THERE’S A DEBT TO PAY
For almost 40 years now, I’ve been reporting on and writing about the Middle East. In all of my work I have attempted to be balanced and fair. I have never held the Israelis or the Palestinians responsible for the chaos and violence in the region. Rather I have held the international community responsible.
It was the international community, under the auspices of the United Nations that voted on and approved the arbitrary partition of Palestine, in 1947. Partition was approved without due regard for the rights of the indigenous people and without regard for the security of the Jewish immigrant population.
The manner in which partition was handled by the nations of the world constituted a recipe for war.
As U.S. President harry Truman said in March of 1948,…"The United Kingdom has announced its firm intention to abandon its mandate in Palestine on May 15. Unless emergency action is taken, there will be no public authority in Palestine on that date capable of preserving law and order. Violence and bloodshed will descend upon the Holy Land. Large-scale fighting among the people of that country will be the inevitable result. Such fighting would infect the entire Middle East and could lead to consequences of the gravest sort involving the peace of this Nation and of the world."
In the view of many, one can draw a straight line between those comments of Truman and the terrorist attacks in New York.
A people was displaced and tens of thousands were dispossessed…made homeless, stateless and poor.
We are now reaping the fruits of the seeds sowed by the thoughtless world leaders who acted so recklessly so long ago.
I recently received an email from a well-connected friend who has visited the region on many occasions. In my next post, I will publish verbatim what he had to say.
May G-d forgive all those who have brought the world to this place of horror and fear.
