Le'chaim! - To life!
What Christians Don't Know About Israel
The late Grace Halsell
WHEN YOU OWN THE MEDIA, YOU OWN THE WORLD - ellendra jane
American Jews sympathetic to Israel dominate key positions in all areas of
[the U.S.] government where decisions are made regarding the Middle East.
This being the case, is there any hope of ever changing U.S. policy?
American presidents as well as most members of Congress sup****t Israel,
and they know why. U.S. Jews sympathetic to Israel donate lavishly to
their campaign coffers.
The answer to achieving an even-handed Middle East policy might lie
elsewhere among those who sup****t Israel but don't really know why. This
group is the vast majority of Americans. They are well-meaning,
fair-minded Christians who feel bonded to Israel and Zionism often from
atavistic feelings, in some cases dating from childhood.
I am one of those. I grew up listening to stories of a mystical,
allegorical, spiritual Israel. This was before a modern political entity
with the same name appeared on our maps. I attended Sunday school and
watched an instructor draw down window-type shades to show maps of the
Holy Land. I imbibed stories of a good and chosen people who fought
against their bad "un-chosen" enemies.
In my early 20s I began traveling the world, earning my living as a
writer. I came to the subject of the Middle East rather late in my career.
I was sadly lacking in knowledge regarding the area. About all I knew was
what I had learned in Sunday school.
And typical of many U.S. Christians, I somehow considered a modern state
created in 1948 as a homeland for Jews persecuted under the Nazis as a
replica of the spiritual, mystical Israel I heard about as a child.
When in 1979 I initially went to Jerusalem, I planned to write about the
three great monotheistic religions and leave out politics. "Not write
about politics?" scoffed one Palestinian, smoking a water pipe in the Old
Walled City. "We eat politics, morning, noon and night!"
As I would learn, the politics is about land, and the co-claimants to that
land: the indigenous Palestinians who have lived there for 2,000 years and
the Jews who started arriving in large numbers after the Second World War.
By living among Israeli Jews as well as Palestinian Christians and
Muslims,
I saw, heard, smelled, and experienced the police state tactics Israelis
use against Palestinians.
My research led to a book entitled Journey to Jerusalem. My journey not
only was enlightening to me as regards Israel, but also I came to a
deeper, and sadder, understanding of my own country.
Cont'd
SEE
http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/2461
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