[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem – Every so often I am asked about The Situation in the Middle East. Sometimes I have first-hand information, due to my personal experiences or that of close friends. Other times I relate what I read in various publications and via the media. The news coverage in Israel is far different than the States. Sometimes events here are not even reported there. I am frequently questioned about The Situation because I live in Israel, a country the size of New Jersey with a population of less than 8 million people surrounded by Arab and Muslim lands 650 times the size of Israel and 60 times its population. Israel's 8 million includes Arabs. The city of Cairo, for example, has more than twice the population of the entire nation of Israel. Therefore Israel is just a sliver of land and people. In the best-case scenario, Israel is surrounded by enemies – worst case, by terrorists and murderers.
This week I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by an Associated Press journalist who has had assignments all over the Middle East. He presented an update on what is happening, not only facts but his opinion on the causes and possible solutions.
One of the things I learned is that there is no word for “compromise” in Arabic. Therefore, the concept does not exist. The closest concept in Arabic is “middle.” The speaker believed this was one reason Israel could not come to an agreement with Arab neighbors. Another is the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in the 1920s with the goal to establish the Middle East as an Islamic area. Therefore, there can be no room for the Jewish people or Israel. Thus, the Arab people are taught a hatred of Israel, that everything that goes wrong in their lives is caused by Israel and Jews.
Why They Quarrel with Each Other
Because of tribalism and fatalism, he said democracy does not come naturally to these countries. “Tribalism sinks democracies,” he said. People in the Middle East have loyalties to the tribe, another reason they fight among each other. Too often Israel is blamed for all their woes when the Arabs are fighting their own people. Because their religion is fatalistic, they are held back from dealing with things. In the Arab world, saying something is equivalent to doing something even if nothing is done. The speaker believed one needed to be born into a democracy to know how it works or learn it in schools. Education is the key to change.
Although many Arab countries are oil- rich, that does not mean the average person is wealthy. In Yemen and Oman, people are the worst off. Those in Kuwait fare best. While we think of Saudi Arabia and billionaire sheiks, unemployment is 12 percent, surrounded by poverty. Syria has natural resources. But unless a family is close to the regime, it will do without. The speaker said most Egyptians would trade places with Palestinians in Gaza because Egypt's economy is worse. The international poverty line is $2/person per day. Forty percent of Egypt is under that level. A majority of Egyptians live in hovels. Their food and gasoline are subsidized. Instead of subsidizing the poor, the Egyptian government subsidizes commodities. The economy becomes depressed when the subsidies make prices low, resulting in a growing black market. Under President Morsi, Egypt does not collect taxes. Because 10 percent of the people have no bank account, it is difficult to collect taxes in a cash economy. Egypt's foreign currency reserves are only $14 billion as compared to Israel's $75 billion. In Israel, everything is taxed.
An Ulterior Motive
When asked how the average person views the U.S., the speaker said that on the street level the United States is perceived as good, but that on the government level America only is tolerated for the sake of foreign aid. Another result of the economic failings in the Middle East is the number of soldiers doing military service. Armies are large because soldiers are dependent on the government for their livelihood. Thank G-d the military training in most Arab countries is poor compared to Israel. Given the huge size of Arab armies, they can afford to lose lives. Israel, on the other hand, has few people, and its existence constantly is at risk. One life in Israel is equivalent to hundreds elsewhere in relation to the percentage of people to total population. When comparisons are made between Israeli and Arab lives lost, there is no equivalency. Israel puts a value on life and protects its women and children. Arabs use their women and children as human shields. The nature of Islam treats women as second-class citizens. This, coupled with strict Islamic mores, naturally leads to sexual assaults and harassment against woman.
With respect to Egypt and Israel, it has been two years since the three-decade rule of our peace partner Hosni Mubarak was overthrown by the Arab Spring in a mere three weeks.
Originally it was a protest movement united to overthrow the government. Since their initial success the rival factions have agreed on little because there are too many competing agendas. In the first election, only Mubarak's party and the Muslim Brotherhood got votes. According to the speaker, there are few jihadists in Egypt. Most are in the Sinai. Egypt is cooperating with Israel in Sinai and Gaza just to keep the smuggled weapons out of the hands of their own people. Therefore they have an interest in stopping the smuggling. Egypt does not have a role in Gaza, but it is in Morsi's interest to keep the jihadists in Sinai from attacking Egypt. The Gaza/Sinai border is 15 km of nothing but smuggling tunnels.
The speaker believes the military in Egypt eventually will take over. The Brotherhood does not know how to govern and the economy is worsening. Morsi gives orders, then rescinds them when rioting starts. Not much is being accomplished. The speaker was unconcerned about the advanced weaponry the U.S. is sending to Morsi's fragile government. Considering Egypt now has a military presence in Sinai with use of anti-aircraft missiles and the Palestinians in Gaza have no aircraft, I am worried that this weaponry has no other use but to be a buildup for an eventual war against Israel. Am I a pessimist?
L'hitraot. Shachar