Overlooked facts in the current Middle East situation. Takes just 1.5 minutes to read! It makes sense and is not slanted for Jew and non-Jew alike.

1. Israel became a nation in 1312 BCE, 2000 years before the rise of Islam

2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel

3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BCE the Jews have had dominion over the land for 1000 years, with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years

4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 CE lasted no more than 22 years

5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. It has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit

6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures and not even once in the Koran

7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem

8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem

9. Many Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel in 1948 by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier

10. Many Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands in the late 1940's and early 1950's due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms

11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000, the number as Jewish refugees who left Arab lands

12. Arab refugees were intentionally not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own peoples' lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey

13. The Arabs are represented by 8 separate nations, not including the Palestinians.There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated 5 wars and lost each time. Israel defended itself each time and won

14. The PLO's Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the 'West Bank' land, and 99 of Palestinians have autonomy under the Palestinian Authority. Israel has supplied the PA with weapons for self-policing of their own people

15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths

16. Of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians, while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives and enforced an apartheid-like policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall      These are incredible times. We have to ask what our role should be. What will we tell our grandchildren that we did when there was still an opportunity to make a difference?         START NOW!!      Send this to 20 other people you know and ask them to send it to 20 others. Jew and non-Jew alike, it doesn't really matter. The truth and the cause of peace are universal values we all share.

EISH-L, "Eretz Israel SHelanu" ( = "Our Eretz Israel") EmaiList
Prof. Arieh Zaritsky, 74/27, Mivtza Nach'shon Str, Be'er-Sheva, Israel 84450
tel: 972-8-6461.712, -6499.238, fax: -6278.951, mobile: 055-955.670
EISH-L Archive http://techunix.technion.ac.il/archives/eish-l.html

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