Obama and Netanyahu Battle Like Prophets

This week the world was treated to a spectacular event, a champions' competition of an ancient sport, practiced since Homo Sapiens uttered their first spoken words. Two of today's leading orators collided in a match of prose and rhetoric excellence. Obama and Netanyahu sharpened their pens, cleared their throats and battled!

Oratory is a subtle art. In Judeo-Christian tradition it is widely associated with the prophets Ezekiel, Amos and Joshua, and lest we forget Jesus. These men stood in turbulent times, faced their people and spoke with conviction, eloquence and a determination to change the wrongs of their society.

It would perhaps be interesting to note the similarity in the content of their speeches. All of the aforementioned prophets lectured on morality and religion. Standing at the city's gate, they reproached sinners for their religious hypocrisy and for using their temples as refuge while committing immoral acts against their fellow human beings. They contended that human solidarity and social justice are of greater importance than religious fervor.

"Away with the noise of your songs (of praise)! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"
Amos 5:23

Here we are in turbulent times once again, glued to our TV screens and listening to the new leaders of men, political leaders. Obama and Netanyahu disagree on many issues, however, the Israel-USA alliance stays strong because of the core values they share. The belief in certain unalienable rights that amongst them are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness is key to democracy. As the USA looks for Middle Eastern countries to adopt these values Israel still stands alone as the only democratic state in the region.

"Israel is not what is wrong with the Middle East, Israel is what is right about the middle east"
Benjamin Netanyahu

"Palestinians leaders will not achieve peace or prosperity if Hamas insists on a path of terror and rejection"
Barrack Obama

Netanyahu and Obama reproached the Palestinian authority for its reconciliation with the religiously violent Hamas organization. They both share the fear that religious fervor would undermine the advances towards democracy in the Middle East.

Many more eloquent speeches would undoubtedly be sounded on Palestinian statehood, but the prayer for democracy and peace in the Middle East will go unanswered until Arab leaders speak of human decency and generosity before prayer and martyrdom. Then the Palestinians and all of the Middle East might enjoy Justice and righteousness like a "never-failing stream".

The Jewish New Year 9 Years after 9/11

For Jewish people all over the world Rosh Hashanah marks the creation of the universe. According to Jewish tradition that creation reoccurs all the time and this recreation is what enables change, choice and other free-will concepts. This is why Rosh Hashanah is also a time of reconciliation, atonement and judgment. Jews look back at the year, what has been created, what part have they taken in this creation and what they would like to create in the future. The holiday ends on a positive note with the festive blows of a ram’s horn, signifying that redemption is one year nearer.

9 Years ago WTC bomings

Yesterday was September 11th; in America people bowed their heads in silent memory of the victims of the WTC bombings. 9 years have passed since that bloody day. The USA went guns blazing into Iraq and Afghanistan, Bombing occurred in London, Iran has become a nuclear power. Obama was elected president of the USA under the slogan YES WE CAN, Israel withdrew from Gaza and built a wall around the West Bank, Palestinians have elected Hamas into power and a new round of peace talks began in Washington between President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

When we look at all these years, the chain of events, it’s easy to feel like nothing can be done, to sit at home, watch the TV screen and sigh at our cruel fate. But it is important for us to remember that nothing is predetermined, that despite conflicts, deaths, hatred the potential for change is always there and that we can influence the world and change it for the better until the day of redemption comes when:

"They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." - Isaiah 2:4

And that's how it all began

It's quite rare for blood pressure to increase like this in a body as young as mine, but the coverage of yet another Palestinian-Israeli clash on the news was really getting the best of me.

For lack of a stronger word, I was enraged. It was as if the reporter had woken up that day and managed to forget 3000 years of history and heritage. For him the story began today.

Israeli soldiers shot dead 9 activists on a boat determined to penetrate the Gaza Blockade. For the news networks, this was where the story began and where it ended.

It did not begin 2 days ago with the boat embarking from turkey in spite of the blockade, nor a year ago when Hamas rose to power and Israel started its siege of Gaza. Nor did it begin 8 years ago when rockets started flying over the Gaza border or 33 years ago when Israel Conquered the Palestinian territories.

Of course it didn't begin with Great Britain dividing the land and the subsequent Arab-Israel war in 1948 and there is definitely no connection to the Muslim conquests or to Jewish Presence in the holy land for the past 3000 years. No, the story began 2 minutes ago when a soldier on a boat shot an activist. BREAKING NEWS!

There is however a silver lining. Fueled by my vexation I decided to do something …something that would promote a deeper understanding of the historical, cultural and political aspects of the conflict. It is not about who is right or wrong it is about understanding and relating to our fellow men.

How else are we to live peacefully with one another if we do not acknowledge or at least become acquainted with the context that brought two people to clash in such a violent manner?

It is with this mission in mind, to promote understanding through travel that we founded Identity Travel.

And that's how it all began...