The Hard Truth of Jerusalem
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways -Saint Paul
A week or so ago a story was circulated in Lebanese Facebook circles. Apparently, school children at the Lycee Français in Lebanon were told that Lebanon borders Israel by their French teacher. It was a hard truth for one school girl to swallow. She promptly corrected her teacher that the country that Lebanon borders to its south is “Palestine”. Of course, a search on Google Maps will reveal the hard truth to that schoolgirl. The Lebanese authorities have opened an investigation into this story and are looking into legal actions. The Arab World has been faced with hard truths for over 100 years now. And most recently when American President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish state, the whole Middle East went out in flames. You would think that this fact like the reality of Google Maps shouldn’t come as any shock to any Arab. But it somehow did, and protests were planned and took place. Intifadas started. Flags burned. And people died. Hard truths to swallow have kept this region from facing its realities. And with that being able to make peace and moving on. 69 years have passed since the creation of the state of Israel, yet peace doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight. Denying Israel’s existence won’t make it go away. Neither would it make all the wars that result when someone tries to change this truth. Indeed, the Lebanese knew in 2006 that Israel existed (when Israel waged a 33 days war against Lebanon after Hezbollah crossed the blue line and kidnapped and killed 5 soldiers). Hard truths to swallow are prevalent on both sides. For instance, some 300,000 Palestinians live east of Jerusalem. What is their fate? Israelis don’t want them as fellow citizens, but that’s exactly what they would become if Israel annexes Jerusalem. Forceful removal would evoke images of ethnic cleansing and would be out of order. Furthermore, millions of Palestinians live in the west bank. Would they too become Israeli citizens if Israel annexes the west bank? Israel considers itself a moral nation. A hard truth to swallow is that it is a nation of two identities and two classes of citizens. A country that practices a form of what can only be viewed as Apartheid. Just like president trump said that Jerusalem belongs to Israel a former president Carter said that it is indeed an Apartheid nation. He wasn’t well received by Israel and Israeli. “The ultimate deal” as called by President Trump can only start when people face the truth. Israel is here to stay and so are the Arabs. Making a peace requires looking at facts and accepting them as they are and not as one wished them to be. Israel can never be a fortress and Arab nations that border it can never ignore its existence.
A week or so ago a story was circulated in Lebanese Facebook circles. Apparently, school children at the Lycee Français in Lebanon were told that Lebanon borders Israel by their French teacher. It was a hard truth for one school girl to swallow. She promptly corrected her teacher that the country that Lebanon borders to its south is “Palestine”. Of course, a search on Google Maps will reveal the hard truth to that schoolgirl. The Lebanese authorities have opened an investigation into this story and are looking into legal actions. The Arab World has been faced with hard truths for over 100 years now. And most recently when American President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish state, the whole Middle East went out in flames. You would think that this fact like the reality of Google Maps shouldn’t come as any shock to any Arab. But it somehow did, and protests were planned and took place. Intifadas started. Flags burned. And people died. Hard truths to swallow have kept this region from facing its realities. And with that being able to make peace and moving on. 69 years have passed since the creation of the state of Israel, yet peace doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight. Denying Israel’s existence won’t make it go away. Neither would it make all the wars that result when someone tries to change this truth. Indeed, the Lebanese knew in 2006 that Israel existed (when Israel waged a 33 days war against Lebanon after Hezbollah crossed the blue line and kidnapped and killed 5 soldiers). Hard truths to swallow are prevalent on both sides. For instance, some 300,000 Palestinians live east of Jerusalem. What is their fate? Israelis don’t want them as fellow citizens, but that’s exactly what they would become if Israel annexes Jerusalem. Forceful removal would evoke images of ethnic cleansing and would be out of order. Furthermore, millions of Palestinians live in the west bank. Would they too become Israeli citizens if Israel annexes the west bank? Israel considers itself a moral nation. A hard truth to swallow is that it is a nation of two identities and two classes of citizens. A country that practices a form of what can only be viewed as Apartheid. Just like president trump said that Jerusalem belongs to Israel a former president Carter said that it is indeed an Apartheid nation. He wasn’t well received by Israel and Israeli. “The ultimate deal” as called by President Trump can only start when people face the truth. Israel is here to stay and so are the Arabs. Making a peace requires looking at facts and accepting them as they are and not as one wished them to be. Israel can never be a fortress and Arab nations that border it can never ignore its existence.
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