Peter Beinart's "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza"

At the beginning of "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza" (2025) is a small section addressed to a "former friend".  As a Jew Peter feels his views are not compatible with many Jews, including some long time friends.  Benjamin Franklin said "For having lived long I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information or fuller consideration to change opinions even on important which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise".  At great personal loss to himself Peter Beinart over a period of time has changed his opinion.  As an outsider my views had been formed in one direction for close to 50 years.

October 7th was a shock and the initial response was horror.  As time went on some of the horror shifted to the bombardment of Gaza.  Hostages were used as bargaining chips including women, children and a few foreigners.  Some hostages noted that their greatest fear was of Israeli bombs and in truth some died as result.  We heard very upsetting accounts of what had been inflicted in the initial attack and subsequently on hostages.  

After World War II a lot of colonies wound down, however Israel was the exception where Jews took over land that was already occupied by a larger number of Arabs.  In North America we seldom stopped to realize that we took over land occupied by indigenous humans who actually co-existed better with nature.  For years we were led to believe the Arabs fled on their own initiative.  We came to learn they fled intimidation and violence.  Like being forced out of your house that your family had lived in for generations.  Actually about 750,000 Arabs were displaced in 1948 and several hundred thousand in 1967.

It was considered a problem of what to do with the Jewish Holocaust survivors.  None of the Europeans wanted to take them on.  One thought was that they should be compensated with choice land in Germany.  However there had been a political movement called Zionism that advocated settling in the Holy Land.   Nations that had blocked Jewish refugees before the war supported this notion, most notably the United States, that not only supplied money, but also weapons.

Since the formation of Israel it has gained in strength with Jews around the world viewing it as a safe haven in a world with lots of anti-Semitism.  They have developed some psychological props.  They are quick to point out how they have been victimized over centuries.  Beinart points out "There are still fewer Jews alive today than there were in 1939".

Another force boosting Israel is surprisingly (mostly 'American) Evangelicals who have interpreted Biblical verse that Christ will have a second coming, but only if the Jews control Israel.  They actively support Jewish settlers in Palestine and surprisingly some Jews join in the effort to influence American Evangelicals.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/12/evangelists-and-trump.html   The Evangelical voting block strongly supports Republicans who in turn support Israel

Dehumanizing is a standard practice.  Palestinians are always characterized as lazy, poorly educated, violent and most critically want Jews dead.  Since October 7th we have heard and seen barbaric acts against Jewish citizens.  Israeli citizens minimize Palestinian deaths even suggesting they are made up, but in fact they compile their numbers from actually identified.  The stories of individual Palestinians suffering are dismissed. 

Alternatives to violence were tried with little success.  The real problem is to build trust in a hateful environment.  Netanyahu boasted that he killed the Oslo Accords, an attempt for peace.  He then encouraged settlements (that are illegal) in occupied Palestine.  What some would call terrorism, others would call freedom fighting.  Are you sure you don't have a bias?

The BDS  (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement offered another way to get the world's attention.  Essentially it was an organizational attempt to use economic warfare instead of violence.  Israel saw this as an attack (which it was), but instead of countering with arguments and incentives they tried to make it illegal and had success.  Israel did everything it could for the world to ignore this non violent effort.  The world mostly ignored the Palestinian case for freedom. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/12/the-bds-movement.html

Beinart suggests there is hope for a peaceful resolution.

One example comes from South Africa.  Afrikaners expressed disdain for the blacks, deeming them to be lower humans.  They feared that if ever they got control there would be a massacre  They fought five different African nations declaring armed groups as terrorists, but  actually after the blacks got a vote anti-government violence within almost disappeared while the armed battles against ceased. 

Palestinian doctors are 30% of Israeli doctors, 25% of nurses and 60% of pharmacists, all jobs require trust by Jewish patients. 

There are Israelis who are trying to bridge the two cultures often through music, art or sports.

Trump recently demonstrated his insensitivity by suggesting the Palestinians should be sent over to Jordan or Egypt and that would leave their homeland partly into a Mediterranean resort.  It would please some of his supporters, but certainly exasperate the problem.  If American voters prefer Trump solutions, the Mideast will be in continual turmoil.  It is difficult to predict the future, but until more people understand there are two sides to the dispute it will be impossible to negotiate peace.

A previous blog about Peter Beinart  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/07/crisis-of-zionism-book-review.html

 Another respected Jewish thinker is Yuval Noah Harriri and he has a relevant perspective http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/12/21-lessons-for-21st-century.html

Conservative Christians as Trump Enablers

"Choosing Donald Trump" was written by Stephen Mansfield in 2017 after the 2016 election.  He seems to have mixed feelings about Donald Trump, but is an ideal person to explain how Trump was able to capture the Evangelical part of the American electorate of 2016.  Stephen has written numerous books including a few dealing with religious involvement of a few American presidents.

Donald Trump seems to be the most un Christian president of all time.  His behavior and misquoting the Bible would normally make him an outcast among church goers.  But he had been made aware of the crucial role of Evangelical voters.  

He had been sent to a Military Academy supposedly to teach him some humility.  Surprised (or maybe not) to learn Playboy with its philosophy made its way to the young students.  One aspect of the school was that new students had to endure extreme humiliation. from the seniors.  He learned from a sports coach how to deal with that and those strategies endured his whole life.  Attack the attackers.

 His formal education included the Wharton School of Economics.  The author points out that Trump already knew as much about his specialty, real estate as most of the professors.  The author suggests Trump wanted the prestige of attending an Ivy League school.

With his father's guidance he developed a strategy that started with identifying neglected properties, fixing them up, seeking higher class tenants and advertising.

Norman Vincent Peale was a family friend.  With his "The Power of Positive Thinking" he impressed Fred Trump who took his family to Marble Collegiate Church to hear the uplifting sermons.  Peale catered to Wall Street crowd and was against the New Deal.  Trump's first marriage was officiated by Peale and his two sisters also were married there.  Both parents had their funeral services performed there.

In 2002 Trump had been attracted to a tv program about Paula White which emphasized the importance of vision, a topic Trump was interested in and thought she had the best perspective.  Hard to say what motivated each partner.  Perhaps she saw an opportunity to bring a high profile celebrity to her fold.  Perhaps he saw her as a vehicle to expand his contacts for a long range project.  Over time they did get together.  Her brand of open minded religion and self improvement appealed to an increasing congregation.  She brought Trump to meet with a wide range of religious leaders.  In 2015 as he was fine-tuning his plans for the presidency he asked for her help.  She brought him in contact with the Evangelicals, but also Catholic and Orthodox leaders and even some Jewish religious leaders.

From there he learned of one of their pet grievances.  Back in 1954 Lyndon Johnson had become incensed  about that tax exempt institutions were intruding on political decisions and managed to push legislation which is known as the Johnson Amendment to punish with loss of tax exemption if they attempted to influence political issues or endorse political candidates.  It was not targeted at churches, but they soon fell under its jurisdiction.  Many voters agreed churches should stay out of politics, but religious leaders felt a moral imperative to guide government decisions.

From some of the Evangelicals he learned the central role Jerusalem played in their aims.  A Biblical interpretation maintained that there would be a second coming, but only if the Jews controlled the most holy city of Jerusalem.

Abortion was abhorrent to many of the religious leaders.  There were many non religious affiliated people who also were repelled by abortion.

Barack Obama was abhorred for his stand on abortion including insisting that his medical health plan had to include abortion.and towards the end of his presidency he promoted same sex marriage.  Hilary Clinton was an even more strong advocate for both abortion and gay rights. 

Evangelicals are not blind to Trump's many faults and many strive to rationalize that he was most likely to achieve some of their objectives.  One thought was that he was like Cyrus the Great who achieved Biblical approval despite being considered an idolator as he helped free up Jews to go back to Israel. 

 The author is not a fan of Trump, quoting him:  "When you are in business you need to get even with people who screw you.  You need to screw them back...go for the jugular; attack them in spades."  Many comments are made about Trump's un Christian behavior which the author does not approve of.  On the other hand he seems to be pleased with some of Trump's religious agenda.

Mike Pence is not mentioned, but obviously was a reassuring partner for on the edge evangelicals.  When he wouldn't support Trump's plans to overcome election results he was dispensable.  

Once in power Trump did move the American Embassy to Jerusalem.  He also was able to appoint conservative Supreme Court judges to reverse the Roe versus Wade rulings.  He tried to negate the Johnson Amendment, but was stymied.

 Our current election campaign is already giving an ideal Evangelical agenda which is concerned about contraception and some suggest they would like to reverse same sex marriages.  As I write this post Trump has been solidifying his Evangelical support after his guilty verdict which many vehemently denounce.  A song has been written to declare that he is the "Chosen One".  Trump claimed the whole trial was "bullshit" and surprisingly many believers chanted the same word out loud.

A progressive agenda is under assault not only by bigots, but the general population turned off by excesses.  Our education system may counteract some of this, but they are under assault as well.  The most conservatives had already identified education as one of their tools.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/05/monopolies.html

 We can't blame the Trump disaster all on the Evangelicals as he cultivated other enablers  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/07/trump-enablers.html

Why do so many Arabs oppose Palestine Occupation?

On the surface the title is absurd.  Why does anybody oppose occupation and its companion, humiliation?

The occupation has a long history.  The Jews were expelled close to 2,000 years ago and not by the Arabs. They suffered wherever they went.  Some felt the only way to alleviate their misery was their own state.  They organized as Zionism and gathered support.  World War II heightened the pressure, not only by Jews wanting to escape, but also a guilty group of nations who in some ways had contributed to the Holocaust.  

At the same time Arabs were realizing national aspirations.  Some had increased their leverage with vital natural resources.  In Palestine, Arabs had contributed to the Allies.  Going back to World War I we learned that T.E. Lawrence had organized Arabs to help defeat the Turks.  

In 1948 the original intent was to establish two separate states.  The Arabs were resentful feeling Palestine was theirs and in fact they dominated the population.  The disputes seemed to go the way of Israel.  In truth they were fearful of the Arabs.  Fortunately for them they were able to have political, military and financial support for their security.  

One could say the Arabs were greedy, selfish, nationalistic, but should that be a surprise?  They wanted what a lot of western nations now take for granted after their own struggles.

Naturally the Israelis were fearful of the Arabs and set up strong defensive systems.  America has given them hundreds of millions of dollars for military equipment and been quick to shut down any efforts at the United Nations to promote Arab interests in Palestine.

Jewish immigration has made Israel stronger, but if they were to expand to more natural borders for Palestine they would be outnumbered by Arabs.  

What has the occupation been like?  Israel is partially dependent on cheap Arab labor.  Arab resistance  can result in imprisonment and shootings.   

The politics of Israel have evolved in large part around keeping Arabs under control.  We in the West have mostly heard their version.  The Arabs have been constantly pictured as violently unreasonable.

In America one group of voters who have helped decide who controls their government are labeled Evangelicals.  They are not uniform, but a strong core believes that for the second coming to happen Israel must be controlled by the Jews.  In close elections their support has been crucial and very few American politicians are willing to risk offending them.  Lately more Muslims and Arab sympathizers have supported Palestinian yearnings.  They are still pretty much a minority, but have been able to stir up idealistic people (especially youth) who see the situation a little differently.  They are mocked and criticized.  Both sides feel the other side is ill informed.

Many voters think Joe Biden is a big part of the problem.  He still is committed to Israeli independence, but made the suggestion that some variation of a two state solution should be in the works.  Plus humanitarian considerations are more prominent this time.  Some seem to feel if Donald Trump were in power the situation would soon by rectified..

Donald Trump has already contributed to the mess.  During his initial campaign he threatened to stop Muslim immigration and once elected, tried to implement that policy.  He decided that it would be a good idea to put the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.  The White House felt it unnecessary to consult with the Palestinians.  The resistance concluded that political solutions for their ambitions were a waste of time.  As Bernie Sanders said "Talking nice doesn't work."  

Netanyahu is correct when he says that most Palestinians support Hamas.  It may be reasonable to suppose that most people would like to avoid violence, but most people have a breaking point.  Netanyahu has a history of trying to dominate Democrat politicians and they have been forced.to accept Israeli settlers.  He would prefer that Trump win the next election.  For himself another concern is his own future.  Polls suggest he would lose an election and he would likely be prosecuted and sent to jail.   Who would replace him seems very likely to be even more anti Palestinian.

In Palestine, Israel seems to have some control over the West Bank which is perceived as weak by Arabs who want more changes.  Hamas is considered extreme, but they have gained a lot of sympathy from their fellow citizens who felt more humiliation, not just in Gaza, but also in the West Bank.  Mahmoud Abbas, the P.L.O. leader may seem ineffective, but has his own reasons to maintain power.

David Petraeus expressed a concern that his military activities created as many terrorists as he killed.  That concern does not appear to have much weight with the Israelis who feel their security is dependent on suppressing the Palestinians.    

Our obsession over the Middle East has proved to be a great diversion from Russian aggression against Ukraine.  Putin would be content for the Mid-East conflict to continue.

How can the situation be fixed?  Not easily and not quickly is my first thought.  Expectations are important, but realistically more people need a deeper understanding.  There is nothing strange about the resistance of the Palestinians and their desire for independence.  Also there is nothing strange about the fear felt by the Jews in Israel who feel under attack not only by Arabs, but also by much of the rest of the world. 

Whatever legal constructs might be created the underlying requirement is to build trust.  There are a few people on both sides of the issue trying to do that in different ways.  Sports and entertainment provide some opportunities, but takes time.  Recently learned of a group called Jerusalem Youth Choir integrating  both Arabs and Jews which encouraged me to buy a tune from iTunes.  More substantial opportunities might include climate change, pollution and international crime where everyone stands to lose.   Mis- information is prevalent on all sides.  Politicians take a lead from voters, but some courageous ones lead the voters.  Yuval Noah Harriri, a Jewish intellect is one person of stature who advocates for the Palestinians.  The problem really revolves around humans. 

Rethinking thoughts on the Middle East

October 7th  2023 brought forth a big shocking surprise as it was meant to.  This blog represents some further thinking on the situation.  The world at first sympathized with the Israelis, but only a bit later much of the world was ready to condemn Israeli authorities. There is a lot of history behind this event.  The Mid-East is a subject that evokes strong emotions.  The most underlying emotions are fear and hatred.  To a lesser degree guilt.  

The current situation is apt to escalate emotions.  A more basic problem is the need for better understanding particularly for the two main parties:  Israel and Palestinians.  A big part of the solution is to greatly increase understanding, not only to the immediate participants, but also to the rest of us.  I would like to quote Stephen Covey's fifth habit for highly effective people:  "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."

 The Jews had been discriminated against in most of the world for millennium.  With the threats of Hitler many tried to escape to safer countries but encountered  resistance.  In Canada one quote from an unidentified government official when asked how many Jews were acceptable,  'None is too many"  The United States and other countries refused to accept  the M.S. St. Louis with Jewish refugees.  The Holocaust proved that the worst nightmares were more than true.  Since then there have been spurts of anti-Semitism in all quarters of the world.

Many western nations had blood on their hands and voted for an Israeli state.  And many realizing the hatred in Arab lands gave military support.  A huge factor, especially in America were Evangelicals.  Some were able to interpret Biblical passages to predict a second coming.  One believer told me that certain conditions had to be fulfilled one of which was that Jews had to be in control of the Holy Land.  There were enough who subscribed to these beliefs to impact U.S. elections such as in 2016 when Trump was elected..

What have Jews done to merit this hatred.  First they believed in one God while other religions worshiped a multitude of gods.  Christianity appropriated the concept.  Second they are accused of having killed Christ. As a whole they were not warriors, although some did turn to military means to protect themselves although not noted for wars of conquest.  They have been noted for science, music and philosophy.

Money lending was one of the few opportunities they were allowed which in some circles added to hatred.

Westerners have long thought the Arabs were backward, but they forget who helped bring them through the Dark Ages.  Greek and Roman science and philosophy had been buried, but it was Arab scholars that re-discovered the rich cultures and spread them around.  They gave the world their own rich culture. including Arabic numbers, algebra, architecture, food, music, etc.

It surprised many Zionists when first reaching Palestine to learn there were actually more Arabs than they imagined.  There were always non Jews in the so-called Holy lands. The Zionists brought irrigation to the land as a survival mechanism.

Palestinian Arabs balked at the two states proposed by the United Nations.  They felt this was their land too.  They had been under Turkish and British domination for centuries.  Agreeing to fight for the British in World War I they felt they had been promised independence for Palestine.  Arabs have been there for millennium. 

They feel they have been displaced from their rightful place.  Politics and military might have taken away most of their freedom and imposed restrictions.  Anyone would feel resentment and hatred

Arab dictators wanted to do business with the west when energy resources were discovered and learned that acceptance of Israel was part of the deal.  

Every assault on Jews and Israel adds to the fear.  The Munich Massacre plus countless anti-Semitic killings and massacres only reinforced the fear.  On the other hand every restriction and humiliation placed on Palestinians built resentment.

At ground level it seems those on the Palestinian side had been taken over by those who felt violence (with added shock value) is the only solution to rid the hated Israeli landlords.  The response has been not only by politicians, but much of the Jewish population that their own solution is to obliterate those persistent Arabs.  Things may calm down a bit and perhaps more realistic thinking will progress, but the danger is that the situation of fear and hate will escalate.  

Politics is a big obstacle.  Politicians in democracies respond to voters.  They also provide information which can be factual, supportive or misleading, even hateful.  America that is a big financial and moral supporter found itself split.  Israel was having its own political stresses at its leadership level.  Some might speculate that Russia with its unjustified attack of Ukraine benefited from a diversion of attention.   Earlier policies advocating two states are being revived.

At the moment as I finish this blog it appears to be a political dilemma for Israel and the West.  Apparently many Israelis would like elections to force Netanyahu out to be replaced by not sure (possibly by a more right wing faction).  Any change in such a situation could be perilous.  In the west, there has been a slow recognition that Israel has been provocative, are aggravating a humanitarian crisis and that a two state solution does make sense.  Hostages are still being retained  although not sure how many of them are still alive.  Whatever our leaders do they will offend part of their constituency.  Ukraine is suffering as to many they now seem a side issue. but that attitude could lead to consequences for Taiwan and eastern Europe.

Is there a solution to this fear and resentment?  Hatred and fear are inflammatory,

The goal should be to build up trust.  There are some people on both sides working towards that end.  Outside Israel the rest of us could set a better example.  Anti-semitism has been joined by Islamaphobia. 

Most of each side claims to want peace.  If instead of focusing on our enemies we joined with whoever was willing to help with  crucial international projects such as climate change, pollution, inequality, international hacking, drug trafficking and more.  Neglected, these other concerns may do in humanity including Jews and Arabs.  Recognizing all humans enjoy sports, music and art can we not enjoy our favorite activities more.  One of the best and most popular players in British soccer is an Egyptian Muslim.  Muslims and Jews are in fact integrated into world wide sports and the world of the arts contains all religions.  

I remember watching the dominant Israeli wheelchair basketball team at the Paralympic Games held in Canada.  They had a lot of military amputee veterans which gave them an edge, but one not sought.

Religious leaders can set a tone.  Tolerate (and respect) each other.  Freedom of religion is closely related to freedom for everyone. Any inter faith efforts need to be well publicized.  It is not the Evangelicals that need to be catered to.

Jewish settlers in Palestine need to be curtailed and perhaps should be under the jurisdiction of Palestinians.  They have been a key provocative factor with support from their government.

Yuval Noah Harriri is a hero of mine.  He is one who does not think Jews are God's chosen people.  A Jewish scholar he has wide ranging views on humanity and has much to say about the Jewish place in the world some of which is covered in a previous blog:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/12/21-lessons-for-21st-century.html   Today he is a peace activist and is working at children's level as he sees them as our future.  One children's book is intended to deal with the feeling that life is unfair.

Is Israel a legitimate state?  Many Arabs don't think so.  Israelis feel this is their home where they should feel safe.

Everyone has their own set of prejudices, although few of us are willing to admit it.  Many are comfortable with the status quo while others want changes.  Here are a few perspectives.

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/02/caste-origins-of-our-discontents.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/06/prejudice-and-discrimination-survival.html 

Underlying the solution is to reduce fear.and hatred.  Politicians please take note.  Citizens set the example.  A better understanding of each other is a helpful step and then more hard work is necessary.

WE ARE ALL CONNECTED MORE THAN WE THINK

POWER

 For many progressive thinkers the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been upsetting.  The dynamics of current politics is confusing.  Those with the power to replace her seem fanatical and oblivious to fairness or rationality.   On the other hand most voters are supportive of delaying an appointment.

The hypocrisy of Republicans is upsetting.  They used their power to ignore the right of a Democratic president to nominate a Supreme Court Judge rationalizing that it was too close to an election and that it was ok to have the court with 8 judges.  Where do you draw the line of what is too close to an election?   11 months or 44 days?  Obviously the decision will affect the election.  Does the elected president have the power to make the decision or at some point should they defer to the voters.  

It is claimed that the Supreme Court will need 9 judges should the anticipated contested election results occur.  And if one side gets to choose the potential tie breaker they get another major advantage.

To all voters there is a lot emotional packaging tied up in this election already.  From the point of view of most voters we are already dealing with a frustrating unfair situation.  The 2016 election ignored the will of the people and automatically used the electoral college to determine the winner.  Of course Trump gratified his base with his first selection and the Democratic opposition co-operated.  

Then Justice Kennedy, the swing judge decided (or was persuaded) to retire.  Along the way it was revealed that his son had loaned Trump money when nobody else would.  The nominee Brett Kavanagh apparently had a history with the swing judge and also had been noted to favor more executive power to the president.  We already had much legal action against Trump, but none of it seemed to stick.  The entire judicial system was being altered to be packed with conservative judges who could be counted on to support the evangelical base and a president who might need some legal support.  The Kavanagh nomination was contested with many Republicans claiming unfairly attacking a conservative.  All the same the Democrats were unable to get all the witnesses and procedures they felt were required.

There is no constitutional barrier to the Republicans getting their way.  A few Republicans are not co-operating.  Perhaps they have some moral convictions and maybe some of them think it may make them look bad.  Possibly the conservatives might be able to get their way before the election which will either be cheered by some voters or upset others.  If there is a lame duck session the defeated Republicans could get their revenge.

Power is easily abused and many of us can find ourselves swept up in the waves.  Progressives like to feel we are the rational ones but are stuck with the fact that emotions will carry the day.  Is it possible that there could be strong enough backlash to overcome evangelical fervor? 

For some the whole point is to make abortions disappear.  Many progressives think that is commendable if somewhat naive.  The Republican's real agenda has always been economic--they want to lower taxes, lower services and deregulate.  To us they seem very self-righteous, but many of them realize their agenda is a losing one.  They have discovered they can leverage social concerns which means take advantage of prejudice and ignorance. 

To return to the most emotional issue, those against abortion need to examine if the law is the best way to attain their goal and are there any consequences.  A lot of abortions can be stopped because accessibility can be very restricted.  The rich always have the option of going outside national boundaries and even the embarrassed self righteous may use foreign options.  There will be either money grubbers or sympathetic people with medical skills willing to defy the law.  Desperate people feeling trapped may attempt home remedies. Without proper medical supervision and facilities it can be predicted mothers will die and others will become infertile.  The founders of Freakonomics did a study of why crime stats were declining and considered a wide range of factors, but one unexpected factor could also be linked.  Crime rates significantly declined about 20 years after the Roe v Wade decision.  The thinking is that unwanted children are handicapped. and raised with a lot of resentment.  It could be because a father is missing or it could be because of poverty.  This should be a society concern that can be dealt with among other things, sexual education, contraceptive access, parental leave, tax incentives.  The real change will only come when people understand the issues better.

Perhaps it will be impossible to make some people even consider other issues, but there are and many have life and death implications.  The Supreme court will be ruling on health care issues and it is entirely possible that tens of millions will lose coverage.  With today's precarious economy everyone is in jeopardy and more importantly the current pandemic illustrates how important community health is to every individual.  As long as one feels secure in their health coverage they may not realize that anyone being sick without support effects everyone.

The Supreme court has many other legal issues that effect everyone.  One very big example is campaign financing.  Americans are increasingly controlled by big money entities that frankly are just trying to squeeze more money out everyone else.  They know what legal support gives them the power and they also have increasing accessibility to big data.  The Supreme Court had ruled that corporations have many of the same rights as citizens. 

Originally the American system was based on a system of checks and balances, but as the president gains more power the checks and balances are in disarray.  The Supreme court has favored presidential executive powers and as an example have been able to protect Trump against having to reveal his taxes. 

For many of us everything revolves around our distaste for Donald Trump himself.  He has lied and deliberately misled even his base.  He has ignored advice from his staff.  The Russian connections are still a mystery, but there is something very troubling.  The main thrust of impeachment efforts was to convict Trump for holding up support for Ukrainians in their efforts to resist Russian aggression.  Republicans dismissed claims, but few who listened to testimonies were reassured.  It is also hard to ignore Russian efforts to get Trump elected.  Although there might be other motives, it does seem that Trump is following Putin preferences by breaking up international co-operation efforts with prime examples of the Iran Nuclear Agreement  and Paris Climate Change Accord.  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/06/house-of-trump-house-of-putin.html

A lot of what concerns progressives could have been dealt with by an election victory, but now we are concerned about a Supreme court appointment that could impact for three or four decades and even decide election disputes.  The remedies are controversial.  Adding another 5 new Supreme Court judges could trigger spiral reactions.  Trying to impeach an existing judge could also generate repercussions.

What to do?  The most practical strategy would be to try to persuade a few more Republicans to vote against an appointment and also to support Mark Kelly who can be a Senator as early as November 30th.  Appealing to their conscience will have a very limited effect.  Stirring up their election prospects bearing in mind that most voters are not in favor of an obvious abuse of power.  

I do not think it wise to commit to drastic measures such as packing the future court.  But Republicans need to be aware there will be consequences.  One thought that occurs to me is future legal action against Trump himself.  The danger is from his base who may actually act violently.  Still the evidence against Trump is likely to be overwhelming and may effect some of the base. 

The election itself is turbo changed.  The Supreme Court will definitely spur more of the Trumpian base to not only get out to vote, but also to be obstructive and intimidating.  But it will also stir more stay at home fence sitters to be more active against an obvious abuse of power.  The Court issue has to be expanded beyond abortion (Democrats and independents would also like to alleviate the concern).  In general the voters need to be aware of big issues such as handling the pandemic, climate change and go back to how the Democrat team including Biden turned the economy around.

The election will reveal real options.  The Republicans may feel a Supreme Court appointment is their last chance to effect the Supreme Court and feel it is a duty.  If the election is overwhelming they may realize the people have spoken, but we may have to deal with fanaticism.

A list of candidates from Joe Biden is not a good idea.  Whoever is included would be relentlessly criticized.  It would also hem in his future options.  My favorite candidate would be Barrack Obama, but that would stir up a lot of opposition.

There will be developments every day.  One effort will be to persuade four people that it is in their personal interest as well as the country's to not agree to a nomination.  They have to present the dangers to the public who in turn will help in the persuasion effort.

Who really has the power?  The people?  or the evangelicals? or the Trumpers?

What Will it Take?

Most Americans and the rest of the world have figured out Donald Trump is very incompetent and even dangerous, but there remains a hard core of supporters who feel he is their saviour.  With the electoral College, campaign finance and outside malevolant forces (eg. Russians and other anti American forces) it is still conceivable that he might get re-elected.

One has to wonder what it would take to oust him in November?  Some of his supporters are claiming the bad news including the mounting death totals are just a plot against their saviour.   Some of us think that as the deaths increase the odds improve to get rid of Trump.  Does that mean we are hoping for more people to die?    I hope not, but what would it take?

Before the election there were a number of character flaws on full display.  A misogynistic immoral womanizer who lied was known to any casual observer.  Evangelicals have been very self righteous about much lesser transgressions in the past, but they overlooked and forgave in return for his explicit promises regarding abortion and other Christian concerns such as supporting Israel.  Others were convinced he would fight to lower taxes and de regulate so they could accumulate more wealth.  Many of the wealthy ones used their resources to tap into the prejudices of the ill informed.  He unjustifiably brags about himself and insults those he dislikes.  He even criticized heroes.

After the election it became more apparent that the Russians played a role in his victory.   Many sources maintained the evidence was questionable and circumstantial.  Hard to deny that Trump did many things the Russians wanted and that in the past Republicans especially condemned.  The Mueller Report was constrained in its evidence and was dismissed by many in power (media and political).  The Ukraine scandal was to anyone who considered the facts proof that Trump was trying to benefit himself against American interests.  Some people might have noticed that it also supported Russian interests.  All this didn't move the needle against Trump.

His actions in the Mid-East in part were designed to appeal to Evangelicals, but were detrimental to peace.  The Iran treaty rejection has many harmful results.  Abandoning the Kurdish forces suited the Russians, Turks and Saudi Arabians.  He even shielded a murder of an American resident.  These actions did not disturb his supporters and many found them laudable.

His dismissal of climate change and overlooking of pollution and food inspections were not big enough problem for his supporters while his financial supporters liked them.  Instead of being a world leader, Trump became an impediment to international co-operation to deal with global problems. 

Another way he bought support was with tax cuts.  Most of his supporters were grateful if they got a few dollars more, but didn't realize that inequality took another big shift against them.  The deficit will squeeze them and already has begun doing so.  They haven't caught on to their own harm.

Now we come to the Covid-19 pandemic.  He has displayed a cavalier attitude towards the danger, ignoring medical advice, he seems more concerned about the stock market, big business and his own re-election.  He is aware of the statistics making him look bad, but his approach is to belittle them and try to manipulate them.  To most rational thinkers this is beyond the last straw, but he has tapped into people's resentments of not only elites, but also their own agony over pandemic restrictions.

Most of us are aware to some degree of suffering and look at the future in fear.   Like the electoral college distorts the majority votes, it only takes a small number of restriction violators to ensure there will be a second wave of Covid-19.  It is conceivable that the timing of the inevitable second wave will escape Trump and combined with other measure he will adopt give him another four years.  Most voters are not sufficiently aware of the Republican economic agenda, but they have found a social agenda paves the way to get elected. 

What can we do?  There is already lots of evidence against Trump, but there is a big mountain of misinformation and misdirection supporting him.  The battle for credibility has been waged for a long time and it is noted that in fact the majority don't trust him.  But he doesn't need a majority as proved by the last election.  It also must be feared that even if Trump does lose the election his supporters might not accept it and that could be a serious problem.  Ideally we need to convince them Trump is not their friend.  Inequality really has been Trump's tool, but it is very ironic and should be easy to turn around.  He is a tool of the already wealthy.

Accuracy in reporting the stats should be more than enough to convince Trump supporters he is really not on their side, but that should not be taken for granted.  Apparently Covid-19 is hitting less populous areas that have voted for Trump.  They are victims of Trump and some are beginning to learn.  Now it seems the wealthy friends of the Trump administration are gaining at the expense of those with less power.  It is unfortunate that it is human nature to pay little attention to things that are far away, but to learn the hard way everything is connected.

Voting by mail offers a chance for the majority to get their opinions expressed, but there is resistance and it needs to be pointed out this is not only fair but effective.   The courts are being stacked and in ways that not only hurt progressive ideas, but also the common worker (and everybody else in many ways).  If ever it is possible, the electoral college needs to be reformed.  Campaign finance should be a concern to everyone.  Regarding the court system it may take a long time, but maybe not.

I am not hopeful and recognize it will take a very long time to undo the harm that has already been done.  We could be on the verge of another Dark Ages, but we could also on our way to a much better life for everyone if we could only realize we really are in this together.  Instead we have been divided, diced up and conquered by those powerful enough to control the levers.  What would it take?

From an earlier blog some of his enablers identified:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/07/trump-enablers.html 

Evangelicals and Trump

On the surface Trump is a very repulsive candidate, but despite that he is loved blindly by millions.  A man that seeks extra marital sex while his wife is carrying his baby.  A man who has cheated literally thousands of people through his various ventures.  A man who cosies up to Vladimir Putin and dismisses his own intelligence services.  A man who insults almost everyone who stands up to him or is adulated in comparison to him.  Very despicable.


My personal baggage.  I dislike the way he talks--demeaning, bragging with little concern for actual facts.   I frown on celebrity worship based on a tough  image, eg.  "You're fired."  Admittedly I might well tolerate his many faults if his policies were more aligned to mine, but they aren't.  They seem for the most part to attract favorable responses from people motivated by bigotry and/or greed.

Americans can be divided into many segments with unique motivations and politicians can only appeal so much to one group without offending another group.  Trump and his team have identified a number of one issue voters that fit into the conservative model.

The 1% feel outraged that they have to share their "hard earned" wealth with the undeserving.  Gun owners feel threatened, some arguing that any restrictions are a slippery slope.  Abortion haters see it as murder to the indefensible and utterly unforgivable.  Bigots based on superficial evidence are afraid and angry at those "others" who are stealing their jobs and their culture.  Then of course there are many who vote the way they do because they and their families and friends always have (or it looks that way).  We all pretend that our voting decisions are rational and it is possible that some actually do try to sort out many different issues.

Evangelism comes in a few variations and to be charitable I view this subject as an outsider.  I feel most comfortable seeing myself as an agnostic--that is one who doesn't really understand the ultimate questions and suspects nobody else does either, although who knows?  I did come across some evangelical thinking from an experience at work.  One day I was jokingly explaining that I had to go home early in order to protect my house against Hallowe'en tricksters.  The secretary replied that as a born again Christian she could not celebrate Hallowe'en.  I liked her and allowed myself to be talked into reading a book.  Sorry, I don't remember the title, but read it and even discussed it a bit.

Essentially from Biblical scripture we are told that Christ will come back.  Many signs will point to it, but some of the key ones were concerned with Israel.  It was critical that the Jews be in control of Israel.  There was something about 10 tribes to the north of Israel.  The secretary thought it might be the European Common Market which at the time had more than 10 members, but not as many as later joined.  There was something about an Anti-Christ that would have all the answers but they would be false.

The logic seemed twisted and to have a self fulfilling dimension, meaning more twisting, but also manipulation when possible.  Trump is very obviously offensive for Christians, except many have come to believe he is an instrument for the Second Coming.  He has done a number of things to encourage this notion.  One of  his early rants was on Muslims which appeals to the fearful and ignorant, but also appeals to those who want to defend Israel.  Iran was targeted as an enemy of Israel and Trump emphatically broke an agreement that had been negotiated by Russia, China, Germany, United Kingdom, France and the Obama Administration.  He has gone on to recognize Jerusalem as the capital, complete with American Embassy.  He has recognized Israel's right to the Golan Heights.  More recently has accepted Israel's efforts to colonize the West Bank. which would more closely resembled the ancient Israel.

Siding with Israel is not the way to broker peace in the Middle East, but that is ignored.  Evangelicals are at bottom a one issue group.  It is true they are against abortions as well as extra-marital affairs.  Studies have indicated there is also a racial element for some of them.  For some the Second Coming is the one deciding issue.

To my mind it is self righteous to think any of us are better than any other of us.  From other sources I recall the number 144,000 are the only ones that will get to heaven.  As world population is pushing 10 billion with many billions already passed on, it is hard to imagine how each of the evangelicals expect to be one of the 144,000.  The suffering of millions of innocents would be ignored.  The influence of the Second Coming believers has been creeping up on the rest of us.  They are not the overwhelming majority, but they are very steadfast in their beliefs.  George W Bush tapped into their feelings and appealed to them.  Trump just has taken some bigger steps.  Just as many Evangelicals see the Jews as tools for their ends, it seems like Trump sees Evangelicals as tools to satisfy his egotism.

To give Trump credit someone on his team helped identify one issue voters and how best to string them together.  Part of the strategy is that most of them realize they need more people to  get their way.  Many of them sympathize with other one issue groups.  The glue perhaps comes from the 1% who have the money and access to expertise to pull the strings.  Changing laws to further advantage their desires (taxes and regulations) includes giving them more political leverage.

If an African or Amazon tribe member had similar beliefs to the Evangelicals (and some of them do) we sophisticated modern people would either laugh or feel pity.  Most of us would acknowledge that Christianity has done good things and others feel that has been offset by the many wars and persecutions.  As a belief system Christianity has competed against many others and has gained a strong role in the modern world.  Its history is worth exploring:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/08/the-triumph-of-christianity-history.html

It seems like in many ways the world is falling apart.  These one issue voters are dominating the bigger concerns and if rationality does not rescue us, we will all drown.  It is so hard to decide what the real core issues are, but they include campaign finance, electoral design and education to help bring about more rational decisions.  At the same time we need to deal with the climate crisis, inequality, terrorism, pollution, nuclear risks, hate--all concerns that could be one issue champions joining together.

Character and policy; a confession

Listening to political pitches and trying to evaluate past history we all need to consider many factors to make a reasonable choice.  For those who think about policy a few character flaws might be acceptable if their policies are moved forward.  I confess getting what I really want helps me to overlook or forgive minor transgressions and believe most people are not much different.  On the other hand policy is difficult and is almost always in a context with other policies that requires prioritizing and bargaining.  So character can be a decisive factor in a vote decision.  Yet both these factors have to fit into whatever system is operating.

Successful politicians must somehow convince a wide range of people to get elected.  They will offer policies and promote their integrity.  Any policy they do offer is likely to offend some voters so they are careful to minimize.  A good blend of policies supported by a good image may gather enough voters to gain power even if a majority are displeased.

Policies I support include dealing with climate change, with injustice, with the danger of nuclear war, with the displacement of refugees and the quality of life.  There are a lot of powerful vested interests that oppose policies that effectively deal with these concerns.

The Republicans have a set of policies that represent the wants and needs of the wealthy.  In all cultures the rules are made by the powerful, but to some extent it is necessary to placate the masses.  This has been done by such things as offering "bread and circuses," and catering to prejudice.  Humans seek pleasure and avoid pain.

The conservatives feel they deserve to enjoy their wealth to the maximum and resent others who want to be treated fairly at their expense.  This is natural and if you don't believe me take a closer look.  This doesn't mean there are no benevolent wealthy and powerful people, but to get to the very top it is easier to discard or minimize weaknesses.

In order to win the co-operation, especially in a nominal democracy something must be offered to the masses.  There are many prejudices that can be sparked by pointing out how one group gets some "advantage"  Outsiders are always easy prey.

Some issues lay dormant until someone points them out.  We go about our daily pursuit of the good life with little thought to bigger issues.  Climate change, nuclear proliferation, pandemics, injustice, displacement of refugees and the international economic order do not dominate most of our daily thinking, but can upend everything.  Government policies affect not only our daily battles, but also these overarching concerns.  Nobody has exactly the same views on these issues, nor can anyone understand all the complexities so in one sense integrity over rides policy.

All this to say Donald Trump is a big mistake for character and policy.  Rich powerful people like some of his policies (and he has determined which ones attract their attention) and smart people have determined how to attract the attention of enough voters to force a package of policies onto the citizenry.

Two examples of what concerns the wealthy are taxes and regulations.  Taxes mean they have to share their wealth with others and regulations restrict their profits.  Both these concerns often work against those less powerful.

Examples of catering to prejudice include laws surrounding minority rights and immigrants.  Sex is a big area of righteousness.  Promiscuity is sinful.  Abortions and contraception (any promotion of sex) are evil as is homosexuality.   Guns make people feel safer against violence and others feel powerful against outsiders.  It is amazing that even here in my opinion people are voting against their own interests.  The rich and powerful can to some extent ignore laws.

Evangelicals who form an integral part of Trump's base are convinced Israel is a key to the resurrection of Christ and insist on supporting Israel regardless of the Palestinian occupation.  This feeling is so strong they are able to overlook major character flaws that are normally considered unforgivable.

If a politician is willing to cater to one issue voters they can enact their agenda no matter how it impacts the rest of the population (including those one issue voters).

Being a politician is an impossible job.  If you aren't elected there is nothing much you can do except protest and somehow hope that reason wins the future.  Perhaps the most practical thing is to develop and support particular policies and use both logic and marketing skills to make the policy improvement.   Working with others with compatible policy ideas strengthens both, but inevitably at some point compromises have to be made.  My bottom line is people need to be educated.

For voters it really is complex deciding who to support.  In many systems there are basically two choices that can get power.  There is a package of policies and characters to  decide.  In multi party systems  with a first past the post setup a voter can decide which package makes the most sense, but often it is complicated with the practical desire to prevent an undesirable outcome.  As usual I favor the proportional system where you can decide the best package (policies and character) and your voice will have a greater impact, although maybe not as strong as you wished.

For one explanation of how proportional voting reflects the will of the people:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/12/your-guy-didnt-get-in.html

The photo is of immigrants at a location near where I live.

The BDS Movement

The BDS Movement  (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) might not have been noticed quite as much if there weren't concerted efforts to make it illegal.  The goal is for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, removal of the barriers at the West Bank, full equality of Arabs in Israel and to promote the right of return by the Palestinian refugees.  Israel claims Arabs enjoy equality in Israel and that the movement is anti-Semitic.  Both Israel and the United States have made efforts to make the BDS illegal and use national resources to reject.  

The cause is known and for most people who consider themselves progressive liberals it is admirable enough.  Like a lot of people when I hear and believe negative things about individuals and companies I try to make a conscious decision not to support.  Other people want to take a strong stand and some of them are organizers and others looking for an organized effort.

Up until past my university years I would tell anyone who asked, that "Exodus" was my favorite movie.  I barely knew any Jews, but somehow came to admire them and how they had overcome the Holocaust.  I still grapple to understand the horror of  their ordeal.  I have watched several movies that focused on the Holocaust from many different angles.  It is horrifying to read about people who deny the Holocaust.  It not only is anti-Semitic, but also indicates rationalization (guilt feelings) for expressing hatred.

A few things happened over my adult years to change my perspective  At work I remember talking to a secretary at work about Hallowe'en.  I was telling her that I had to get home early to protect my home from tricksters.  She surprised me by saying as a born again Christian they could not celebrate Hallowe'en.  I have always considered myself secular, but Lynn was someone I liked working with and accepted her offer to read a book about Armagedden.  There seemed to be a lot of logic, but really twisting the meaning of Biblical words which I just could not accept.  But I came to understand and more frequently heard or read references to the second coming of Christ.  I kept a few details in mind such as there would be the anti-Christ who would seem to have the answers (could that be Donald Trump?), Israel would have to be run by Jews again and there was something about ten tribes that would play a role and that the true believers would ascend to heaven.

I gradually became aware of the role this belief played in American politics and other nations.  They seemed very protectionist of Israel, but at the same time saw Jews only as necessary for the prophesy.  The Palestinians were in the way and needed to be stomped down.  The fact that they resorted to terrorism only proved how undeserving they were.  Arab states and Muslims were suspect as they always seemed to be using the supposed Palestinian injustices to inflict terror on the rest of us.  Many Christians just wanted to protect the holy sites. 

The Arab oil boycott of the west was mostly seen as inconvenient.  One good thing that came out of it was a movement in part led by Jimmy Carter (who is my most admired president) who preached conservation.  Of course Ronald Reagan ridiculed the idea and reversed course.

Another factor emerged when my sister, Rebecca married a Muslim from Morocco.  She was actually married in an inter denomination ceremony.  It was over ten years and two daughters later that she decided to convert.  She is one of the people who I both love and admire.  I had come to admire Ali as well and he gave a different view of Palestinians.  He was careful not to speak against Jews and in fact pointed out to me that he would seek kosher food when halal food was not available.

My reading convinced me that the Palestinians had been taken advantage of.  While I could still admire what the Zionists had accomplished against heavy odds I began to realize they did so at the expense of the Palestinians.  And the more I heard and read the more it seemed the Palestinians were being dismissed and discriminated against.  The media in my neck of the woods was almost totally picturing Palestinians as backward, dishonest, violent and undeserving.  The Israelis are pictured as besieged, but very innovative.  Perhaps there is an element of guilt from many Western countries that had allowed anti-semitism to prosper and helped set the events of the Holocaust.

After a television appearance I read a book by Peter Beinart.  It made me realize there is a lot of politics behind the support of Israel.  Check out  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/07/crisis-of-zionism-book-review.html

By now you realize I am sympathetic to the Palestinians, but there is more to it than that.  I am not much of a boycott participant.   I have completed two books by Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli and have started his most recent book.  He has the best understanding of what it means to be a human of any one I am familiar with.  I am not willing to give up that.  An investment counselor was recommending a mutual fund and thought one of its highlights was that they included Israeli stocks--although like anyone else I wanted to make the most money for the least risk,  passed on it.  I watched and appreciated many movies from Israel http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/youll-find-arabic-and-hebrew.html  particularly the ones that seemed balanced.

My experiences with boycotts are very limited.  As a Canadian one example was when Heinz decided to stop processing tomatoes from their Simcoe, Ontario plant.  I had driven through Simcoe numerous times as part of my sales job.  I remember consciously actually driving by the plant with a distinct, but not unpleasant smell of the ketchup plant.  French's, better known for mustard, picked up the slack and I have made it a point of buying their ketchup (which happens to taste pretty good).

I was too young or disinterested to think about the anti apartheid boycott.  I am proud that Canada did participate unlike United States and the United Kingdom.  Thinking what would I buy from South Africa?  Never thought of diamonds or gold.  A little later did enjoy eating Granny Smith apples and have since enjoyed South African wines, but think of them as post Mandela (one of my very favorite heroes).

If we don't want people to settle their differences with violence we have to accept alternatives.  Every person who has a dime to spend has some power.  Once they spend that money they have lost some of their power, but the choice should be theirs.  Yes, there should be exceptions--we should not be able to physically harm someone or denigrate them. 

Israel is forgetting its values.  They have suffered at the hands of degenerates, but now they are causing great suffering that to me is counter productive.  I know there are significant elements that want to bridge the gap, but they don't seem to dominate.  Hatred and ignorance are very difficult to deal with, but others have found ways

Critics are welcome to do a counter boycott if they really want, but they have absolutely no right to impose legal restrictions on people who  feel the merits of the cause.  I think what needs to happen is more effort to reconcile the Jews and Palestinians.  Biblical prophesies can be interpreted any way that suits someone else.  The Qu'ran is interpreted very widely.  To me the boycott and such efforts to encourage Israel to take a fairer treatment of the Palestinians is a worthy cause and those that want to delegitimize it are the immoral ones.  Politics and money are a big part of the problem.

Will we waste another opportunity with Iran?

The news is full of commentary on the Iranian nuclear negotiations.  On this side there is serious doubt about how the Iranians can be trusted  Very little direct commentary from the other side.

Trust is perhaps the fulcrum upon which everything else turns.  Americans point out that Iran supports terrorist groups, but Iranians feel they are boosting liberation forces for the Palestinians and fellow Shiite followers.  Americans have meddled in all sorts of countries.  They overlook that back in 1953 the C.I.A. organized and supported a coup d'tat that replaced an elected premier, Mohammed Mosaddeq in Iran in order to protect western economic interests and went on to help set up a brutal secret police force, Savak.  The Americans have also been involved in Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Chile and others.  Iran has not invaded any country in the past several centuries, but have been invaded by Iraq with support from the United States.  Iran, before being named as part of the Axis of Evil actually provided logistical assistance to the Americans and currently are fighting against a common enemy ISIL.

Militant presidential candidates and other Obama bashers need to realize that additional nations are part of the negotiations and need to be considered in any adjustments of the agreement.  Russia, China, United Kingdom, France and Germany each have a stake in negotiations.  We need to have trust amongst our allies and adversaries.  Bear in mind that each of the parties on our side has a different perspective on the issue and some compromises are part of the deal.  If we don't respect one another how can we expect the other side to respect us.

That is all in the past; what can be done for the future?  We can be sure that military and intelligence resources will be preparing for the inevitable expiration of the agreement.  What will be done to build up mutual trust?  Ten years is half a generation when we probably need a full generation to really make a difference in attitudes (theirs and ours).

The Middle East is a mess.  Invading Iraq has opened up a lot of problems.  Al Qaeda was not welcome there at the start of the American attack, but now it and more extreme elements are threatening the whole area.  Sunni and Shiite distrust and fear each other.  They used to inter marry and carry on business together.  Fundamentalists and extremists are forcefully trying to impose their views on others.  This is an internal dilemma best handled by other Muslims and we need to be careful not to take sides except to defend against violence.

We feel very uncomfortable with dark skinned people, especially if they are Muslim  But we have a responsibility to help with the refuge problem generated by Mideast conflicts.  Refuge camps are potential sources of violence.  One way or another the stresses have to be relieved.   Canada has stated a preference for Christian refugees which might be commendable, but doesn't really deal with the problem.  Americans are not much better while some countries have tried to pick up the slack.

Education is an area where there is a limit to what can be forced upon the resistant masses.  From both the top and grass roots, efforts should be encouraged for cross cultural projects.  They generally take a long time to have a national impact, but are important to start the ball rolling.  Sports and cultural exchanges have been useful with Russia, China and other nations.

I remember years ago having problems with my auto tires.  A persistent slow leak was very inconvenient  and took it to my regular reliable garage, but the problem soon returned.  It took a Syrian immigrant I encountered at a gas station to really fix it.  He made my life better and I am sure he did for others.

Palestine is very often used as an excuse or rationalization, but might there be something to it?  Israel is a haven for Jews that are still discriminated against around the world.  Millions of people (mostly Evangelicals) around the world feel Israel has Apocolyptic meaning that lends very significant support to Israel despite any evidence of unfairness.  The Palestinians feel that it is their land and other Arabs and Muslims feel they have been mistreated by western and Jewish powers.  Settlements are an obvious affront to any honest attempts to reconcile the two races and somehow have to be stopped if not reversed.

During the recent Israeli elections Netanyahu expressed what many consider his true feelings that no two state solution will be instituted while he still has power.  He has backtracked a little, but we should also realize that the Israeli voters have very strong concerns about security.  Emotions such as fear are very difficult to overcome.  Outsiders are painted as not understanding or worse.  We like to think we have their best interests at heart and we truly realize that war is bad for everyone.  Palestine has tired of empty promises and the one sided rhetoric against them and are trying to involve the International Court of Justice.  United States, Russia and China have avoided the court, but in reality the court might be able to accomplish in a more neutral forum what the bigger powers with their vested interests cannot.  Might the Muslim world credit the west with finally rectifying an injustice?

While we look at this from a distance we have more interests and responsibilities.  Climate change, most likely caused by industrial nations has factored into the Mideast by way of droughts.  Ironically some of the same people who believe the Jews have to control the Holy Land before the second coming also believe the climate is controlled by God and we humans should not interfere.  To me they overlook that we have been interfering and not showing respect for God's creation.  Climate change is affecting the entire world in different ways including floods, rising ocean levels, sea water acidification, stifling heat as well as droughts. The Mideast is just one area bearing the burdens of climate change and few see the connection.  There are bound to be more tensions stemming from climate change.

Anti-Muslim forces seem to be strongly influencing America and other nations.  Allied with climate change deniers, conservative right wingers use whatever available tools for their own greedy economic interests.  It is time to take a longer range view or we will all suffer.

An earlier take on some "Persian" experiences: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/10/my-three-persian-experiences.html

Some of you may know that I have family ties to the Arab Muslim part of the world.  Like anyone else when I hear another perspective I often notice that those giving it are decent people with much in common with what I aspire to, it actually is more understandable.  Close your heart and your mind and there is no shortage of weird violent people out there.

"The Crisis of Zionism book review

As an outsider (in the sense of not being Jewish and not having ever visited Israel) I can easily be accused of ignorance.  On the other hand we all benefit from understanding what outsiders think even if they are totally wrong.  I grew up thinking of  "Exodus" as one of my favorite movies, however as I got older I became aware that it represented only one viewpoint.  I am now aware of other viewpoints.

Peter Beinart, who I have found in other contexts to be intelligent and objective has more of an insider perspective on Israel and is very concerned.  Peter might be described as a liberal Jew who sees Israel as not treating Palestinians fairly.  Most Jews in the United States seem to vote Democrat, but because they tend to be liberal they also tend to inter-marry more and are losing their Jewish identity.  Other Jews, especially older ones see themselves as victims and view Israel as a possible refuge or at least as a beacon.

The author is concerned that Israel is losing its democracy.  Many Israelis emphasize that they are victims and don't realize that they now have power and are using it to impose hardship on others.  A significant segment of American Jews support the right wing approach which essentially is to keep the Palestinians from having their own state.  Many of those who feel more liberal are gradually losing their identification with Israel.

Beinart is concerned that the current Israeli government is turning the world against Israel.  Including the occupied lands Palestinians are likely to become more populous in the near future and this will force a difficult choice.  Will Israel remain Jewish and will it also remain a democracy?

Barack Obama has a personal perspective on Jews which surprised me.  One of his early mentors was Arnold Jacob Wolf who believed Israel and American Jewish organizations had to be democratic and felt Jews should de-emphasize victim-hood.   Some liberal Jews were closely tied to Obama's education and to his political rise.  Obama spent part of his upbringing amongst Muslims and is well read on their perspective.  Beinhart thinks Obama was out maneuvered by Netanyahu and sees danger.

Benjamin Netanyahu  has a different vision for Israel and its role in the world. He sees the Palestinians as an obstacle to Israeli and Jewish security.  The settlements in the west bank are seen as a necessary and desirable move although Palestinians and many others see them as a threat to peace. There is a feeling amongst some hard liners that Jordan was taken away from them.

Evangelicals, particularly in the United States have an influence on the dynamics.  They believe Christ will come back, but only while Israel is ruled by Jews.  Several years ago at one  of my jobs I had my eyes opened by a fellow worker who I respected that the second coming was moving forward and would take place in Israel.

It is all very scary, but I believe Peter Beinart has a valid perspective that should be seriously considered.

for a more recent Peter Beinart post after the Hamas attack and Gaza followup  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/02/peter-beinarts-being-jewish-after.html