That has got to be one of the weirder titles you'll see. My wife, her mom and friend returned from their epic trip to northern Maine last night. Now she's getting cocky and was actually bragging about how fast she made the trip (see earlier post). I am constantly amazed at how such a tiny person (my wife) can absolutely fill up a house with her mere presence - talk about personality! Our house is way too big for just the two of us, empty nesters that we are, but I never realize it fully until she's away. I'm really glad she's back. The best news is we'll have both kids back this weekend.
There's a lot in the news recently about the Palestinians bid for UN recognition. I grew up, as did most Americans of my generation, solidly in favor of the Israelis. This was due to American media portrayal of the gallant Israeli fight for independence against the massed Arab neighbors, the very real need for a Jewish homeland following the holocaust, and, probably most of all, a negative reaction to Palestinian terrorism. I spent a seven month tour in the Sinai region and was lucky enough to travel throughout the area. I left with some very surprising impressions. I've studied the history of the conflict but seeing it at the ground - human level really opened my eyes. It is amazing what Israel has done - creating a garden spot compared to it's Arab neighbors. I ascribe this to the power of a democratic government that frees its people to achieve. However the biggest impression I left with was how much nicer the Arabs were in person than the Israelis. As I traveled through Israel I found Arabs and Israelis living side by side with no apparent problems and Israelis vising Egypt without issue. My two cents, for what they are worth, is that the Arabs have victimized themselves by allowing the fanatics to become their voice. They reject anything American because of our historical support for Israel. The Israelis, on the other hand, have become arrogant to the point that, because of America's backing, they feel don't have to compromise. As in most cases, the common people pay the price of fanaticism. The conflict that has ebbed and flowed in the region since the late 1940s has had only one consistent loser and that has been the Palestinian people whom those currents have passed over. From what I've seen, if the Israelis and Palestinians could both find a "middle voice" and compromise - the resulting nation(s) would become an economic juggernaut in the region. The toughest fight will be to marginalize the fanatics on both sides - until that happens nothing else will.
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