At least we get some In sight.

[Xymet]

""""The late Grace Halsell, Washington-based political analyst and author of 14 books, including Journey to Jerusalem and Prophecy of Politics, wrote extensively on the Middle East. Since her deep understanding of the Palestinians tragedy came from first hand experience gained during long periods of stay in Israel as well as in occupied Palestine, her writings on the political and human aspects of the conflict are considered authentic source material by researchers. "What Christians Don't Know About Isreal" was first published in May 1998. Since then, faces and names have changed in the White House, Capitol Hill, Senate, House of Representatives and in the media, but policies have not. When it come to the Middle East crisis, the United States, "the Land of the free" is still as free as Zionists would let it be. The article is still relevant to give the readers an understanding of the blantantly unjust positions of the United States continues to take on the Middle East tragedy.""""

Below is the article by Grace Halsell.

WHAT CHRISTIANS DON'T KNOW ABOUT ISRAEL

American Jews sympathetic to Israel dominate key roles in all areas of our government where decisions are made regarding the Middle East. This being the case, is there any hope of ever changing US policy? Former President Bill Clinton supported, as most members of Congress supports, Israel-and they know why. US Jews sympathetic to Israel donate lavishly to their campaign coffers.

The answer to achieving an even-handed Middle East policy might lie elsewhere - among those who support Israel, but don't really know why. This group is the vast majority of Americans. They are well bonded to Israel - and Zionism - often from atavistic feelings in some cases dating from childhood.

I am one of those. I grew up listening to stories of a mystical, allegorical, spiritual Israel. This was before a modern political entity with the same name appeared on our maps. I attended Sunday school and watched an instructor draw down window-type shades to show maps of the Holy Land. I imbibed stories of Good and Chosen people who fought against their Bad "UN Chosen" enemies. In my early 20's, I began travelling the world, earning my living as a writer. I came to the subject of the Middle East rather late in my career. I was sadly lacking in knowledge regarding the area. About all I knew was what I had learned in Sunday school. And typical of many US Christians, I somehow considered a modern state created in 1948 as a homeland for Jews, persecuted under the Nazis as a replica of the spiritual, mystical Israel I heard about as a child.

When, in 1979, I initially went to Jerusalem, I planned to write about the three great monotheistic religions and leave out politics. "Not write about politics?" scoffed one Palestinian, smoking a water pipe in the Old Walled City. "We eat politics, morning, noon and night!" As I would learn, the politics is about land: The indigenous Palestinians, who have lived there for 2000 years and the Jews, who started in large numbers after the Second World War. By living among Israeli Jews as well as Palestinian Christians and Muslims, I saw, heard, smelled and experienced the police state tactics Israel use against Palestinians.

My research led to a book entitled Journey to Jerusalem. My journey not only was enlightening to me as regards Israel, but also I came to understand of my own country. I say sadder understanding: because I began to see that, in Middle East politics, the people are not making the decisions, but rather that supporters of Israel are doing so. And typical of most Americans, I tended to think the US media was "free" to print news impartially.

In the late 1970's, when I first went to Jerusalem, I was unaware that editors could and would classify "news" depending on that was doing what to whom. On my initial visit to Israel-Palestine, I had interviewed dozens of young Palestinian men. About one in four related stories of torture. Israeli police had come in the night, dragged them from their beds and placed hoods over their heads. Then in jails, the Israelis had kept them in isolation, besieged them with loud, incessant noises, hung them up side down and had sadistically mutilated their genitals. I had not read such stories in the US media. Wasn't it news? Obviously, I naively thought, US editors simply didn't know it was happening.

On a trip to Washington, I hand delivered a letter to Frank Ankiewicz, the head of the public radio station WETA. I explained I had taped interviews with Palestinians, who had been brutally tortured. And I'd make them available to him. I got no reply. I made several phone calls. Eventually I was put through to a public relations person, a Ms Cohen who said my letter had been lost. I wrote again. In time I began to realize what I hadn't known. Had it been Jews, who were strung up and tortured, it would be news. But interviews with tortured Arabs were "lost" at WETA.

The process of getting my book "Journey to Jerusalem" published also was a learning experience. Bill Griffin, who signed a contract with me on behalf of Macmillian Publishing Company, was a former Roman Catholic priest. He assured me that no one other than himself would edit the book. As I reached the book, making several trips to Israel and Palestine, I met frequently with Griffin showing him sample chapters. "Terrific", he said of my material.

The day the book was scheduled to be published, I went to visit MacMillian's. Checking in at a reception desk, I spotted Griffin across a room cleaning out his desk. His secretary Margie came to greet me. In tears, she whispered to me to meet her in the ladies room. When we were alone, she confided. "He's been fired". She indicated it was because he had signed a contract for a book that was sympathetic to Palestinians. Griffin, she said, had no time to see me.

Later, I met with another MacMillan official, William Curry. "I was told to take your manuscript to the Israeli Embassy, to let them read it for mistakes," he told me. "They were not pleased. They asked me 'You are not going to publish this book, are you?'. I asked, 'Were there mistakes' 'Not mistakes as such. But it shouldn't be published. It's anti-Israel." he told.

Somehow, despite obstacles to prevent it, the process had started rolling. After its publication in 1980, I was invited to speak in a number of churches. Christians generally reacted with disbelief. Back then; there was little or no coverage of Israeli land confiscation, demolition of Palestinian homes, wanton arrests and torture of Palestinian civilians.

THE SAME QUESTION

Speaking of these injustices, I invariably heard the same question, "How come I didn't know this?" - or someone might ask - "But I haven't read about that in my Newspaper." To these church audiences, I related my own learning experience, that of seeing hordes of US correspondents covering a relatively tiny state. I pointed out that I had not seen so much reporters in world capitals such as Beijing, Moscow, London, Tokyo and Paris. Why, I asked, did a small state with a 1980 population of only four million warrant more reporters than China, with a billion people?

I also linked this query with my findings that The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post - and most of our nation's print media - are owned and/or controlled by Jews supportive of Israel. It was for these reasons, I deduced that they send so many reporters to cover Israel - and to do so largely from the Israeli point of view.

My learning experiences also include coming to realize how easily I could lose a Jewish friend, if I critisized the Jewish state. I could with impunity criticize France, England, Russia, even the United States and any aspect of life in America, but not the Jewish state. I lost many Jewish friends after the publication of Journey to Jerusalem - all sad losses for me.

In the 1960s, before going to the Middle East, I had written about the plight of the blacks in a book entitled Soul Sister, and the plight of American Indians in a book entitled Bessie Yellow Hair, and the problems endured by undocumented workers crossing from Mexico in the Illegals. These books had come to the attention of the "mother" of The New York Times, Mrs. Arthur Hays Sulzberger.

Her father had started the newspaper, then her husband ran it, and in the years that I knew her, her son was the publisher. She invited me to her fashionable apartment on Fifth Avenue for lunches and dinner parties. And, on many occasions, was a weekend guest at her Greenwich, Connecticut home. She was liberal minded and praised my efforts to speak for the under-dog, even going so far as in one letter to say, " You are the most remarkable woman I ever Knew."

I had little concept, that from being buoyed so high, I could be dropped so suddenly, when I was discovered - from her point of view the "wrong" under-dog. As it happened, I was a weekend guest in her spacious Connecticut home when she read bound galleys of Journey to Jerusalem. As I was leaving, she handed the galleys back with a saddened look: "My dear, have you forgotten about the Holocaust?" She felt that what happened in Nazi Germany to Jews several decades earlier should silence any criticism of the Jewish state. She could focus on a holocaust of Jews while negating a modern-day holocaust of Palestinians.

I realized, quite painfully, that our friendship was ending. Mrs. Sulzberger had not only invited me to her home to meet her famous friends but, also at her suggestion, The Times had requested articles. I wrote articles on various subjects, including American blanks, American Indians as well as undocumented workers.

Increasingly, American Jews have fallen victim to Zionism, a nationalistic movement that passes for many as a religion. While the ethical instructions of all great religions, including the teachings of Moses, Muhammad and Christ - stress that all human beings are equal, militant Zionists take the position that the killing of a non-Jews does not count. Over five decades now, Zionists have killed Palestinians with impunity.

The danger, of course, for US Christians, is that having made an icon of Israel, we fall into a trap of condoning whatever Israel does even wanton murder. Yet, I am not alone in suggesting that the churches in the United States represent the last major organized support for Palestinian rights. This imperative is due in part to our historic links to the Land of Christ and, in part, to the moral issues involved with having our tax dollars fund Israeli-government-approved violations of human rights.

While Israel and its dedicated US Jewish supporters know they have the US leadership and most of Congress in their hands, they worry about grassroots America - the well-meaning Christians, who care for justice. Thus far, most Christians were unaware of what it was that they didn't know about Israel. They were indoctrinated by US supporters of Israel in their own country, and when they travelled to the Land of Christ, most of all did so under the sponsorship of Israel.

That being the case, it was unlikely a Christian ever met a Palestinian or learned what caused the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is gradually changing, however. And this change disturbs the Israelis. As an example, delegates attending a Christian Sabeel conference in Bethlehem earlier this year, said they were harassed by Israeli security at the Tel Aviv airport, "Why did you use a Palestinian Travel Agency? Why didn't you use an Israeli Agency?"

The interrogation was so extensive and hostile that Sabeel leaders called a special session to brief the delegates on how to handle the harassment. Obviously, said one delegate, "The Israeli have a policy to discourage us from visiting the Holy Land except under their sponsorship. They don't want Christians to start learning all that they have never known about Israel."

Oh, please take care while answering/responding/replying to this post that whatever I have written up here is accordingly and unchanged as it appeared on the Local Magazine of Maldives, Monday Times in its 56th Issue on 24th December 2001.

Which so happens to be the reality.................... and also one reason why Muslims don't exactly love the Israelis....

PS: Everything under quote is written by the late American writer Grace Halsel. No part of the above quoted text is changed or excluded/included to the benefit to support one side. All is as written by late Grace Halsel.

[ArchIBaLD]

hmm.. apperently she forgot to mention the palestinian "tactics" on us. check the news at any time to understand what i mean.

there was little or no coverage of Israeli land confiscation, demolition of Palestinian homes, wanton arrests and torture of Palestinian civilians.

i know everyone gonna jump and say that i am wrong.. we were over this already. so i'll say it again! the so called "confiscated" land was bought by israel or conquered during the wars (6 day war, yom kipur). i hope a country is allowed to do whatever she wants with her territory (and by saying "whatever she wants" i don't mean genocide, torture or unreasonable arrests mainly because those didn't happen).

I also linked this query with my findings that The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post - and most of our nation's print media - are owned and/or controlled by Jews supportive of Israel. It was for these reasons, I deduced that they send so many reporters to cover Israel - and to do so largely from the Israeli point of view.

if she weren't dead i would have killed here myself. to think that all those jewish owners do it on purpose. after all.. the middle east is a hot subject. in her mind she thinks that jews make USA do as they say. haven't i heard that before? sounds familiar.. if i am not mistaken.. it was in germany.. nazi germany.. am i right?



insight my ass.

[Xymet]

Already "fu(ked" up? Murderer are we? Don't worry. still it's not wrong to say that. Well, its hot topic if something happened to someone from the Israeli end but it doesn't count if it happened with Palestinians. You know how it goes, birds of a feather - flock together? I personally have never heard anything much about the Palestinian end about deaths, except about "palestinian terrorist"" who are in fact truly defending themselves.

What i mean here is that what would you do if you are being kicked all the time. Wouldn't you attack in self-defense. Its all what this is about. Anything crappy may happen but eh' uh i dunno.

The problem with all of us humans is that we have some 'trouble' saying that we are wrong. Any ways, I just wanted people to see this article. I recommend the Administrators to close down this thread. Hey Betamex, Elly, or someone, do us all a favour and just close the thread.

[Syed Fawad]

To use the word Israelis or Palestenians is wrong.
Its just that the leaders of both sides are just not right. If the problem is completely known, then a solution is reached only if both sides are willing. The problem is, the on-going conflict IS benefitting someone, someone who is choosing the authority on both sides.

Both sides blamind and accusing the other side because of limited perspective is quite immaturish. Respect all opinions and try to observe a situation with as many perspectives as possible.

This limited perspective hides the real enemy, and destroys both the other sides.

[Proto]

Hey Betamex, Elly, or someone, do us all a favour and just close the thread.

Could you explain your point? Cause in my opinion censorship in the end does a favor to no one. And since the thread is still far from being inflamatory or something of the like...

Just keep it civil and everyone will be happy.... yeah right.

[The Captain]

I won't say there isn't some kind of conspiracy going on, but I don't think there is enough proof to start Jew-bashing.

As far as Israeli soldiers torchering innocent Palestinians, don't you think that it is possible that the Palestinians could have lied? Did they happen to show their "mutilated genitals" to this lady? Neither side is right, and both sides hate each other. If I were President of the US, then I wouldn't support either. Unless both sides genuinely want peace and are willing to compromise, I doubt the fighting will ever stop.

[Player-X]

Since the question of who are the "wrong" ones wnd who are "right" is still cloudy as Isreal claims the land is bought while Palastine claims that the land is thiers I won't take sides so all I have to say is that they shoudn't be having a war over it, usaily if they both just sit down and talk about it it shoud help the situation greatly as history have shown that diplomacy works far better than war

[Proto]

Different cultures, different races, different religions, different political ideas. It is so easy to hate each other isn't it?

Somehow I don't see this ending anytime sure, specially because of a certain's government interests that are quite happy with the current happenings

[ArchIBaLD]

I personally have never heard anything much about the Palestinian end about deaths, except about "palestinian terrorist"" who are in fact truly defending themselves.

For your information the number of deaths in the palestinian side is really really small. before you tell me that the media hides information i'll tell you that a couple of soldiers i know told me about it.
that frase: who are in fact truly defending themselves is really not true. first of all: how they defend themselves against innocent civilions? that's called an aggresive action.

[Xymet]

I knew this would get sour. but hey I don't like getting bashed, unlike you. Well as i told, birds of a feather - flock to gether. if you dont understand, let me put it this way. "Jew practisionists - Jews together".

Could you explain your point? Cause in my opinion censorship in the end does a favor to no one. And since the thread is still far from being inflamatory or something of the like...

THAT, my friend was the point. People get angry. Well I may not want to make friends with a Jew, but I certainly don't want to make enemies with a Jew like that lady who wrote this article.

So what do you guys think about the other factors about the governments of these superior countries hiding news from their own. I mean this lady has proved her point. I'm not saying anything. But we all need answers.

Sorry ArchiBald, guess you may not be the happiest person viewing this article. But ever since the prophet Muhammed preached Islam, Jews were against the Muslims. And about this Holy Land, many sources leads me to say that God banished the Children of Isreal from the said land after they refused to wage war alongside with Prophet Moses on the Palestinians who were there at the tme. If the Isrealis obeyed the prophet maybe none of this would have ever happened. Peace would have been prevailed. I dont want to make this a bit of a disappointment for any of you guys reading but let me also say that at least let Peace PREVAIL here on this forum? What say you?

[xRock]

And Xymet self-defense means.... suicide bombings, and killing innocent ppl.. oh ok.

Xymet--But ever since the prophet Muhammed preached Islam, Jews were against the Muslims. And about this Holy Land, many sources leads me to say that God banished the Children of Isreal from the said land after they refused to wage war alongside with Prophet Moses on the Palestinians who were there at the tme. If the Isrealis obeyed the prophet maybe none of this would have ever happened

that right there points to the "bias" in your opinion.

[Xymet]

xRock - what would you do? Killing of innocent people - i dont know about that, but what I do know is that a tanker against stone? is that what you call self-defense on the part of isrealis? in case you already dont know stones are weaker than missiles. and bombings, what do you expect? these people are desperate ok> you may say this, but when it comes to you, maybe you'd be more brutal than any of these guys. heck I really dont care about "my opinions" - well, that wasn't my opinion, in fact it was quoted elsewhere too.

Why dont you all understand? Its like swatting an insect. The Americans on their part, provide weapons to the Israelis, why dont they just take away all of it. America is supposed to be the most powerful, so take away all arms from everyone. Then atleast the killings would be minimised?

Why do you think I dont seem to love the Israelis? They hate us. They hate the muslim community, why? WHY i ask? Well, I'll let you know the answer too, "no apparent reason". Some 1500 years back, when the prophet Muhammed was living, Jews were one of the most powerful in the arabian community.

Muhammed taught Islam religion to the people, this reduced power of the Jews, the Jews even left Mecca and Medina on their own accord. Is that what Jews hate us about ? Our prophet? (then someone may say that I'm too young to say all this, I don't know anything, well what do you know then, and I have studied different books on history, written by different people, christians, muslims, jews. I have read them ok, and I understand)



Whats wrong with covering your head, I ask? Why do these saddistic looking cops remove it from that Ladies head? No apparent reason. Why the f[]ck dont the Christians, Jews, Indians and others hate us so much? NO APPARENT REASON.

As for the part of Islams, we dont hate anyone. We dont make wars with others. In case you already don't know, even the America-Iraq, America-Afghanistan, Israel-Palestine, these wars were started by Americans and Israels.

We never started the war. But when we take arms against them, we are called terrorists? How just is starting a war? And how unjust is that we cant take arms to protect ourselves?

Nuclear power, when Iran started to generate Electricity through Nuclear Energy, America started getting upset, they are being forced to close down the facility while getting some puniy bribes on their part. Why do Americans have nuclear energy. Even America spend more money than any other country in this world for nuclear warheads, for weapons, for killings. WHY is that so, while others cant even have nuclear energy for electricity. Is this Just?

Well, "justice will be served" according to the President George W Bush, but what justice i ask is he giving. He acts like such a big man, but he needs tons of security to even hold up with him. Did the muslim leaders of old, have these securities? No, why was that, because they did not need to fear for they were just and true. Prez GWB, may shower the muslims with some flowery words, but that doesnt remove their thinking. We see right through him and others like him. We will not be able hide our disgust when we are being treated with humiliation and un just. NO SIR!!!

But in the meanwhile. I dont really mind getting bashed. But some of these guys do mind. SO once again, I ask one of the Admins or mods to close this thread, ending this quite peacefully?

[Nevermore]

I totally have your back Xymet.The US might brag about other countries having nuclear warheads and planning to use them and they want to fire back with the same kind of weapon they're trying to ban from other countries.. man thats just pathetic.Who do they think they are? They're not the rulers of the entire planet earth..

Anyway let's all move to canada. YAY!

[Player-X]

You may interprate your religion as a pacifist religion which is favourable unfortunately there are people who interprate thier religion as a call to arms this happens in all religions regardless of scripture as most of them are ambigious if not self contridicting at best

[Syed Fawad]

Originally Posted by Player-X

You may interprate your religion as a pacifist religion which is favourable unfortunately there are people who interprate thier religion as a call to arms this happens in all religions regardless of scripture as most of them are ambigious if not self contridicting at best

There is no self contradictory in Islam. Anyone who says so or finds has incomplete knowledge.

What Islam teaches us is understood by the heart but unexplainable by the mind. Faith, it is the most powerfull thing in existance. No one can be told what it is, it has to be sought. Those who are honest to look for it can find it and if they use it, they can accomplish whatever they want.

In Islam, War or bloodshed is NEVER a solution. Its a last resort. But to reach that last resort, has there ever been any struggle made? NO.

The Islam we know today is not Islam in its completeness. I have stated this before and I'll state it again........it was a beautifull mirror, they smashed it and took the pieces of it which they liked best for themselves. If you want Islam, you take it as a whole else, train yourself to accept it before accepting it.

The terrorists, or "Muslim militants" as the Big Heads love to call them are nothing but ones bron in a Muslim country in a Muslim family who only know that they are Muslim because they are born in a Muslim family. Due to suppression and aggression, their emotions are provoked and love for Islam are "used" to use them as "pawns" in a grand master plan by the ruling heads. And I have ALREADY stated that the ruling heads are corrupt everywhere.

Remember, unlike Judaism, Islam is not "inherited" in a child from his parents. Islam is something that has to be accepted on someone's own accord and his free will and Islam should be accepted in its completeness. The concept of Islam these days is totally demolished......there should be NO such thing as an "Islamic Country"......if Islam were to be followed COMPLETELY, we'd have something in existance known as the "United States of Islam" where the so called Muslim countries were to be the states of this empire. With one ruler who is to be called the Khalifa. There is no such setup in existance.

Not many thoroughly know about this religion, and really.....I don't like ppl making comments on it without knowing its beauty. Islam is incomparable to Christianity or Judaism because Islam is not only a religion....but a code of life......A COMPLETE CODE OF life which has instructions on how you should walk, sleep, sit, eat, drink and what not. Guide on personal relations, human psychology and what not. I was reading "Seven Habits of Highly effective Ppl" by Stephen Covey and I felt he was trying to preach Islam...even though he was stating the essential basics of human thinking and interpersonal interaction.

The work for the establishment of the religion Islam is underway. You won't see it on the media.......but its EVERYWHERE. In every city and every country. The make small groups and travel far and wide. The explain what Islam is REALLY all about. They are extensively in USA, Australia, Europe and they have even went to Antarctica and prayed there. Its an on going struggle and its them who are really explaining the reality and beauty that is Islam.

The image you see on the media about Islam is divding Islam into two types. One of them is called fundamentlists where they seem to be like real life CS players. Other ones are "Modern Muslims" who do everything the moral values requires them to and treating ISlam as a sub ordinate thing in their lives, like the majority of the christianity who merely treat their religion as just that, a religion.

All in all, the image we see of the world may not be how the world really is. How many of you actually knew about these REAL muslims? In my country, I know two places where they're SLIGHTLY exposed to media. Otherwise they're EXTREMELY covert. And not intentionally!

One is the Pakistani cricket team. The current captain joined their ranks some time ago. One Christian player named Yousuf Youhana (finest strikers in our team) recently embraced Islam. Its all because of this group. Another bright example is a popular Pop star of our Country. Junaid Jamshed, whose every album used to be a major hit. He left off songs and I met him in PERSON. And boy......has he changed. I have spent countless hours with these ppl. And they amaze me honestly. I hope I can be one of them. They don't have any prerequisties mind you, its just that I don't find the Faith to be strong enough in me, I have to train harder.

Aah, sorry guys....I just went on and on and I hope I didn bore ya. Anyone who wants to learn more about these REAL Muslims is welcome to query me on shyber@gmail.com

I'll end with a short story about them. They'll be referred to as "movement":

"One of the Mujahideens from Afghanistan came and joined one of the movement's groups. They embarked on one of their missions (which is simply to spread the true meaning of Islam) in one of remote places of this country. The scheduled time for this mission was 15 days. On the 5th day, the Afghan Mujahid said that I am leaving and quitting. I think its easier to take a bullet in your chest than to practice faith and spread its meaning."

Bottom line: Why is it that the Muslims or so called Muslims of today are jumping to their last resort without even trying to be a Muslim?

The Muslims need a true leader who can guide them. There is no such now. King Faisal started such kind of a thing. He was assasinated by his nephew who was nothing more than a pawn. I wonder why the Muslims Ummah doesn't realize this........its about time.

[Player-X]

It's true that islam has rules of war and suicide bombings against civilians breaks at least 2 of those rules (the one about non combatants and the part about no suicides) but that is the part you have been taught, how about parts that they just skipped over? maybe the terrorist leaders skipped over the part about peace and just tought the "kill the infidels" part

[Eface]

Well, christians seem to like to burn other colored people too... so i think suicide bombing is quite social.

In other words, there's rotten apples everywhere. They're mostly in the higher layers of society. And they need a lot of protection because they're hated by most of the world.

oh well, what would a hermit know. ^_^;