I happen to have a good friend who immigrated to US about 30 years ago, and became a US citizen, but has most of his family and old friends still living in Israel. He is an older gent, and wears hearing aids in each ear due to losing hearing while serving in his country as a young man in Israel and fighting in wars.
Over the course of the last decade or so, I've gotten a different view of Israel than what is portrayed by the UN and by the liberal media. By all standards, it certainly appears that all of his friends I've spoken with have the attitude of "Live and let Live" in a peaceful coexistence with their Arab neighbors. Contrary to some news I've read, he challenged me to come up with instances where Israel citizens actively sought out Arab cities and started provocations. Other than the formation of Israel, which I've learned there is more to that story as well, it sure seems that Abe is correct. Heck, I did not even know that about 20% of Israel's population is made up of Arabs who are active Muslims. The difference is that they, being Israel, looks at them sort of like the US does when it comes to Catholics vs Southern Baptists; different, but clearly lead a peaceful coexistence.
Textbooks I've read seem to claim that Jews came and 'stole' land and evicted Palestinians in 1947. That is not exactly the story as I'm told. I was given several references to where Jewish people have been on that same land for thousands of years with innumerable conflicts of being ousted and returning. One of the big times they started to return, that I was unaware of, was in 1492. All I know about that year is supposedly when Columbus set out and 'discovered' America. It was also the year that Spain decided to rid itself of all Jews. I'm well aware of there always being two sides to any story, but it sure seems that there have been so many countries, races and other groups of people whose goal in life is to exterminate all Jewish people.
I knew this gentleman for 9 years before I learned that he was recruited from the IDF to the Mossad. He has never spoken of anything he did while serving his country. He only tells me that knowing your enemy well is the only possible way for such a small country, such as Israel, to survive. By all accounts, it seems that Israel is pretty darn good at the Intelligence business. I didn't even know that those 20% of Arab citizens living in Israel are exempt from Israel's mandatory military service.
Anyway, as we all know, there are hundreds of books and tens of thousands of pages written about the conflict between the Jews and the Arabs. The only consistent I can see is that Israel seems willing to live in peace whereas the majority of Muslims want to totally exterminate all Jews. What seems concerning to me is that with longer range rockets and determination to start a full scale war, Hamas in the small Gaza Strip firing rockets at populated Israel cities and using Palestinian citizens as human shields in Gaza may very well result in Israel untying the proverbial second hand from behind their back and flat destroying Gaza. Which, IMHO, would then drag the rest of the Muslim countries into a full war against Israel which, very likely, would result in the US aiding Israel and who knows what other countries aiding either side in a vicious full scale war.
In blunt terms, my friend from Israel said that the Muslims have talked a big talk and has constantly flicked Israel in the nuts. However, now if the Arabs fully kick Israel in the nuts, they may very well get a well calculated but much larger than anticipated retaliation from Israel who, I'm told, has infiltrated most areas and has excellent intel to help them.
Over the course of the last decade or so, I've gotten a different view of Israel than what is portrayed by the UN and by the liberal media. By all standards, it certainly appears that all of his friends I've spoken with have the attitude of "Live and let Live" in a peaceful coexistence with their Arab neighbors. Contrary to some news I've read, he challenged me to come up with instances where Israel citizens actively sought out Arab cities and started provocations. Other than the formation of Israel, which I've learned there is more to that story as well, it sure seems that Abe is correct. Heck, I did not even know that about 20% of Israel's population is made up of Arabs who are active Muslims. The difference is that they, being Israel, looks at them sort of like the US does when it comes to Catholics vs Southern Baptists; different, but clearly lead a peaceful coexistence.
Textbooks I've read seem to claim that Jews came and 'stole' land and evicted Palestinians in 1947. That is not exactly the story as I'm told. I was given several references to where Jewish people have been on that same land for thousands of years with innumerable conflicts of being ousted and returning. One of the big times they started to return, that I was unaware of, was in 1492. All I know about that year is supposedly when Columbus set out and 'discovered' America. It was also the year that Spain decided to rid itself of all Jews. I'm well aware of there always being two sides to any story, but it sure seems that there have been so many countries, races and other groups of people whose goal in life is to exterminate all Jewish people.
I knew this gentleman for 9 years before I learned that he was recruited from the IDF to the Mossad. He has never spoken of anything he did while serving his country. He only tells me that knowing your enemy well is the only possible way for such a small country, such as Israel, to survive. By all accounts, it seems that Israel is pretty darn good at the Intelligence business. I didn't even know that those 20% of Arab citizens living in Israel are exempt from Israel's mandatory military service.
Anyway, as we all know, there are hundreds of books and tens of thousands of pages written about the conflict between the Jews and the Arabs. The only consistent I can see is that Israel seems willing to live in peace whereas the majority of Muslims want to totally exterminate all Jews. What seems concerning to me is that with longer range rockets and determination to start a full scale war, Hamas in the small Gaza Strip firing rockets at populated Israel cities and using Palestinian citizens as human shields in Gaza may very well result in Israel untying the proverbial second hand from behind their back and flat destroying Gaza. Which, IMHO, would then drag the rest of the Muslim countries into a full war against Israel which, very likely, would result in the US aiding Israel and who knows what other countries aiding either side in a vicious full scale war.
In blunt terms, my friend from Israel said that the Muslims have talked a big talk and has constantly flicked Israel in the nuts. However, now if the Arabs fully kick Israel in the nuts, they may very well get a well calculated but much larger than anticipated retaliation from Israel who, I'm told, has infiltrated most areas and has excellent intel to help them.
