Disingenuous
Story and photos by Jim Fletcher - Guest Columnist
I just returned from a week in Israel; I'd gone on a fact-finding mission on the heels of the "Arab Spring." I was able to visit with friends from the America-Israel Friendship League (AIFL), who have a finger on the pulse of the volatile region.
The atmosphere in the Jewish state was both pleasant and slightly unnerving.
The beaches at Tel Aviv were alive with locals, and tourists also washed-over the gorgeous scenery. Overall, I did not sense unease or even real concern with the threats aimed at Israel. Truly, the Israelis are resilient and level-headed. In fact, I felt unusually safe touring the country, where I rented a car for the first time.
From the delightful oasis at the Dead Sea, to locales in the north, Israelis seemed to take the emerging threats in stride. While the world appears nervous about potential confrontations between flotilla "activists" and Israeli commandos, I saw lovers, shoppers, and happy visiting Europeans and Americans pressing through the bustling, ancient city streets of Jerusalem and Jaffa.
In this truly uncommon place, there were small clues that everything isn't idyllic. I was advised by friends and even hotel staff not to venture out too far via car where Palestinian areas might be inhospitable to a lone traveler. It was disappointing to hear that it might be problematic to visit the Mount of Olives -- I had somehow forgotten that the anniversary of the Six Day War would be observed by some Israelis and not a few Palestinians, who still resent the impact of that watershed event in the Middle East.
In the evenings, we heard gunfire coming from Arab villages near Bethlehem. Sitting opposite Jerusalem's Old City, it seemed somehow familiar, as the Palestinians observed what they say is a black day. The region, you see, does not accept the reality of a Jewish state, and that is the real sticking point in negotiations.
American President Barack Obama has expressed frustration recently, rarely heard from a U.S. leader. He has said that the international community is getting tired of the slow pace of negotiations, and one senses that he shares the frustration. What's more, it appears that the patience is running out and directed at Israel.
Kenneth Bialkin, chairman of the AIFL and a keen observer of U.S.-Israel relations, has the type of discernment one wishes our State Department possessed:
"In a wide-ranging speech this past May 19, President Barack Obama seemed determined to use the current turmoil in the Arab Middle East (a subject which took up the bulk of his talk) as an excuse to bring up the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and pressure Israel alone to make concessions.
"Although none of the originators of the ongoing populist Arab revolt even mentioned Israel, the President argued that, for the sake of peace throughout the Middle East, the starting point for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians should be an acceptance by the Jewish State of the temporary 1967 borders. The President neglected to explain that these were never 'borders' in the classical sense, but rather the armistice lines put in place in 1949 in the aftermath of the war initiated by six Arab states upon Israel's Declaration of Independence on May 16, 1948."
ority andmainline American denominational leaders.
"We watch the situation closely," said one. "Under Israeli rule, we were not beloved of the Jews, but we had safe conditions. Now ..." -- and his voice trailed off as he looked toward the security fence. We discussed the fact that though the world frames the wall as an act of an "apartheid state," this gentle Christian man -- close though he is to Muslim brothers -- agreed that the fence has saved lives.
Bialkin and other members of the AIFL routinely visit the country and work tirelessly with U.S. officials to make sure that a proper perspective is attainted.
Uri Bar-Ner, former Israeli ambassador to Turkey, met me in Tel Aviv. Gracious and informed, Bar-Ner recognizes the crucial work of groups like AIFL. "We must make sure that the world understands our position," he said enthusiastically. "The Palestinians speak of us in a certain way; we must make sure that the truth is promoted, as well."
I was fascinated to learn from Ambassador Bar-Ner that while it is certainly concerning to hear the rhetoric coming from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- who has turned decidedly hostile toward Israel -- the situation is not entirely lost with the former country of influence.
"Listen, Turkey has a Muslim element that wants power, but Turkey also wants membership in the European Union. We shall see what happens, but this political tension keeps the Islamists at bay, for now."
While touring souvenir shops in the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, I was startled to see more visibility for blatantly political T-shirts. A T-shirt from Jerusalem is often a prized item for tourists, who have a long list of friends and family from home, who want "a piece" of the fabled city.
So it was that I noticed "in-your-face" designs depicting a hoped-for State of Palestine. Themes such as "Free Palestine" and images of Che Guevara, in full Palestinian garb, dominated many of the shirt selections. Chillingly, I noticed a shirt that depicts the Holy Land -- the current State of Israel -- with two Palestinian flags at the top. This is a clear signal that the Palestinians aggressively dream of the end of Israel.
It was a stark reminder that the Palestinians often speak a certain way for Western audiences and cameras, but reveal their true feelings closer to home.
Also, an otherwise serene and sacred trip to the Temple Mount became, for me, an exercise in avoiding Palestinian security guards. If I stepped into an area they deemed off-limits, I invited screaming from pistol-wearing guards. I also noticed a huge amount of the famous debris unearthed when underground mosques were constructed.
All in all, my fact-finding trip left me with a sense of foreboding, but also of hope. Many Christians who support Israel do so from a religious vantage point, that's true. But I also spoke with many reasonable people on both sides of the divide to realize that the land will indeed emerge as holy one day.