On Thu, 11 Apr 2002 20:41:13 +1000, “Rowland Croucher” <> wrote:

>> >know a Jew who’s read Elias Chacour? Know a militant Muslim who listens

>> >carefully to an opposing point of view?)

>>

>> That’s an assumption to good to pass up, Rowland. You might want to read

>the

>> review of his book in a Jewish online book shop:

>> http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/3132/books_history02.htm

>

>Not much of a review there Les. Do you know any _substantial_ Jewish

reviews >of Chacour?

>

No, but the Australian Jewish News has reviewed books by Palestinians in the past. Try: http://www.ajn.com.au/driver.asp?page=main/contents/books. You might find some surprises there from a Christian point-of-view also.

>> I hope you can read Arabic to tell me of a militant Moslem web-site that

>> reviewed “The Siege” by Conor Cruise O’Brien. Christians should read that

>> book, Rowland.

>

>Good point. Yes…

>

>And I’d like to find an authentic translation of some of the diatribes

>Arafat levels against the Jews in Arabic broadcasts. I’ve heard so many

>Jewish commentators (including Netanyahu and Sharon) talk about these

>speeches, but haven’t seen a full text for one yet. Can you help?

>

Try http://www.memri.org. You might like to see: Special Dispatch No. 361: Arab Television Channels Interview Arafat. Very interesting.

>> I think the most poignant story I heard was actually from a Palestinian

>> living in Melbourne.

>>

>> During a talk back …

><>

>> Arabfat

>^^^^^^^^

>Les I get the message that your use of this spelling of the name of a

>fellow-human made in God’s image (that’s in your Scriptures too) means you

>probably don’t respect him. Now I hope I can begin to understand the

reasons >for that…

Would you not say adolf hitler was also created in “God’s image”? Every living human being has the potential to live up to this “image of G-d”. (Since G-d has no physical form, we are not talking about physical appearences here). Evil people, such as Yassir Arafat, deny themselves this G-dly spark within their souls when they seek the destruction of others and themselves.

G-d said, and I believe this is in your book too, Rowland. In fact I got this out of the KJV;. DEU 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Therefore, if someone chooses death or encourages others to choose death, are they still acting in “God’s image”, Rowland?.

>But the lack of any kind of respect between most Israelis and Palestinians

>is, in my view, at the heart of the problem here. Time Magazine last week

>had a brilliant piece from an Arab about why Palestinians are prepared to

>blow themselves up. Heap shame on a people continuously, and you breed

rage, >and when that’s mixed in with Arab feelings of inferiority etc. etc. etc.

>you’ve got a volatile mix. We’ve got to re-educate a whole generation all

>over again…

I find people spontaneously combusting because “Heap shame on a people continuously, and you breed rage” to be childish and an obfuscation. No-one has more had more shame heaped upon them by Christians and Moslems than us Jews. And no-one has heaped more shame upon the Palestinians than their fellow Arabs.

Ask yourself this, Rowland; How many Jews killed innocent people during WW2? Indigenous people; American Indians, Black South Africans, Australian Aboriginies, all have had shame heaped upon them too, but intentionaly , killing innocent people, with very few exceptions, was never considered justfiable, despite their shame. Ghandi’s greatness as a statesman was that not only was he genuinely concerned for his people, he never spontaneously combusted – not once!!! And, unlike Arabfat, he died a poor man, without the benefit of a multi-million dollar bank account to pass on to his inheritors.

We Jews were shamed and subjugated by Moslems and made to pay heavy taxes to live in their towns. We were only permitted to live in the poorer parts of town. We were made to pick up the Arab sewerage in Yemen. Our villages were regularly pillaged and our women raped. We were totally defenceless. No Moslem’s moral conscience has ever been disturbed by immoral acts against non-Moslems. When the Jews were forcibly kicked out of Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Libya during the late 1940’s they could not take any property with them – that was taken by the state.

And I think you are really mistaken if you believe that the Arabs would be pacified if we went back to pre-1967 borders. The Arabs don’t want any non-Moslem country to be more powerful than they are – especially one run by Jews! To them, it would seem as though G-d is not on their side. Even if, heaven forbid, the Arabs should gain the whole of the State of Israel, it would not be enough for them – on the contrary, it would only strengthen them, because then it would seem to their mind that they were morally justified and that G-d approved of their activities to conquer the world for Islam. The attack on the WTC was first and foremost an attack on the centre of non-Islamic power. To them, they were destroying Satan, not Israel. That fact that over 400 Moslems also died was just another sacrifice. After all, if you can end your own life for the glory of G-d, what is to stop you ending someone elses for the same reason?

And one of my concerns is that if Israel does not win this war, the world will be fighting it in their own backyard. The Palestinians recently proved that was possible in Sydney.

Les Brown.