Gossip, Rumour, and Mum Stuff on the Middle East

THIS MAY BE A REALLY OFFENSIVE POST TO SOME PEOPLE. I don't mean to offend; I just want to let folks like my family know what goes on in my daily life.

Ok. I got stuff I just gotta tell you. First, this is all 'gossip'. This is all the kind of stuff a bunch of mums sit around chatting about over a coffee. This is not news. But, it is very real in my little world. Are you politically squeamish? Then stop reading. Right now. THIS IS ALL MUM GOSSIP KIND OF STUFF. THIS IS NOT NEWS!!!!! For the rest of you people who can stomach 'gossip', than read on....

I live a very comfortable life. I have a nice comfortable villa, I drive a vehicle that we own - not the bank. I have more than enough food. And, my children are safe. Where I currently reside is a very comfortable place. It does not fit the stereotype of 'violent Middle East'. This is a good place. But, others are not so fortunate.

I hang out with a very varied group of people. My friends here resemble the UN in miniature. And, one of the things that we like to do here is have breakfast together and chat over LOTS of coffee. The conversations are always friendly, but folks are comfortable with and trust each other enough to speak their minds.

Being one who is not totally afraid (well, I am a little afraid) of controversy, I asked 'the mums' about the whole Palestine going to the UN thing hoping for a seat. I consider myself a fairly well-read individual, but I really don't comprehend a lot of what goes on the Middle East. I said I didn't really 'get' why the States was going to block it.

The response I got was loaded with ideas and opinions. First, every time Israel (or here it is called Occupied Palestine, but I'll say 'Israel' because that's what many of my readers are used to seeing) increases settlements, the Palestinians lose territory. Currently, according to the New York Times, Palestine hopes to set the borders at 1967's borders. This would mean that 500,000 Israeli settlers are then on Palestinian soil. A lot of the mums I chat with think the States is 'nuts' to block this. People I know here really believe that the States is 'giving in' to Jewish lobbyists with loads of dollars. Yes, I have met folks here who believe that Jewish people who are extremely pro-Israel control the United States. Yes, this is 'gossipy' kind of stuff, but it's what a number of folks talk about. So...the feeling is that the US is going to block the Palestinians at the UN because there are Zionist Jews controlling the US government. Is this true? Personally, I don't think so. However, this is what gets talked about.

I live in a region where any maps that you find in stores have 'Israel' blacked out with a magic marker. In newspapers, 'Israel' is always referred to as 'Occupied Palestine'. The level of animosity and anger is deep. But, I have also heard an interesting twist on all this. IF Palestine gets a seat (or whatever the proper wording - I feel so confused today) at the UN, than there are worries that Palestinians who live in camps in other countries outside of Palestine will have to be given passports by the country that they are camped in. So, suddenly if Palestine becomes a recognized state, than loads of Palestinians living abroad would have to be given citizenship to other countries. There is fear here in this region that this would happen. Ok....more confusion for my head..... Gossip, gossip, gossip....

What do I think? What do I feel? I think that after World War II, there were folks who wanted to see Jewish people have their own country after the horror of the Holocaust. But, this came at the expense of the Palestinians. So what happens now? I have not a clue, but I find the whole thing deeply deeply sad. I have friends who have had to run from bombs. They've had to teach their kids how to listen to the bombs to know where the bombs have hit and how long do they have to run to safety before the next bomb hits. It doesn't matter where the bombs were and are. It doesn't matter who's dropping these bombs and why. The bombs make it almost impossible for normal people to live their lives. The world still has a long way to go, especially in the Middle East.

Here's to hoping and praying that the bombs stop. And, here's to hoping and praying that calm prevails.

Peace.