We have been shackled to the past in our policies relating to the Middle East. In addition to the presence of an arms industry that wants to sell lots and lots of military hardware to certain partners in the region, there are other challenges. We must redefine our relationship to both Israel and its neighbors.
Security must be present for all, but so must a reasonable quality of life. This means balancing the needs of both Israel and Palestinians. And once we show a balanced policy in the region we will remove yet another persistent cause of rage in the Arab street. The radicalized mosques and madrases will have one less reason to wage jihad; in their mind, a righteous struggle against those who oppress their brothers.
Good first step: disestablish all the entitled lobbyists who insist on only one way to go about this. We have many friends in the Middle East. It is in our interest and the interest of the entire region to find a a just peace for all the players. We cannot line up exclusively with one side, especially if that side is seen not only to seek security, but exploit the dis-empowered.
Christian Arabs are fleeing the region for good reason; in the mind of their attackers they are associated with the West. It is a mistaken assumption. But until we change our posture that won’t change. In fact, until we change our posture most things won’t change.
vitalwholeness 