Middle East Conflict: Hamas, Fatah, Israel: Useless United Nations: Durban II: Goldstone Report.Given the nature of communist ideology we can hardly blame the student for having the expressed perspective. People digest whatever is fed them. We in the west tend to 'look down on' people in communist countries because we consider that they are a 'duped' people. But what then must we say of ourselves, if rather than being seekers of truth, or at least of the facts, we prefer to jump onto ideological bandwagons; making accusations solely because that is what our ideology requires. As my students are oft to quote (amongst many other things), "There are always two sides to every coin".
In a recent article at Jerusalem Post, entitled: Resist the Rush to Judgment, the following statement was made:
The last thing this society needs is more polarization, more radicalization, spurred by whichever element, and for whatever reason. What we most need are cool heads and moderation, even at the price of passing up political gain. Notice those last few words: "even at the price of passing up political gain".
These are such important words to note in this era of ideologues and ideologies pushing for power, often at the expense of the truth. As I wrote in the article entitled: What is Truth? A Political Camera Angle!
What is the truth? Nobody cares what the truth is. They care for nothing more than the camera angle that spotlights their particular issue, guilt, power lust or self righteousness.
The Jerusalem Post article from which the opening words above were quoted, was about the death of a Palestinian youth, and the immediate cry on the world stage that he had been 'shot' by Jewish Settlers. As it transpired however, this was not the truth.
Last week, the media both at home and abroad swallowed - hook, line and sinker - allegations propagated as fact by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) to the effect that on September 27, a young shepherd from Akrabeh, south of Nablus, had been shot and abducted by settlers from Gitit in the Jordan Valley.
The fact that Gitit, near Mechora, is hardly an extremist hotbed didn't serve to mitigate the instantaneous condemnation. But then both police forensic teams and the autopsy performed on 19-year-old Yihya Atta Bani-Minya revealed that not only were there no signs of the victim having been shot, death was in fact caused by his having handled an unexploded 40mm-shell.
On October 6th I published an article on International Politics and today a Chinese student sent me an email in response to it. One of the thoughts expressed was that in the past Countries in the Soviet Block were brothers but that now NATO has "swallowed" these countries up.
Given the nature of communist ideology we can hardly blame the student for having the expressed perspective. People digest whatever is fed them. We in the west tend to 'look down on' people in communist countries because we consider that they are a 'duped' people. But what then must we say of ourselves, if rather than being seekers of truth, or at least of the facts, we prefer to jump onto ideological bandwagons; making accusations solely because that is what our ideology requires. As my students are oft to quote (amongst many other things), "There are always two sides to every coin".
In Israel, the Jerusalem-based human rights organization B'Tselem, has been providing video cameras to Palestinians to provide proof to the world of Israeli Atrocities.
Last July 7, Salaam Amira turned that camera on the anti-security fence protest taking place at her village, Ni'lin, and captured a soldier shooting a blindfolded, bound young Palestinian man in the foot at point-blank range. Two weeks later, a B'Tselem field-worker learned about the videotape, it became international news and the IDF had a major scandal on its hands.
There is no denying the reality of some of the abuses taking place in the Middle East, but as this same story recounts:
AND THEN there is the question of whether B'Tselem gives a fair picture of what's going in the West Bank. After all, it does not have video activists filming Palestinian terrorism, which is certainly a big part of the picture. It has no videotape, for instance, of the Palestinian who stabbed the boy in Yitzhar prior to the settlers' rampage. Nor does it have videotape of the Palestinian woman who recently threw acid in the eye of a soldier at a checkpoint.
It may suit our political agenda to show only one side of the coin, but if we are going to play the victim card, ignoring the reality that we ourselves create victims, then how can we plead for justice? The real question to be answered is this: "Do politically motived groups even care about justice?"
"Are they not really just point scoring?"
Let me ask you: "When you think of the Palestinian / Israeli conflict, how many sides to the conflict do you think there are?"
Most would answer: "Two! The Israelis and the Palestinians!"
When we talk about the oppression, victimization and suffering of the Palestinian People, whose fault do we think it is? Have we ever considered a different perspective? Have we ever considered that the lack of Palestinian Statehood (the reason for the conflict) is but a political game played by fanatics who would rather their people bleed and die than see peace with Israel?
"Absolute Rubbish!" I hear you say. But let's stop to look at a few things.
There are not two parties in the Palestinian Conflict - there are Three. Hamas and Fatah who war with each other, and Israel with whom everyone wars. While everyone is concerned about the atrocities that Israelis do commit as well as those allegedly committed, Palestinians are constantly being killed by Palestinians. Whilst Israel is a democratic state, the Palestinian future lies at the mercy of totalitarian political zealots.
You think not? What then do you say to the fact that peace between Fatah and Hamas is proving impossible because of the 'power lust' of different leaders? Major Fatah assault on Hamas close: By Yaakov Katz October 5th 2008
There are signs that Fatah is preparing to launch a major operation against Hamas in the West Bank in the coming weeks ahead of expected turmoil when Mahmoud Abbas's term as PA president ends in January, a top IDF officer has told The Jerusalem Post.
Abbas's presidential term is scheduled to end on January 9, and the IDF Central Command is preparing for the possibility that Hamas will try to take advantage of political instability in Ramallah to take over West Bank towns and cities.
In the absence of elections or a compromise with Hamas, according to the Palestinian Authority constitution, Abbas will be replaced by the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Abdel Aziz Dweik, a member of Hamas who has been in an Israeli prison since August 2006.
The senior IDF officer said there was evidence that Fatah forces were planning a widespread West Bank operation against Hamas infrastructure and terrorist cells to weaken the Islamist group ahead of potential clashes in January.
Right now, the issue of Peace with Israel and an end to Palestinian Suffering is the furtherest thing from the minds of those seeking power in Palestine. In July of 2006 both here (Corruption in Palestine: A People Deceived by Their Leaders) and here (Israel - Palestine 2006: This War Must not be in Vain by Steven Shamrak) it was pointed out that the Palestinian leadership has never done what it has promised it's people.
Israel's last resort by Mortimer Zuckerman, N.Y.DailyNews July 14,2006
The Palestinians have given the lie to virtually all the scenarios so hopefully envisaged by their friends. They did not construct schools, roads and hospitals; they made no effort to turn Gaza into a thriving state. They elected a radical Islamic Hamas government. They permitted the smuggling of huge quantities of weapons and terrorists while creating new bases for terror. Palestinian society has descended ever more into advanced anarchy.
So concerned have other Arab states become that Egypt is once again trying to resolve the inter-party fighting in Palestine. (Note: Inter-Party, not Fighting between Israel and Palestinians). Egypt seeks way to end Fatah-Hamas rift. Oct 6, 2008 By Khaled Abu Toameh.
A senior Hamas delegation is scheduled to arrive in Cairo Tuesday for talks with Egyptian officials on ways of ending the Hamas-Fatah power struggle.
Hamas was invited to Cairo as part of Egypt's efforts to achieve "national reconciliation" among all the Palestinian factions.
The proposals call for the establishment of a new government consisting solely of independent figures, reconstructing the Palestinian security forces, ending Hamas's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip and reforming the PLO.
Zahar, the Hamas leader from the Gaza Strip, said that previous attempts to end the crisis failed "due to pressure from outside forces." He claimed that the US and Israel were exerting pressure on Fatah not to patch up its differences with Hamas.
When Political, or for that matter, Religious Ideology takes precedence over the lives and well being of citizens, how can such an ideology be said to be worthwhile?
When 'Victims' must lie to maintain their victim status, how can we truly call them victims?
When we prefer ideology to truth, how then can we call ourselves enlightened humanitarians?
When we look down on people in communist countries for blindly believing what they are told, when we ourselves will not believe anything that does not suit our ideology, how can we consider ourselves superior?
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and an ideology; but not at the expense of the truth!
"The Patriarchs' Route" in Gush Etzion also passes through an area known as Netzer, located between the Elazar and Alon Shvut communities. The Netzer area is built on terraces that assemble a spectacularly beautiful, green mosaic; green grapes twining alongside old olive trees in plots of varying shapes and sizes, and in the pre-Spring season the Netzer space looks like a Claude Monet masterpiece: the green background is spotted with the pink and white of the almond trees at the peak of their bloom. But this pastoral bubble bursts the moment we 'zoom-in' on the photo, then we discover a real battle for this land and the future of the country, with the innocent plants often standing like soldiers on the frontline.
A key portion of the meeting was White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) Director Cecilia Munoz outlining President Obama's overall immigration reform proposal that includes creating a pathway to citizenship for up to 11-million illegal aliens. In my discussion with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety and Border Security, I mentioned that a potential "State of State Emergency" might be unfolding, and deliberate steps might have to be taken by the State of Arizona to protect its' own sovereignty and welfare."
When we arrived, we noted that this place really was a resort centre. It had wave pools and other interesting things for people to enjoy, and even accommodated school tour groups with dormitory style accomodation. Opposite the breakfast room was a swimming complex, in the front of which was a very interesting sign. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to bring my .38 Smith and Wesson. When we went in for breakfast, we saw that the next room was set up for a wedding, and discovered that it was 'our' wedding reception. Taking a 'sticky beak', I noted that there were no knives on any of the tables. 'Ahah! Thank God I brought that solid clear plastic knife with me!'.. The whole time before and after the actual church service, the local beggars were inside the church hitting everyone for money. Oh the guilt of refusing a pittance for the poor in the house of God, but I was advised to give no one anything, for that would be more effective than the 'last trump' for the dead. All the beggars would arrive. Not that this mattered at all. Who was carrying money?
A Male Steward came off the plane and walked over to me and said: "It's alright! We aren't going to leave without you! Calm down! Catch your breath!" The 'So and So' was right. It was still another 30 minutes before we took off! I on the other hand was watching the driver through his rear view mirror. He seemed to be blinking an awful lot and his driving was a little erratic. Not that that is unusual in China, but when you are on the highway and you have 3 or 4 lanes to choose from and very little traffic, you would think that you could drive in at least one or two of those lanes for more than 500 meters at a time.
Anyway, I was not the kind of child that hung around and did nothing. I had to have my own adventures and make discoveries of this new place we were to call our home away from home. There was a huge Combined British Military Hospital and a Family Hospital attached to it. At first I avoided the Military Hospital, because the nurses and the orderlies who saw me loitering around might question me and then report this to my father who was the officer in charge.
Definition: King's Calendar Chronological Research
The Premise: Between the 5th and 3rd centuries BCE (but continuing down to at least 104 BCE), Sectarian redactors transcribed the legitimate 'solar year' chronological records of Israel and Judah, into an artificial form, with listed years as each comprised of 12 months of 4 weeks of 7 days, or 336 days per year, thus creating a 13th artificial year where 12 solar years existed.
When the Synchronous Chronological Data provided in the Books of Kings and Chronicles for the Divided Kingdom Period are measured in years of 336 days, the synchronisms actually align. [Refer to Appendix 5. to see how it synchronises the Divided Kingdom Period]
About the KingsCalendar Publisher
R.P.BenDedek is the owner and Editor of KingsCalendar.com which was originally set up to publicize his research results into the Chronology of Ancient Israel. Those results were published under the title: 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran'.
Whilst there have been many attempts to solve the chronological riddle of the Bible's synchronisms of reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah and their synchronism with other Ancient Near Eastern Nations, no other research is based on a simple mathematical formula which could, if it is incorrect, be disproved easily. To date, no one has been able to dismiss the mathematical results of this research.
Free to air Academic articles set forth Apologetics for and results of his discovery of an "artificial chronological scheme" running through the Bible, Josephus, the Damascus Documents of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Seder Olam Rabbah.
During the current economic downturn, this book has been drastically reduced in price but will eventually rise as the economy improves.
Check the Chapter Precis Page to see details of each chapter and to gain access to the Four Free to Air Chapters
R.P. BenDedek writes social commentaries and photographic 'Stories from China' both at KingsCalendar, and as a contributing columnist at Magic City Morning Star News in Maine USA.
(He has been teaching Conversational English in China since 2003 and currently (2013) is teaching in Suzhou City Jiangsu Province.)
**********Academic Newsletters**********
Newsletter No. 26 Did Pharaoh Drown in the Red Sea? By R.P. BenDedek
Could the Pharaoh of the Exodus have been the Grandvisier Rekhmire? Attention was drawn to some particular points in relation to the records found in the Bible, in Josephus, and in Egyptian history, that might support the posit that Rekhmire was the Pharaoh of the Exodus. According to the King's Calendar Reconstruction of Israelite History, the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Amenhotep II, was the Pharaoh of Egypt at the time of the Exodus. By the measure of Petrie's chronology, for the Exodus to have occurred in 1449 BCE, it would have taken place during Amenhotep II's co-regency during the last two years of the reign of Thothmes III
Newsletter No.25 Babylonian King Nebuchadrezzar By R.P. BenDedek
734 BCE - 586 BCE : Unlike the 4 part series: "The Law, Rules of Evidence & Archaeology" this article does not focus on legal argument, but highlights the weaknesses in Academic Opinion (and therefore 'weaknesses in Law'), in relation to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon; King Hezekiah of Judah, and the Syro-Ephraimitic War 734-732 BCE
These are not necesssarily easy articles to read as they are written from a legal perspective. Some have argued that the laws that apply to evidence in a 'criminal proceeding' are more strict than those applied to civil cases, and that 'criminal investigation proceedures' ought not to be applied to archaeological and historical evidence. However it can be argued that when presenting something as 'evidence of solid fact', that the strictest guidelines ought to be applied. As is argued throughout these articles, offering opinions and making assumptions is fine, as long as they are stated to be so rather than specifically stating or implying that they are facts
Newsletter No.20 Is the Bible God Inspired or just the History of Israel? By R.P. BenDedek
My personal opinion is that if G-d did have such a powerful, lasting and personal hand in 'each and every word' recorded in the Bible, then he is fairly incompetent at delivering his message with clarity. This does not mean however that I absolutely 'reject' the concept of Divine Biblical inspiration. I fully accept that the Biblical documents are a true historical record of Israel's national and religious history.
Important Bible and Ancient Israel History Articles
