestinian roots, and on the other hand there is the civil identity, which is Israeli in theory and in practice.

How does one balance between the two identities? One can preserve the Arab national identity and be proud of the Arab heritage, language, culture, literature, folklore and tradition; and at the same time preserve the civil identity expressed in being an Israeli citizen who enjoys rights and is subject to duties, like the rest of the citizens.

The issue was also raised in a dialogue I held recently with my uncle, who has been living in Canada since 1968. He stressed the importance of his Canadian civil identity, which complements his Arab national identity, and also argued that in order to integrate into the Canadian society he must implement his citizenship in the optimal manner.

So, unlike those who argue that there is a contradiction between the two identities, I believe that one complements the other: As an Arab and as an Israeli citizen I can maintain my Arab national identity and my Israeli civil identity, and balance between them. Just like the Palestinian Arab living in the United States, in Canada or in any other country.

As Arab citizens we must aspire to integrate into the state, contribute to its development and design, live in it in dignity and fight for the many rights we deserve democratically.

The way to integrate properly and build healthy coexistence between Israel's Jewish citizens and Arab citizens must be based on the following foundations: Education towards a culture of dialogue and a democratic discourse between us, with mutual respect and appreciation; reducing the raging violence and crime in our society; building a good ethical educational system; providing young Arabs with higher education; creating employment opportunities for young people; housing solutions for young couples; and giving the Arab youth hope by opening frameworks and programs for teenagers and young people.

We must demand from the state full integration into society and opportunities to close the gaps in all areas. And at the same time, we must educate our young people towards good citizenship and contribution to the state.

We live in a democratic regime based on the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and one of the foundations of this regime is equality between all citizens regardless of religion, race and gender, alongside freedom of expression and tolerance.

I call on my fellow Arab citizens of the state: Let's proudly maintain our Arab identity while being proud of our Israeli citizenship. If we know how to respect ourselves and our identity and integrate into the state as proud citizens, we will create a better future for ourselves. Let's turn on lights, instead of cursing the darkness.

Jalal Safadi is the director of Society and Youth Administration – the Arab Society at the Education Ministry.

 

[USImperialist]

Israel should take back the Gaza and annex the entire West Bank.

Muslim terrorists won't stop protesting until all the Israeli's are drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.

Hopefully the pro-Israel arabs will change the middle east for the better.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Politicly: Swedes have the American corrupt congress in their backpocket...

Rats, we are found out :-(

 

[Solomon2]

​

Aboud Dandachi: An Arab voice that the world needs to hear
DECEMBER 7, 2015, 12:40 AM
Fred Maroun

There are too few voices for peace coming from the Arab world today. In fact this penury is so dire that Mahmood Abbas, a habitual liar and terrorist enabler, is widely courted by Western governments as a hope for peace! What a joke.

We need genuine Arab voices for peace. We do not need Arab voices that hide their anti-Semitism by recognizing only the few Jews who do not support Israel. We need Arab voices who, when they say that they support peace, they mean it because they support Israel as well.

Aboud Dandachi is such a voice.

Dandachi lost his house in the Syrian war, and he was forced to flee. He wrote, “Despite my best efforts and most earnest wishes, in the end I could not avoid becoming a refugee, one among millions of other Syrians scattered across the region and the world”. Dandachi now lives temporarily in Turkey.

Before the war started, Dandachi had worked in several positions in the Information Technology (IT) industry in various Gulf countries, and he was ready to settle down back home in Syria. The war disturbed his plan, and he became what he never thought he would become, a refugee dependent on the help of others.

But Dandachi is not just any refugee. Through his writings and interviews, he has become known around the world, especially among Zionists. Dandachi is one of the rare Arabs and Muslims who openly and eloquently speak in support of Israel and Jews. What’s more, he has made his voice heard while still a refugee and while still living in the Middle East.

Dandachi denounces anti-Semitism. He wrote, “Modern anti-Semitism in its new, updated guises poses a very real existential danger to Jewish communities. […] All it takes is a bunch of street thugs waving Hamas and ISIS banners on the streets of London, Paris and Copenhagen to create an environment that endangers Europe’s Jewish communities. The 2015 shootings in Paris and Denmark did not arise out of a vacuum, months of anti-Semitic incitement set the stage and created the circumstances for the terrorist attacks.”

He denounces the hypocrisy of those who ignore Arab crimes against the Palestinians while claiming to support them. He wrote, “As a Syrian I have nothing but the utmost contempt for Gaza-groupies who rioted in front of Israeli embassies last summer, but apparently seem content to stay at home while Daesh and the Syrian regime butcher Palestinians in the Damascus Yarmouk neighborhood.”

We sometimes ask, “Where are the Muslims or Arabs who do not support terrorism?”

When we are told that many do not, we ask, “but how many of them oppose terrorism against Israel?”

When we are told that some oppose it, we ask, “Okay, but how many do so openly?”

Not many, but Dandachi is one of them.

Dandachi believes that peace with Israel is desirable and possible. He wrote, “Because of Israel’s humanity I am convinced any issues we have with them can be resolved”.

Having left Syria recently, and having lived in other Arab countries, Dandachi understands the Arab world well. Since he is fluent in both Arabic and English, he can reach a wide audience. While too many voices of hate are coming from the Arab world, Dandachi brings a type of freshness and authenticity that is rarely found elsewhere.

Dandachi’s voice is a voice that the world needs to hear.

————————————–

Some of Dandachi’s articles and interviews:

• His own website
• Observations of a Homsi living in Tartous, January 20, 2014
• Netanyahu’s Visit to Syrian Wounded Slammed by Rebels, Praised by Refugee; ‘There is Goodwill and Humanity on the Israeli Side’, February 22, 2014
• Why this Refugee from Syria Is Anti-BDS and Pro-Israel (voice), March 3,2015
• ISIS May Not Have Reached Canada, but the ISIS Mentality Has, July 23, 2014
• Dear Europe, Please Get Your Shit Together, July 29, 2014
• Malala Yousafzai and the Failure of Muslim Moderates, August 31, 2014
• From Homs to Istanbul The life of a displaced Syrian Part I (video), September 17, 2014]
• A Syrian Activist, calls on Obama “take your foot off the hose, so we can put out the Fire (video), September 19, 2014
• The Doctor, the eye Doctor, and me (book), 2014
• Three lessons learned from the Syrian conflict, December 4, 2014
• Fight extremism by buying Jewish newspapers, January 28, 2015
• Syrian activist: “Israel’s generosity towards Syrians proves that our conflict is not irreconcilable”, September 8, 2015
• ISIS, Paris Attacks & Europe’s Migrant Crisis with Syrian Refugee Aboud Dandachi (video), November 18, 2015

Fred Maroun is a Canadian of Arab origin who lived in Lebanon until 1984, including during 10 years of civil war. Fred supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and he supports a liberal and democratic Middle East where all religions and nationalities, including Palestinians, can co-exist in peace with each other and with Israel, and where human rights are respected. Fred is an atheist, a social liberal, and an advocate for equal rights for LGBT people everywhere.