Double Standard

According to Google there are three shopping malls in Ramallah, some twenty-five kilometers from my home. I wonder if those malls are full of outlet, up-scale, or franchise stores. As curious as I am, I can’t find out for myself. At the entrance of the turnoff to the Arab city, Ramallah, this sign is posted.

courtesy of Jerusalem Post

Conversely, twenty kilometers away is the Sha’ar Binyomin shopping district. Arabs, Israelis, Jews, Muslims, Christians and tourists are all able to frequent the many stores.

The yellow license plates are distributed by the Israeli government. The white ones are under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. Interesting, the Arabs can enter many Israeli areas but the opposite often doesn’t work. There seems to be a double standard in the Middle East.

For example, recently, Israel began demolishing ten of the over 100 illegally built structures erected in Wadi al-Hummus, a neighborhood of Sur Baher, an Arab enclave located almost entirely in Jerusalem. This move was condemned by the European Union with Britain and Germany adding their voices to the censure. It was the United States which blocked the attempt by Kuwait, Indonesia and South Africa to force the United Nations Security Council to join the criticism.

Soon it will be fourteen years since the destruction of the Jewish communities in Gush Katif. Sanctioned by the Israeli government and carried out by the Israeli army, just like the demolitions in Wadi al-Hummus, the world watched as 2500 homes were destroyed. Over 8000 men, women, and children were left homeless. There were no condemnations by the EU, Britain, Germany, Kuwait, Indonesia, South Africa, and the United Nations.

Unlike the houses in Wadi al-Hummus these homes were built legally, not only with all the permits, but with the encouragement of the Israeli government. All the permits couldn’t protect these communities from the vison of peace. Now, thousands of rockets later and as hundreds of the Gush Katif refugees are still struggling to rebuild their lives, we know that vision was false.

As new Israeli elections draw closer it’s my prayer that a new a government will be formed. I pray that this will be a government not intimidated by world opinion. I pray that it will be a government that will fear The Almighty and legislate for the good of the Jewish people living in the only homeland we have.