"Yes, yes, you call it Palestine, I call it Israel...."

 Palestine

A true story by  

Mike Hanini Odetalla

In my mind, the biggest enemy of the Palestinian people are not the Zionists zealots (make no mistake they are VERY dangerous), but the millions of "well meaning" Christians who through their ignorance, silence, and "love Arabs and Jews", not only enable the "hidden" nefarious face of Zionism, but actually let it thrive...

Case in point:

Yesterday after Friday prayers, my wife and boys took my dad and me to an Arabic restaurant for lunch. After we ordered and started eating, I noticed 2 "American" gentleman looking at we were eating with interest. It seems their curiosity was piqued by the eggplant salad we ordered.

After they were done eating, one of the gentleman (who turned out to be an ordained minister) walked up to us and started asking about the salad. I told him of the ingredients, and as is my nature scooped some into a piece of pita bread and offered it to him. He took it, ate it, and thanked me, and exclaimed it to be fantastic. He also felt obliged to tell me that "I love Arabic food and I just LOVE Israel. In fact, I have been there 16 times with my group"...

I looked at him and said, "We are Palestinians, FROM Jerusalem!". He said "Yes, yes, you call it Palestine, I call it Israel. Same place. I love it. In fact, when i am over there, I feel a certain, peace, of belonging, and I cry whenever I have to leave", whereby his friend felt compelled to show me his "Jerusalem" hat, with the Star of David and a Menorah, as he also gushed about how much he also loved Israel, but he had only been there a handful of times and that he loved "helping the people there, Arabs and Jews"...

I was then informed by the Minister, who was wearing a Toledo Mud hens cap that his group helped the Arab Bedouins in Bersheeba, when I interrupted with "Those are the same Arab Bedouins that Israel has been trying to ethnically cleanse by destroying their homes and villages. In fact they are doing so as we speak". "Yes you maybe right", he retorted, "But I don't get into the Politics of it all. We go into Nazareth, Bersheeba, and all of the Israeli towns to help people. Our Tour Guides are when we go to Arab towns are "believers" (Christian Arabs)...

This set me off on the following rant:

"Sir, you claim to be a man of God. You say that you have been to Israel 16 times to "help people", and yet you tell me that you have NEVER EVER been to ANY town in the West Bank, including the birth place of Jesus? How could that be? If you are, as you claim to be, and I don't doubt your sincerity to be a follower of Jesus, then you know that he spoke for and helped the downtrodden. He stood for, first and foremost, for justice. All I ask of you, is to go there and visit how the "other half lives" with an open mind and an open heart and let your faith be your guide. As a Christian and as a Minister, if you witness a gross injustice or a crime, can you honestly stand silent? Turn away and pretend it didn't happen? If so, then you are neither a Christian nor more importantly a human being sir! It is NOT a "Political problem"! It is a question of basic human rights and first and foremost, a question of Justice. All I ask of you is to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and see what the Israelis don't want you to see, and I guarantee that it will change you! Discard your tour guides, ESPECIALLY the Christian Arab ones they recommend to you. In Jerusalem, you will find some Christian and Muslim Arab tour guides that are not willing to abide by their master's script"...

He promised me that he would and asked me when will be at this particular restaurant again as I have given much to think about..."Every Friday around this time", I replied...

This gentleman has been coming to this restaurant, in the heart of the largest Arab community outside the Middle East, and NOT ONCE has anyone ever engaged him...A sad reality check for me!