The Matter of "If"

My Right Word

If Arabs could see in Israel not a Zionist oppressor but the region’s most successful economy, a modern state built in 65 years, they would pose themselves the right questions about openness, innovation and progress. Israel, in turn, by getting out of the business of occupation and oppression, could ensure its future as a Jewish and democratic state. 

That was Roger Cohen.


This is me:

If the world could see in Palestinianism an extension of Islamist oppression, continuing to destablize the region as well as subjugate its own population, seeking to establish a state predicated on inventivity, they could then pose the right questions about openness, innovation and progress as well as fundamentalism, terror and political and cultural tyranny. By successfully recognizing  who is in the business of occupation and oppression, the entire region, as well as many Muslims the world round, could have their future as a democratic society assured.

Posted by YMedad  

Comment: If the MSM and the Western governments could see both of the preceding points of view we might finally begin to authentically move toward peace. I do take issue with Cohen's ongoing diatribe about occupation and oppression-the facts on the ground are the opposite. The difficulty is, of course, that any signed paper/agreement is worthless unless the signees on all sides agree to the above positions.  We do not currently have a culture designed to promote peace on the Arab side-this is fact not conjecture or bigotry although many will frame such as statement as such. The ongoing paradigm for creating peace in this part of the world has gone the way of the 8-track player.  Time to shift/change the paradigm-are you ready to help or will you continue to stand in the way?