Thursday, January 26, 2006

The world as we know it...

big news in the middle east.

ISRAELI NATIONAL RELIGIOUS PARTY MP EFFIE EITAM:
"It's beyond any shade of doubt that Ehud Olmert is dividing Jerusalem [by allowing Palestinian residents to vote].
Bear in mind that, [if] there were elections in Washington for al-Qaeda, would any American administration, would any American citizen accept that?"

an acceptable comparison? hamas is difficult to analyze because they are difficult to categorize. perhaps if Israel or even the PLO had invested in improving the infrastructure of Gaza since the 1960's or had adaquately supplied medical facilities and schools in the area, we could unabashedly declare Hamas to be a terrorist organization. but, the facts seem to indicate that hamas spends alot of money to build schools and facilities for palestinians that otherwise are without such assistance.

my father emailed today from Tiberius and said this about the elections:
"Everything fine here.  Elections I do not expect to have an effect on us.  Locals believe that until the Israel elections next month, nothing will happen.  We have a guide who is Christian Palistenian. I am planning to tape an interview with her at some point.  Her family has been here for at least 4 generations."

even if everything stays quite over the next several weeks, and the parameters of hamas controlled areas do not change, many still have the expectation that the change from the fatah party to hamas control bodes ill for continuing discussions between israelis and palestinians.

i guess we'll just wait and see.

5 comments:

Eric Orozco said...

Well, all I can say is, from what I know of Hamas, the Palestinians were better off under Arafat. I am depressed, I won't deny it. But this may be good news in the long run. For one, Hamas now will have to prove its leadership (good luck). But the critique against Fatah corruption is what the election result is really about. We will see indeed, but I won't expect much to change.

Eric Orozco said...

Guys, related to our discussion concerning the evangelical dehumanization of the Palestinian people, my friend Gary Alley (a Jerusalem buddy) wrote a nice piece on this topic.

Justin said...

Interesting article. I oppose the Palestinian leadership with every fiber of my being, but also feel that the Palestinian people are nothing more than pawns in an ugly chess game that need just as much support and love as the Jewish people.

Eric Orozco said...

Hi Justin! Are you back from Israel,...what did you think?

The Palestians might be pawns more than likely to their own hatred and Israel's treatment of them in response. In truth, resistance lives across the board in all Palestinian hearts. Americans and any people in that situation would do the same. Ideally, one might think we would use other tactics than suicide acts of terror...but remember Ireland my friend, it is not much less prettier. No, my experience is the Palestinians are powerless, but not pawns.

It is thus the all the more acute challenge of evangelicals to return love for hatred. A noble friend of mine, Philip Berg, just passed away...in truth, because peacemakers like him are that much more beloved by HaShem. It is not enough for me to mention his name and to say that all I knew about the man was that he never stopped being your advocate. The man never failed to show grace. He was a good reason why I sustained myself in Israel...he literally never stopped being my advocate. My dilemma now is: how does one show such a man Lovingkindness if his very life embodied Lovingkindness as you know it? I realized that the least I can do is point to him as an example whenever the subject of the powerless comes up, and to pray HaShem find in our midst those worthy enough to continue Philip Berg's legacy, may his memory be blessed.

Justin said...

I guess "pawn" is a relative term in that it all comes down to whose propaganda you want to believe. Is Hamas calling for the destruction of a nation that has the right to exist, or are they leading the charge to liberate Palestine from Jewish oppression? Everyone will make their own choice, and each side will gladly feed those views.

I do agree with you on the love thing. I've always felt the best way to spread the Gospel is not to go around yelling "YOU NEED JESUS!" at people, but to actually be a friend to them. People don't need pamphlets, they need love.

(yes, I'm back from Israel. It was AMAZING, and I'm looking to go back full-time by this summer with either Bridges for Peace, Christian Friends of Israel, or the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem)