The 800-pound gorilla

When will the U.S. quit ignoring the 800-pound gorilla in the room? When will we – to use a currently over-used phrase – connect the dots and publicly acknowledge that our unconditional support of Israel is a major component to the war being waged against us by Al-Qaeda and other extremists who have hijacked Islam as their excuse for crimes against humanity?

And Israel keeps working to undermine that which would help the U.S. in the battle for the hearts and minds of those in the countries in which our young men and women sacrifice so much to secure a victory in this war.

Cases in point are two related actions by the Israeli government. First, Israel is deporting American church volunteers who are working to assist the Palestinians in establishing a peaceful, prosperous and stable society. One, whom I’ve met, Faith Rowald, 27, from Polson, Montana, worked with the Lutheran International Center of Bethlehem (ICB). The ICB, through empowering the local community, developing human resources, cultivating artistic talents, and facilitating intercultural encounters, actively promotes the building of Palestinian civil society. The seeds of discontent will not germinate and grow where people enjoy such a society.

But Israel needs to keep the conditions that foment violence and hatred. By continuing the Kristallnacht treatment of the Palestinians – building more settlements, settlers attacking the Palestinians, harassing at checkpoints, and illegally confiscating Palestinians lands and home -- and feeding the foment, Israel continues to short-circuit whatever hopes there are for a lasting peace in the area. And the lack of peace fits into the goal of exterminating the Palestinians from Palestine. This treatment and these actions feed the propaganda of Al-Qaeda and others who have hijacked Islam in an attempt to justify their crimes against humanity.

The second is Israel’s arresting of a growing number of prominent opponents to its policies toward the Palestinians as reported int eh Washington Post on 19 January.

As reported, since the summer, dozens of Palestinian and Israeli activists have been picked up, including those organizing weekly protests against Israel's West Bank separation barrier as well as others advocating international boycotts of Israeli goods. These activists are working to make the Israeli public, and the world community, aware of Israel’s denying the Palestinians basic human rights and to try to change Israel’s destructive policies.

How do Israel’s policies affect us? As we are all aware, the U.S. is under attack by Al-Qaeda and other radicals who have hijacked Islam as their excuse. Impressionable young people are recruited to be suicide bombers against ours and other Western targets. The selling point is that attacks against the U.S. is revenge against the U.S. attacks against Islam (i.e. – the Palestinians, who, by the way, include Christians). This is the misconceived notion of jihad.

Look at the attack of September 11. The terrorists attacked the World Trade Center because it was the financial epicenter of the U.S. economy, an economy that the terrorists stereotyped as being under the influence of the American Jewish community.

It is time to tell the truth. It is time to acknowledge reality. For 61 years, the U.S. has supported Israel. It is time Israel supports the United States.

What happened??!!

The Democrats are managing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Not so much as their policies (they mean well) but their approach. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nailed it when he said that the health care reform bill was not reform at all but just deals and pork.