A FIRST HAND REPORT FROM ONE WHO KNOWS

I am blessed, and choose, to read many blogs. One of the most insightful blogs I read is Shalom from Jerusalem, written by my good friend, Marallyn. I "found" Marallyn's blog soon after I began blogging and it was such a delight to me. Then somehow I "lost" her and then several months ago I "re-found" her and I was so delighted. I immediately re-contacted her and re-connected and have been reading everything she posts.

With my concern for what is going on not only in our own country, but in the world in general, and Israel in particular I feel so blessed to have Marallyn's blog to give me a truthful, first hand report through the eyes and ears of this lovely Jewish lady. All of her posts recently have been so insightful to me. I hope after you read her post below you will go to her site for yourselves.

I know I can, and did, post Marallyn's link here on this post......but I also know that many times when presented with links we don't always take the time and effort, or have the desire to check it out. For this reason I contacted Marallyn a few days ago and asked her for permission to copy her June 15th blog here at Penless Writer word for precious word. She graciously gave me permission to do so.


"THE TRUTH...THE WHOLE TRUTH...AND...

Last night...at a little after eight o'clock, everyone I knew was sitting in front of their televisions waiting to hear our Prime Minister deliver his long-awaited speech.


I cancelled students. I grabbed a bottle of water and my chicken salad and made myself comfortable.


From every window of my house, all that could be heard was Bibi talking. None of my neighbours had any other channel on...just Bibi.


Before we go any further, I should state that I am a card carrying member of the Likud party. I get to vote in their internal elections as well as in the national elections. I have voted for Bibi more than once. And once I did not vote for him.


From the moment he began to speak until his final word I was breathless. Finally! Somebody said it out loud. How many people would be alive today if somebody had said it when our leaders at the time ran to embrace Oslo?


So many things he said amazed me. But here is one that made me listen even closer:

"In order to bring an end to the conflict, we must give an honest and forthright answer to the question: What is the root of the conflict? In his speech to the first Zionist Conference in Basel, the founder of theZionist movement, Theodore Herzl, said about the Jewish national home "This idea is so big that we must speak of it only in the simplest terms." Today, I will speak about the immense challenge of peace in the simplest words possible."

How simple.


How elequant. How absolutely correct! And then he went on to say it. He said it out loud....

"Even as we look toward the horizon, we must be firmly connected to reality, to the truth. And the simple truth is that the root of the conflict was, and remains, the refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own, in their historic homeland."


Bingo!!!


I always said, I can love you like mad...buy you expensive gifts...give you anything you want...put your needs above my own....


I can do all that. But I can't make you love me! Either you do...or you don't.


And all my fine gestures and all my wonderful, expensive gifts won't make you love me if you don't. And, when did any of us think, for just one second, that our neighbours love us? Who was it that said, 'Arafat never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity."?


When is the world going to wake up and realize that we are a splinter in their backside...we are the speck of dust on their pristine carpet...that THEY DO NOT WANT PEACE.


Simple, no?


Thank you Mr. Prime Minister! For the first time in a very long time, I think I can sleep at night knowing that someone is honestly and truely at the helm of our very little ship that is floating in a very big and dangerous sea.


And then, this morning just as I was feeling safe, I read something else. I read an article stating that Obama was happy with Bibi's speech. That's good.


BUT THEN...get this my friends...the article from Haaretz newspaper went on to say:
"At the time of the speech, Haaretz learned, Obama was playing golf."

He what?!!!?


Well...I guess that shows us! I mean exercise is important. And as President of the United States, Mr. Obama must not get enough exercise. And, the speech was around eight at night making it around noon...one o'clock his time. Is mid afternoon a good time to go out in the sun and play golf? I guess it must be. And, if it is good enough for POTUS, then, hell, maybe the rest of the world should have made other plans instead of listening to our Prime Minister.


Hell, it's only Israel. Who cares?


So, if no one cares, then why are we on the front page of everyone's agenda?


He was out playing golf!!!


Here is anther fishbone that remains stuck in my throat. When Bibi and Sarah Netanyahu were in the States a few weeks ago, Mrs. Obama didn't meet with our Prime Minister's wife. She had tickets to a concert...or the theatre, I think it was the theatre. She did ask her husband what to do and Mr. President told her not to change her plans...to go to the theatre.


Mr. Obama, Sir. If it was Mrs. First Lady from Canada...or Germany...or Russia...or Great Britain...or the European Union...or Palestine (is there a first lady...or any lady?)...would you have told your wife the same thing? OF COURSE NOT!!! That would have been an insult. And you wouldn't want to insult any of THEM.


What is POTUS telling Israel?


And what message is he sending out to the world about how he feels about Israel? If golf is more important and going to the theatre is more important to Mr. and Mrs. President of the United States of America...then what is the little anti-Semitic guy going to think...or the Arabs...or the EU?


Me? I take it as a great insult! A slap in the face!


The whole world was waiting for Bibi's speech. He spoke his heart out. He gave the world enough time. He picked an hour that was convenient to everyone.


I guess he didn't know what a lover of golf Obama is. I mean Jackie Mason said it so well. "Me? If I get a splinter in my finger, I run around and take myself into Sinai Hospital and see a doctor. You? If you fall into an open manhole and die...what do I care?"


You think I'll get into a lot of trouble if I say, "Shame on you Mr. President."? Maybe I better not. But as President Carter...also not a great lover of Israel once said..."I have sinned in my heart."


And we are supposed to be great friends. I guess with friends like these, Israel dosen't need any...you fill in the rest.


Have a great day...stay safe...and thanks for dropping in.

posted by marallyn ben moshe"