Geoffrey Wildanger was 100 percent right in his assertion that the job of an ambassador is to represent the views of their government and improve their country’s relations. So I can see why he did not want to engage with Akiva Tor about Israel.
With that said, I have now written two pieces in the Aggie, calling for and encouraging dialogue between students, all of which have fallen on deaf ears. Not one single response asking to talk about a peaceful future, and for that, I ask you, Mr. Wildanger, and the UCD student body, why? Are you not interested in living in peace? Not interested in a two-state agreement? Because more than anything else, I would like to see my friends and family not have to serve in an army (all ethical/political judgments aside – all countries maintain a defensive force of sorts) and engage in conflicts. I’d love to be able to know 100 percent that they will return from their army service and not be put in danger. I would love to be able to spend time in Israel and not worry about safety. I would love for our peoples to live in peace, for me to be able to see the beauties of the West Bank and for Palestinians to travel freely without checkpoints or fences.
This cannot happen without peace. Come, let’s talk, and start a true dialogue and one day: “We will learn to live together, between olive groves. Children will live without fear, without borders, and without bomb shelters. On the graves the grass of peace and love will blossom,” Yehonatan Geffen said.
I recognize that my request is not an easy one. Both sides are at fault, and both sides will continue to remain in a stalemate until people are willing to focus on what unites us as people rather than what divides us.
Let’s get together and talk, whether its about baseball, food or TV – it’s the first step. One day, once we know each other, it will be a whole lot easier to start talking about the harder stuff, the future and how to put an end to a conflict I fear might never end. Please, let us engage in a dialogue. Let’s push the two peoples forward, and hopefully, towards peace.
I’ll be standing at the Flagpole at the MU on Friday at noon. Come meet me there.
ARI POLSKY is a senior studio major.
Katie– my objective is not to be a beauty contest and say I am going to create world peace.
My objective is just to bring the sides together and talk. Through dialogue, hopefully the mutual perspective on the views of the other will shift. Humanizing the other sides to each other will foster less hatred and intolerance, and hopefully, a realization that coexistence can happen. Dialogue seems so complicated as it is right now, I cant possibly think that dialogue is the answer to everything, but it is a step in the right direction.
“people is valid, what”
If you could prove that Islam is a religion of war, what would you suggest should be done with this information? Do you want to forcefully convert believers or just kill them all? lol…Even if this belief that Muslims are secretly violent people, what relevance does it have really? You want to go on a with hunt?
and I guess I mean is a/were
(will not continue to engage with you I mean..)
No, arafat. I’m sorry I will not engage with you. I’ve seen your posts and your views are not supported. How many Muslims do you know well? You are confusing Arab and Muslim. A lot of Arab cultures are indeed oppressive, and it is understood that our government supports these cultures because they keep their people uneducated and weakened by poverty and brutal rule. Saudi Arabia is our best friend. Mubarak was one of our good friends. Our gov wants Arabs oppressed because they want control of the Middle East. Obama did not want to see Egypt have a revolution. Our gov is afraid of secular democracy in Arab countries (well, Iran, too). I don’t wish to continue engaging with you, but I’d love to know what you know about Islam *from the Koran.* Are you so naive or just unwilling to accept that virtually all religions, Christianity being a very common one throughout history, are abused by people who claim to follow it.
Richard Dawkings, Churchill, and Adams are/were bigots. I struggle to find any relevance their personal opinions have. I’ve seen videos of Dawkins bigotry. He’s a fearful and hateful man. I pity him.
Kate writes, “Arafat, I really think your fellow Zionists are most likely upset by these bigoted comments you’re making.â€
Kate, I think I have made myself perfectly clear, and your refusal to address my position and instead to call it bigotry says more about your own ability to objectively assess information as anything you accuse me of being.
As I have written in previous posts I am NOT a bigot but I am simply stating the truth about Islam. Muslims are no different than I when they are born, but a lifetime of brainwashing by a bigoted, abusive, repressive culture –a culture which is defined by Islam – makes the majority of Muslims profoundly different than I by the time they are older. Writing this is not bigotry it is simply the truth.
I stand proud to count myself among people like Richard Dawkins – a man who says the same things as I do about Islam, and Winston Churchill, John Quincy Adams and others. It is you, Kate, who is living a life of delusion while calling those who see things for what they are bigots. Wake up and smell the coffee for until you do you are doing yourself a disservice as well as those you influence.
http://www.topix.com/forum/religion/islam/T9VLFM30K16SAHC66
*I mean “I believe you are misguided *because I believe* that Americans…”
Arafat, I really think your fellow Zionists are most likely upset by these bigoted comments you’re making. While I diametrically oppose what Zionism stands for today, I do not believe that your blind hatred of Islam is one that is widely held by Zionists. And you’re making them look bad, just like Muslims who call for the extermination of Jews unfairly make Muslims look bad and as Tea Party folk unfairly make Republicans look bad. I do not believe you speak on behalf of all Zionists. An argument with you is a cowardly argument because I believe a true argument is one that considers the strongest points made by the opponent, not the weakest (yours).
In response to this post, I first of all do applaud your tone. A friendly and calm tone is, in fact, the best way to have a discussion, especially one as important today to Americans as that regarding Israel. I, do however, believe you are misguided in believing that Americans discussing plans for peace in Israel is largely irrelevant. And, I believe the claim that people like Wildanger do not want peace in the Middle East or a 2-state solution is absurd. I, as I believe many anti-Zionists do as well, want nothing more than peace in the Middle East. Peace meaning an end to Palestinian oppression, not just an end to rocket-fire. I support any agreement between *Palestinians and Israelis* that develop to fulfill this goal (a 2-state solution is widely agreed to be the only feasible solution at this point). However, as Americans, we have virtually *no* power over that. What we do (theoretically) have power over as American citizens is what we allow Israel to do. Every crime against humanity that Israel has committed was essentially committed by the US, because they would not be capable of such crimes without the $3 billion we send the Israeli gov in aid each year (this amt is more than we send to the sum of all other countries that we send foreign aid, and 2/3 of it goes to military). Our government also has a history of vetoing UN resolutions that would put a stop to a lot of the nasty stuff Israel has been doing. We have the power to stop Israeli settlement-building and to remove the settlements, but we don’t use it. We have the power to bring Palestinians better quality of life (through our power over Israeli gov) but we don’t use it. That is why actions and arguments made regarding Israel by the American people are relevant.
Zionists and anti-Zionists getting along is irrelevant, and not a problem. I don’t think Zionists and anti-Zionists have trouble getting along. I get along just fine with Zionists. I have no personal problems with Zionists. I’m sure I could have a grand time shooting the breeze with Bill Maher giggling and telling jokes and making friendly conversation. This does not help Israelis or Palestinians in any way.
Wherever we find Islam we find bloodshed, complete repression or both.
Southern Thailand, Sudan, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Pakistan, Kashmir, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, you name it.
Dialogue? A nice dream, but that’s all. Sadly reality is hatred. Hatred of Shia, hatred of Sunni, hatred of women, gays and Jews, hatred of Christians, Animists, Buddhists Hindus, hatred of moderate Muslims, hatred of all.
Without love and with nothing but hatred, dialogue is impossible and that’s the unofrtunate, sad situation Israel faces.
Israel’s reality is defined by Islamic hatred.