If this hadn't happened to me, personally, I would have written this story off as so much humanist propaganda.
During the fourth week of the current war, I was in a hotel in England - where the elevator wasn't working. This ancient grandfather, yours truly, found himself trudging up to his second floor hotel room several times a day. On some of these trips, I would pass a fellow from the third floor. We'd exchange pleasantries like:
I: Every time I see you come down from 3, I realize things could be worse!
He: No, we are still young, we can do this!
On our last such meeting (I was going up), I said "Good News! They're fixing the elevator!". He replied that that was indeed good news, then...
He: By the way, you are Israeli, are you not?
I: Yes, I am.
He extended his hand in friendship, and with a smile said: "I am Lebanese, we are enemies.".
I was astounded. He continued, "Do not worry, I am Christian."
I vigorously shook his hand, and the conversation continued as follows.
He: Your air force is destroying our cities, I had to flee with my car, no other way out!
I: Your people have to break away from Hizbollah!
He: We cannot! (Moves his forefinger across his throat) They will kill us! Do you not see what they have already done in Beirut against those who oppose them?!?
I: (At a loss for words) I don't have to look to Beirut. I see what has happened to your people in Bethlehem.
He: That was a terrible mistake! Look what you have done, giving so much power to Arafat. See how strong you have made them!
Our conversation continued for a few more minutes, on a more personal level, but I will not reveal further information that could somehow endanger him in the future. I came away from that encounter, dizzied with the realization that we have comrades in spirit on the other side of the line. I wanted to meet him again, and apologize for the treatment my government had ultimately given to the South Lebanese, but given my short stay, another such encounter never materialized...
How can we get our OWN people to think so rationally?
Thursday, August 17, 2006
An Israeli meets a Lebanese -- in London
Received from a Muqata reader...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
LinkWithin
8 comments:
He fled with his car. Does that mean he drove to London?
Thank you for this. Amazing.
I once got into a taxi in France at the airport.
After we started moving, I noticed his name, and as the driver said to me "I know you are from Israel... I am from Lebanon" my heart skipped a beat and I wondered how long I had to live, until I noticed his cross hanging from his mirror.
"Don't worry," he said, "I am from South Lebanon, and I sometimes visit my relatives in Bethlehem and Beirut. I used to fight with Israel against our enemies."
"I am proud to have Israel as an ally," he said.
THAT WAS A GREAT POST.
Here is one that I found recently while surfing the net.
To follow are a few of my recent observations and some thoughts regarding our worlds recent history with Muslim extremists / Terrorists...
With the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah being covered 24/7 by many TV reporters, I have listened to a number of these reporters state that "An Ideology can not be conquered with military force" This comment is often said when reporting on the true level of success of the IDF vs. Hezbollah. I would say to them and to you, look at recent history as to whether an "Ideology" can be defeated with military force and the answer is, in my opinion both yes and no, lets look at the yes answer...
In recent history, certainly the fanatics that followed the Ideology of Nazi Fascists and the Japanese Militarists were finally defeated with overwhelming military force, while throughout history many other less violent and less threatening Ideology's never necessitated their defeat or elimination through a worldwide coalition of force.
In the most recent example of World War II - The most fanatical of all the believers & fighters (those that were brought up, brainwashed and believed that death in the service of their country & leader was an honor, privilege and necessity - i.e. the SS, Hitler Youth and most Japanese Soldiers) our brave WWII veterans found that the only way to defeat them was to terminate their lives...
Only through each of those countries remaining soldiers, government officials and civilians accepting UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDERS were we able to help those that survived and did not believe in death before life, to begin to rebuild their lives and their countries on a road to peaceful coexistence with the rest of the world.
We are now fighting against a group of people / Ideology that has been teaching children, teenagers and adults, that their death is preferable to life and that death while trying to kill a Jew, Christian, American, any non Muslim or even a conservative Muslim is not only their duty but it is the greatest way that all of their earthly sins are forgiven and that they, along with their families will be allowed into their "Muslim Only" heaven...
There is only one way to defeat this type of Ideology and that is in the same way the Allies defeated the followers of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan - eliminate them until those that follow that twisted Ideology are gone from our world.
These people believe that their death is more valuable than your life or your families life, especially if they die while trying to kill you or your family!...
You can not negotiate or convince these people to think in a peaceful, freedom loving way... None of the 19 hijackers had a change of heart during 9/11, and I believe that there are only 2 known cases in the last 13 years where suicide bombers in Israel, Iraq and throughout the Middle East have changed their minds... while hundreds and now into over a 1,000+ of others have happily blown up Tens of 1000's of innocents while trying to find that doorway into "their heaven"...
YOU and your family will never be safe until these people are eliminated from the world that the large majority of peace loving people choose to live in. Do not kid yourself, this is World War III and it needs to be prosecuted in the same way that we and our allies prosecuted WW II.
March 2006 - "Gunmen / terrorists / murderers (and cowards)" stopped and boarded a school bus filed with middle school girls in Iraq. They shot dead the driver in front of the terrified and screaming young girls and left...
This is similar to the September 2005 incident where "gunmen / terrorists / murderers (and cowards)" entered a village south of Baghdad, went into the elementary school, herded 5 Teachers and a bus driver into a room and murdered them all.
Tribal hatred's? the teaching of female students? it really doesn't matter why they did it, the mere fact that they murdered these people along with so many 1000's of others, across the globe convinces me that there is no room in civilized society for their type of thinking and behavior.
This is not about religious beliefs, those that choose to hide behind any religion while perpetrating these deeds are lying to themselves and to you. Many of them don't hold their own Mosque's as sacred as they have no problem blowing up a rival tribe's Mosque, or murdering the Cleric and his innocent followers...
These are thugs, murderers and sociopaths that need to be removed from any society that wishes to live with freedom and peace.
amazing
"Don't worry," he said, "I am from South Lebanon, and I sometimes
Amazing how much the world has changed in just a few generations. 100 years ago, I'm not sure how much worry would be assuaged by a man assuring a Jew that he was a Christian. ;-)
I am not really big on conspiracy theories, but this post kind of confirmed a wierd feeling I've had about the Siniora government. It seems that their support of Hezballah is kind of "fake" for lack of a better way to describe it. They talk the talk, but they haven't really walked the walk. For example, when Lehoud said that Lebanon would send it's army down to the south to fight alongside Hezballah if Israel sent in ground troups. He was all talk and no walk. It sort of seems like (at least to me, here in the US) that the Lebanese government is being held hostage by Hezballah, they don't really agree with Hezballah, but they don't have enough of a spine to stand up to them. Or maybe I'm just plagued with wishful thinking...
To Kach 613:
Unfortunately, that is no longer an option. In 2006, when the Barak government fled Lebanon, they betrayed all of their promises and agreements with the SLA, abandoning their allies to their Muslim enemies. The SLA completely crumbled, and more than half of their members fled the country with their families to save their own lives. The entire region was immediately taken over by Hizbollah.
They feel bitter towards and betrayed by Israel, whom they view as short-sighted and cowardly. And I can hardly blame them -- they are 100% correct.
It's hard to imagine that after such an experience, these people would be willing to trust Israel again, especially after Israel's craven, humiliating defeat in the war. I certainly wouldn't if I were in their place.
Very cool design! Useful information. Go on! »
Post a Comment