| I will spend no more than two comments on this issue. Most people have already made up their minds. There is little I can do about that, but perhaps someone else might see this and think twice. Personally, I have spent many thousands of hours on this topic. I have Palestinian relatives and have visited the Middle East. I have Arab friends there, both Christian and Muslim, whom I would gladly protect with my life. I am neither Jewish nor Israeli. There are countless reasons for me to support your side of this issue. However, I have not done so for a simple reason: I strive to remain fiercely objective. As a final note, in my youth, I held views similar to the ones you propagate. This was for a simple reason—I had not taken the time to understand the complexities of the Middle East. Even now, I cannot claim to fully comprehend them. However, over time, one realizes that while every story has two sides, the context is crucial. The contextual depth required to grasp the regrettable necessity of Israeli actions in their neighborhood can take years or even decades of study to reconcile. I expect to change few minds on this topic. Ultimately, it is up to the voters to decide. There is overwhelming bipartisan support for Israel in one of the world's most divided congresses, and this support stems more from shared values than from arms sales. I stand by my original comment. As I said, this will be my last on this topic. I hope this exchange proves useful to some. |
I got to say this is a pretty masterful deceit.