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Given the choice between Palestine and Israel, for a long time I was indifferent as a way to not take sides on this messy controversy. Plus, through the years I made friendships with several Arabs from various countries (Christians and Muslims) and with a few Israelis and Jews. Then I slightly supported Israel on the basis that it has created the most economically successful society ever seen on that land in such a short time. Then this has me supporting Israel all the way.
You see, the current ambassador of Israel to the Dominican Republic (Daniel Biran Bayor) is coming to an end. You might say there is always an end to every ambassadorship in every country. True enough. He has said he has great admiration for the DR, something I took rather serious from him considering that isn't much heard from any ambassador. This week he went to a Dominican TV show which is basically a commentary and interview type of show owned by Julio Hazim, the old guy seen there, a Dominican of Lebanese descent (the Christian type, not the Muslim types who are most of the Lebanese nowadays). He has always given a pro-Arab stance and brought more than typical Dominican-Arabs to the show as a way to promote them due in no small part to his Arab ancestry, but invited the Israeli ambassador anyway. Truly impressive. I noticed this:
He talks in that interview (in Spanish) of Israel, the Isreali-Arab conflict, of the admiration he has for the DR, etc. Great, but look at that pin. I have seen ambassadors from many countries attending Dominican TV programs and when a few wore flag pins it never had more than one flag, that of their country. The Israeli ambassador has a pin of two flags, that of Israel and that of the Dominican Republic. That folks made my support of Israel to go all the way. The guy has said he has an admiration for the DR and that he will return to the DR very soon after returning to Israel once his ambassadorship ends, but he's not saying it, he's also showing it in many ways including with something so subtle as a pin.
It should also be noted that it seems he's wearing a guayabera shirt, which is also native of Latin America (several Latin American countries claim it was invented on their shores, the DR being one of them. Where in Larin America it was invented, there are several Dominican designers that have a line of guayaberas of their own creation.) If this is so and the guayabera he is wearing is of Dominican origin, that's another point in favor of Israel in my book.
Last edited by AntonioR; 06-15-2023 at 07:36 AM..
Reason: t it seems
I'm generally a progressive but I cringe whenever I see progressives in the West support Palestine - a state that's against every single progressive value. Israel isn't perfect, but it's at very least a successful democracy (though I'm not sure how long that's going to last) and is LGBT friendly.
If you want to support the underdog/victim, you should support Taiwan. You literally won't find a more perfect victim on this planet.
Two factions of people believe Their God gave it all to Them. As long as this irrational and illogical factionalism persists, the followers will persist.
I'm generally a progressive but I cringe whenever I see progressives in the West support Palestine - a state that's against every single progressive value. Israel isn't perfect, but it's at very least a successful democracy (though I'm not sure how long that's going to last) and is LGBT friendly.
If you want to support the underdog/victim, you should support Taiwan. You literally won't find a more perfect victim on this planet.
Israel is a democracy with Judaism privileged. Pakistan is a Democracy with Islam privileged. Can a country that is not secular be a true democracy? How successful a democracy can it be if it's judiciary is compromised?
The West does not always have progressive values. US still has capital punishment, and allows states to impose restrictions on abortion. Many progressive countries have banned capital punishment and have unrestricted rights to abortion.
Two factions of people believe Their God gave it all to Them. As long as this irrational and illogical factionalism persists, the followers will persist.
The other option is to take a more atheist-like approach. That is no one gave the land either group and everything is decided by fighting for the land and who wins the fight. Well, despite loosing, the Palestinians don't agree with the results which, according to them, belongs to the Palestinians and that's that.
As long that both think it belongs to them and not to the other group persist, the followers will persist.
Israel is a democracy with Judaism privileged. Pakistan is a Democracy with Islam privileged. Can a country that is not secular be a true democracy? How successful a democracy can it be if it's judiciary is compromised?
The West does not always have progressive values. US still has capital punishment, and allows states to impose restrictions on abortion. Many progressive countries have banned capital punishment and have unrestricted rights to abortion.
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