The BBC must have recently aired a programme in Britain set in one of the settlements on the West Bank, featuring religious fanatics. People must think that Israel is full of extremists, and yes, there are quite a few about.
However, so many people simply want to live at peace with one another. I was chatting to one of our newer workers at the Scots Hotel, who has just finished a 3 year stint in the army, after school. Interestingly, he said that what the army had taught him was that everyone was equal, regardless of ethnic group or religion, and that you just had to be open and treat everyone the same. I don’t think he would see eye to eye with a fanatic from the settlements! One of the joys of the Hotel is the make-up of the staff, with Jew and Moslem, Christian and Druze all working closely together, a paradigm for what could be.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi Colin. Welcome back, I missed your observations.
ReplyDeleteThere are, admittedly, Jewish fanatics wo espouse the "cleansing" of Eretz Israel of Arabs both Muslim and/or Christian. But, as you know, they are for the most part ignored by the Israeli people and generally corraled. Whereas, in the Palestinian Authority, Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East, fanatics who call for the "cleansing" of the Holy Land of Jews are, as you will also be aware, promoted, elected to office or have streets and squares named after them. Often the norm rather than the exception.