I'm Jewish and I'm 100 percent pro Israel and I'm 100 percent pro Barack Obama.
Given the enormous stupidity of Bush's statements yesterday in Israel, I thought it important to explain to all pro Israel people why Bush is wrong and Obama is the best hope for peace for Israel.
Bush's statements comparing some Arab neighbors to Nazis is exactly why they justifiably hate Americans. Bush didn't know a Sunni from a Shia when he invaded Iraq, and he knows less about Islam and Arab culture.
Before I opine further on current politics in the Middle East, let me give you a little of my back story.
I went to college in the 70s with a lot of Palestinian students. Several were in the PLO and the PFLP. They had never had a dialog with a Jew before, and I had never had one with an Arab before.
At the student union building, the epicenter of political debates and protests in the 60s and 70s, I'd meet with these students and debate the Middle East. One told me he would kill me if I was "over there," even knowing I was a nice person. The others, however, were intrigued and engaged in our conversations. Suffice to say they learned a lot from me and I learned a lot from them.
Fast forward to 2001. My neighbors at the time were from Saudi. They were students at Vanderbilt. After 9/11, I knocked on their door and gave them my phone number and told them if they were harassed in any way, to call me. One of them said, "Don't you have that thing on your door that Jews have on their door?" (a Mazuzah) I said, "Yes, I'm Jewish." The Saudi student said, "And you would help us?" Me:"Of course."
Unfortunately, Jews aren't allowed in Saudi Arabia,(though they took that info off their official website after 9/11)so these men think we(Jews) cook with their blood. It's what they were taught in school. (Sadly, it's still being taught in some schools in Arab countries)
Anyhow, I struck up a friendship with one of them. I always met him in the hall, because I knew they weren't supposed to be alone with a woman. We exchanged books, and talked of mutual interests. He loved my dog and my dog loved him. He had made his first Jewish friend.
During Ramadan, I left dates by his/their door, because I knew that eating dates was how they broke their all day fast. My friend's roommate wasn't convinced I didn't put Arab blood in the dates, so I ate some in front of him. He was baffled, and couldn't understand why a Jew was being nice to him/them.
Fast forward to May 4, 2002. The Saudi neighbors, who knew I was on a night schedule, were banging on my door early in the morning screaming my name. I ran to the door and when I opened the door, black smoke was coming down the hall. I grabbed my dog and purse, and they helped me and my dog get out of the building, which a couple of minutes later was engulfed in flames.
The moral of the story, if I hadn't practiced diplomacy with my "enemies," I wouldn't be alive, today, and they wouldn't have taken back the message to Saudi that Jews don't cook with their blood. It's a start.
Barack Obama is the only person running for President who understands the need to respect other cultures and create a dialog based on respect for different cultures and countries.
Many people in America have never traveled outside of America, but Barack Obama looks like the majority of the people in the world. Three continents, Africa, Asia and almost all of South America look like him, and many countries in Europe do as well.
Something so small as knowing to take your shoes off before entering a home, or not shaking hands with a woman in some countries, can make the difference between war and peace.
While we may not agree with other cultures, especially ones that don't meet our criteria for freedom, we can at least come to peace agreements with most of them if instead of trying to change them to be like us, and respect them (and they us) as long as they don't use violence.
I believe with all of my heart that Barack Obama is the person best qualified to negotiate peace with the rest of the world, especially between Israel and her Arab neighbors.
I implore all of you who are on the fence and/or heard Bush's despicable lies about Obama to consider what this pro Israel writer has to say on this matter.
Shabbat Shalom
