The Real Conflict

gists, helping the West to
its holiest shrines, the Church
relinquishing or surrender, on the
engage in its own brand of
of
the
Nativity,
which
was
part
of
Rome
and
the
Vatican
...
ike most people in the
moral suicide, preparing itself
defiled
by
Palestinian
gun-
Europe
and
all
Christendom
were
world, I assumed for years
for the day when the norms
men, plundered of precious
gloatingly shown to have caved in to
that the conflict between
of Saudi Arabia will soon be
artifacts and then trashed.
Islamic machismo."
Arabs and Israelis was a con-
the norms of us all.
When
the
West
urges
Israel
Unlike the shrines of almost all
flict about land. I assumed that this
Every inch of land Israel
to
allow
Muslim
fanatics
to
other religions who welcome visitors
conflict had something to do with
surrenders,
gives that Muslim
mark-more
territory,
it
is
of other faiths, the Islamic cities of
people losing land, wanting land,
vision a new victory, infusing
NA
OMI
rewarding
Muslims
for
their
Mecca
and
Medina
are
forbidden
to
feeling disenfranchised, deprived of
new strength into its megalo-
RA GEN
crimes against humanity.
anyone who does not practice Islam.
rights.
mania.
Sp e cial
Already, Muslims have low-
The desire of the Islamic world to
Recently, I began research into ter-
Every compromise Israel is
Comm entary
take over Jerusalem has one reason and ered the standards of decency
rorism, Saudi Arabia and Islam,
forced
to make by the world,
and brought all of the civi-
only one: Islamic intolerance. Before
which has given me some startling
or
its
own
foolish leadership,
lized
world
to
new
lows,
con-
Israel took over the Old City in 1967,
evidence that everything I've believed
strengthens
the cynical
vincing
so-called
intelligent
it was closed to Jewish worshippers.
in the past couldn't have been farther
resolve
of
the
Muslims
to expand the
and
moral
people
to
accept
the
out-
The outbreak of violence in Pakistan,
from the truth.
theater of their conquests and to turn
rages
of
supermarket
killings,
play-
Indonesia
and
parts
of
Africa
are
also
The fact is that the conflict between
the world into the hateful prison that
ground bombings, school bus bomb-
being portrayed as territorial disputes
Arab and Israeli is a conflict between
is Riyadh and Jeddah, places where
ings, flying baby carriages, murdered
Muslim and Jew. Moreover, it is only a by the press. But anyone with eyes in
women
walk like black ghosts, unable
his head can see they, too, are Muslims grandmothers, blown-up seder nights
tiny part of a much wider conflict
to
work
or drive or go out without
as
a
legitimate
part
of
some
moral
against Hindus, Muslims against
between Muslim and all other reli-
permission
from their husbands and
equation
in
which
the
Muslims
are
Christians. Muslims against anyone
gions, and those countries that treas-
fathers;
a
place
where music is out-
always
the
ones
with
the
understand-
who isn't Muslim.
ure freedom of religion. It is the con-
lawed and movies and theaters; and
able
grievance
that
one
can
accept.
Of
all
the
freedoms
we
hold
dear
in
flict between fanatical and intolerant
where the worship of Jehovah or Jesus
"The Israelis murdered my broth-
the West, none is more precious than
and ignorant hordes bent on convert-
could. land a person in jail.
er," they'll explain after killing the
freedom of religion. Muslim immi-
ing the world to their vision of the
Should Israel cease to exist, there
baby, forgetting to mention that their
grants are using that freedom and
one and only true faith: Islam.
would
be no peace. It would simply
sibling
belonged
to
Fatah,
or
Islamic
Saudi petrodollars to build an Islamic
The first inkling that this was the
whet
the
Muslim appetite to gobble
Jihad
or
Hamas.
And
that
is
the
way
empire that will threaten religious
case was in the books I read on Saudi
up
the
next
country and the next and
the
press
will
present
it.
The
Israeli
or
tolerance in the West. We can already
Arabia. Did you know that it is a
the next, until they achieve their
settler
(baby
in
the
carriage)
against
see
the
results
with
the
rise
of
anti-
-
crime to own a Bible in Saudi Arabia
vision of one God, one prophet; that
the idealistic young freedom fighter
Semitism in Europe, led by Muslims
and that people have been jailed for
willing to risk his life for ... you name is the Muslim God, Allah and the
who attack Jews, burn synagogues
it? Did you know that no one is
one Muslim prophet, Muhammad.
it ... any word that falls easily on
and target religious schools.
allowed to celebrate Christmas or
Those of you urging Israel to com-
Western
ears
and
sensibilities.
By
In Israel, the turnover of Christian
Easter there, and that no churches of
promise
should look out your own
allowing
this
propaganda
to
succeed,
Bethlehem to Muslims led directly to
any denomination can be built there
windows
and think of the morning
barbarous
acts
become
palatable
with
(let's not even talk about synagogues)? the destruction of the Christian com-
after.
El
apolo-
-
the
help
of
their
journalistic
munity
and
the
desecration
of
one
of
Did you know that Jews are not
allowed into Saudi Arabia, and that
all things Jewish are a crime? Did you
Perspectives on Israel: a continuing series
know that even those who practice
Islam according to the Shia tradition
are also considered criminals and are
persecuted?
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia
has been using its American-provided
■ Israel holds Yassir Arafat responsible for each act of terrorism
everyday conversations with friends, neighbors, co-
oil wealth to build elaborate mosques
because, in spite of signed commitments and international
U I workers and business associates can be important
in places all over the world with very
pressure, he does little to stop them.
tools in advocating for Israel. Here are examples of key
few Muslims. This is what Peter
The
PLO call for the annihilation of Israel still remains codified
■
points to make when discussing Israel:
Theroux (certainly no friend of
at
Palestinian
Authority websites and in publications.
Israel) wrote in his book Sandstorms:
"Even the least observant Muslim
■ A 16-year old suicide bomber killed 17 Israelis and wounded
For more information about the news in Israel, visit
dozens with a car bomb near Megiddo earlier this month. He
in Saudi Arabia measured power and
or www.haaretzdaily.com
www.jpost.com
was the third teenage suicide bomber within two weeks, a sad
influence in religious terms — why
else did the kingdom spend vast for-
commentary on Palestinian society.
tunes on palatial mosques in places
■ In March alone, Israel suffered twice as many deaths propor-
where there were almost no Muslims?
tionate to its population from suicide murders as the United
It was a subtle and informal way of
States did on September 11.
marking territory.
If the May 23rd terrorist attack on Israel's main fuel depot had
"When the city of Rome decided in
succeeded, thousands of Israelis would have been killed with-
1984 to grant a building permit for a
in minutes.
mosque near the Holy See, the reac-
■ Women comprise more than 25% of all Israelis murdered by
tion of the Riyadh press [was] jeering
Palestinian terrorists since September 2000.
articles [that] applauded this tanazul,
Syria — home of the Islamic Jihad leadership who ordered the

Jerusalem

L

CONVERSATIONAL ADVOCACY

0 1 r

.

■

Naomi Ragen operates her own Zionist
Web site, www.NaomiRagen.com . Her e-
mail address is naomi@naomiragen.com

Megiddo attack and host to no fewer than 10 terror organizations
— heads the UN Security Council for the month of June.

Jewish
Community
citreca= u-
Counlm

To learn more about how you can become an effective Israel advocate, visit wvvwjewishcommunitycouncil.orq

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2002

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