INTRODUCTION
As you read through this article, take a moment to study the quote above. What do you make of it? Exactly, you will be right to submit that man has the tendency to take things for granted including his history (or antecedents if you like). Having done this, take another moment to relate the quote with our subject of discussion. Do you see any relationship? Perhaps you just might not. But for a man who understands the history of these disparate groups, fusing them together to bring something important might not intractable.
The truth is, while the West has created a lot of problems for the groups under consideration (the Israelis, Palestinians and Africans), they themselves have been their own enemies. Some people might be tempted to doubt this assertion. But for a clearer understanding of this argument, let me break it down in bits. But mind you we are going to have to embark on some question and answer sessions.
ISRAELIS: A CASE OF DECEIT
It is disheartening to see the Israelis burying themselves in the grave of deception or make-belief syndrome. Agreed, the Israelis are Jews having the same Jewish blood with
American Jews, so they tend to believe that their nation is a world power. If you are an Israeli reading this, ask yourself this question: Why is my country not listed
among the members of the Security Council of the UN?
Again if you think that because the majority of the members of the United States Congress are Jews, here comes another question: are these people Americans or Israeli
citizens? If the above questions mean nothing to you, then surely, this one cannot be avoided. If the American Jews are to chose between protecting their interests and that of the Israeli nation (not the Jewish race), which would they protect?
Again if you think that I am joking, then here is a serious question. Two weeks ago, it was reported that there was a suicide attack on an Israeli settlement, which killed about five people and left much more injured. The question then is this; how many Americans or American Jews were victim of that attack?
Lastly, going back in time, I would like to ask the Israeli man, woman or child one other question. Why did the British Government quickly pull out from the controversy concerning the creation of Israeli state? These are serious questions that are worth pondering over. And while the Israelis are dealing with the questions put to them, let me address the Palestinians.
THE PALESTINIANS: A CASE OF NARROW-MINDEDNESS
As a Palestinian reading this, do you not think that this sub-heading is too strong and too extreme? Well take it or leave it, I do not think so. Agreed, the major problems facing the Palestinians were caused by the West. And they have not done enough to deal with it. But their so-called Arab brothers have in so many ways compounded the problem. I am talking about a case of betrayal (or selling out). However, if you are a Palestinian and you still quarrel with this, then get yourself a pen and paper and begin to answer these questions?
• Why was the Israeli state created at the expense of the Palestinian state?
• When An-war Al Sadat visited Israel, was it for the good of Palestine?
• Was it also for the good of the Palestinians that he signed the Camp-David Accords in 1979?
• Was it not King Hussein of Jordan (your so-called Arab brother) that ousted the PLO that was headquartered in Jordan by 1970/71?
• Can any one explain the reason for the existence of states like Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen (and so on), and the question of a Palestinian state still remains hanging?
• Again, viewing the Israeli raids on Palestinians in the Gaza strip, the West Bank towns, etc., how many non-Palestinian Arabs have fallen victim to such raids?
• By 2001, so much attention was paid to the Israeli/Palestinian imbroglio; why has the war on Iraq taken the shine away from it?
• Were the Palestinians and Israelis not existing side by side before the crisis was politicized?
There are more questions than answers for you. And while you are still battling with yourself on these questions, let me tell the bitter truth. I shall address you with a word or two of advice later.
AFRICA: A LOST MINE
As an African, I do not exactly know where to start. Ours is even a more problematic case. Romanticizing Africa will not be helpful at this stage. Western imperialism has taken hold of us so much. And we on our own part have refused to free ourselves from its shackles. We blame those external bodies that are to be blamed for our woes, while we throw away or down play the fact that we are first of all our own greatest enemy.
Some of us allow ourselves to be used against the rest of us. And as we are facing the computer right now, some of us are gladly making themselves readily available to be used in exchange for a “pinch of salt”. We have not taken time out to discover ourselves. We feel we must have to be spoon-fed. While the Europeans are teaming up to form a formidable force against the existing strongest force in the world in a bid to exploiting us, we are parading ourselves with the “copy cat” ideology, whereas we are not actually copying. We only copy in changing of names and inventions of acronyms like African
Union (AU) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
Sadly enough when meetings are scheduled and attended, all that are discussed are issues such as aid, grants and loans, debt forgiveness, debt rescheduling and assistance of various kinds. And after such discussions, these leaders go back home, loot funds generated nationally and in turn transfer these monies out again to keep in the hands of the people that they are seeking assistance from. The majority of their people are thus left in abject poverty, degradation of all kinds and strife. In fact, as an African reading this, do not be surprised that your leader is probably signing your future away right about now.
So know ye this day that while some of your enemy is outside of you, others lie within you and there is a strong network between the two.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Let me start by reiterating the fact that as humans there is the tendency for man to take things for granted. And a problem identified is half solved. These groups of people save for the Israelis tend to heap all of the blames to their problems on outside influences. And rather than trying to see where their own faults lie, they shy away from it. This makes me wonder how long this will last. The problems are caused by external bodies, as well as people of their own kind. The Palestinians have been betrayed by their own kind. I mean their Arab brothers, not Muslim brothers. In fact, I dare to say that Islam preaches against betrayal. The Israelis too have not escaped this problem. There were instances when their Jewish kind has betrayed the Israelis. And lest I forget, let me ask this question: is it not true that even the Jews even discriminate against themselves? Does the Russian Jew see himself as one and the same with the American Jew or the Ethiopian Jew? And do you think that the question of betrayal cannot play prominent role when there is so much discrimination? Now of all these groups, the Africans create most of their problems by themselves. As a form of advice to them all, I subscribe to the fact that they should deal with their various problems in isolation.
History has taught me to understand that unless you fight your problems facing them head on, nobody will do it for you. Anybody coming up in pretence of solving it for you will only capitalize in that same problem to better his own life at your own expense.
After all, we live in an age where people now see might as right. So my final word to them is “Do not live in a fool’s paradise.”
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