“Someone should remind Donald Trump that Pope Francis is the religious leader of 1.2 billion Catholics and the sovereign of the Vatican City. Trump is simply a businessman running for president.” (The Guardian, UK.)
Building Walls instead of Bridges
Yes, Donald Trump is simply a businessman running for president. However, if elected to the presidency of the United States, he would prevent all Muslims from entering his country as if al Muslims were terrorists. As President Mr Trump would also build a wall separating the United States and Mexico, thereby curbing the flow of Mexicans entering the United States. In response to Mr Trump’s pronoun cements, in the plane returning him to Rome, Pope Francis stated that building “walls” instead of “bridges” was not very Christian.
When he visited the United States in September 2015, Pope Francis also “pleaded for environmental stewardship and compassion for immigrants and the poor in the halls of power.” During his stay Mexico, the Pope witnessed extreme poverty, yet immense wealth concentrated in the hands of the few.
The Pope’s message is therefore consistent with an earlier statement and although it applies to a specific fence, separating the United States and Mexico, it is relevant elsewhere.
Indeed, Israel is building a wall: the Israel West Bank barrier. “Upon completion, its total length will be about 700 kilometres (430 mi) and separate about 9.4% of the West Bank and 23,000 Palestinians from the bulk of that territory.” (See the Israel West Bank barrier, Wikipedia.)
Palestine was partitioned so the Jews could inhabit their promised land. Although a few Jews did not leave the Middle East, the Jewish diaspora started in the 8th century BCE (See Jewish Diaspora, Wikipedia.)
“Since the first centuries CE, most Jews have lived outside the Land of Israel (Eretz Israel, better known as Palestine by non-Jews), although there has been a constant minority presence of Jews.” (See Zionism, Wikipedia and My Jewish Learning.com.)
The delegates at the First Zionist Congress,
held in Basel, Switzerland (1897) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The vote that created Israel took place at the United Nations, a little less than three years after Allied Forces defeated Adolf Hitler‘s Nazi, thus liberating not only Nazi-occupied countries, but Germany itself and the remaining emaciated detainees of Adolf Hitler’s death camps. After denazification, many European Jews returned to their homes in Europe and have been protected. It was the safer option. The Jews’ idea of living in the promised land had been “in the air” since the 19th century, the century associated with the rise of nationalism.
However, the vote that followed W.W. II may have been premature, due to guilt feelings generated by the Holocaust. Six million Jews were killed. At any rate, the safety of Jews was not a chief concern. Arabs opposed the partition of Palestine, but a well-intentioned US President, Harry Truman, supported the creation of Israel. (See History of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Wikipedia.)
By now, several generations of Israeli have been born in Israel and, for them, it is the only home they know. We cannot rewrite history, but the construction of a wall may be offensive to neighbouring countries and it can be halted. So, with all due respect to every party involved, please stop building that wall and build bridges.
Jesus of Nazareth did not leave a sacret text. But we know from the accounts of his disciples that his teaching can be summarized in two words: unconditional love. When will humans love one another?
Quite frankly, if anyone is to blame for the conflict generated by the partition of Palestine, it is Hitler and Naziism.
With kind regards. ♥
© Micheline Walker
20 February 2016
GP Cox said:
I am Catholic but still do not approve of how political Pope Francis is. I believe he has enough to deal with within the church and his millions of follows, stretching out into the political scene is not his expertise.
And I’m afraid, the divisions and battles in the Middle East have been going on for centuries, not just since Hitler.
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This is the first thing that came to my mind. I know moreover that there has been division in the Middle East for thousands of years. But whether or not one is right or wrong, we have to live together. The more recent event is the partition of Palestine. It put the Jews in the line of fire. It was important to ensure their safety and avoid decades of violence. It hasn’t stopped. Jesus asked that we look at our sins before throwing the first stone. Was it politics? With kindest regards, Micheline
GP Cox said:
I was not putting the Pope in the mix there. He was very political when he visited the US and he is still getting involved in the election this year.
The Middle East is an entirely different problem, where maybe the Pope should concentrate a bit more.
The Middle East. How will we solve that.
I was interrupted and did not finish my reply to you. I will tomorrow. My cat just came in to remind me that it’s bedtime. So, I am turning off the computer. Thank you for writing.
Allow me to finish my reply. The Pope is a wise gentleman. However, it seems best that the leader of a large number of Christians not engage in a discourse on the Middle East. These conflicts are taking place in a mostly Muslim world. There is no room for the Pope in the conflicts occurring in the Middle East. Best regards. Micheline
Trump is voor mij een karikatuur..afvoeren zo’n blaaskaak en als mens een dikke nul.
He is “een karikatuur”, a loudmouth and he does think. He doesn’t seem to have any compassion for the suffering of others, which is truly un-Christian.
There is great poverty in Mexico as well as huge wealth. The people moving north are looking for bread and butter. A little charity is needed, not walls.
Hi Micheline, I’ve nominated you for the Champions’ Award https://sjhigbee.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/champions-blogging-award-courtesy-of-the-amazing-seumas-gallacher/
I am extremely touched by your nominating me for the Champion’s Award. Allow to congratulate other nominees. I will read the rules and act accordingly. Many thanks and kind regards. Micheline
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Thank you for the post dear
i pray the likes of Trump will never lead any country on any planet.
as for blaming Hitler for the Palestinian conflict i disagree because in my honest opinion it was the super colonial powers at the time that drew these boarders and gave powers to whom ever they liked in Sykes-picot agreement then moved forward to mandatory power rule with the League of nation endorsement, they built the design before Hitler’s time and they rebuilt it after Hitler’s period of chaos so i believe it is their fault .
Thank you again for the good read dear
my best to you and yours
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But Trump may be elected.
Fais, you do not have to disagree. I know about the League of Nations. I know the Middle East was turned into a colony: the Protectorates. Besides, at that time, the Ottoman Empire collapsed.
Palestinians objected strongly to the arrival of Jewish migrants in Palestine which they considered their “promised land”. But Harry Truman had a Zionist friend and he did not realize that the Jews had a home in Europe. After denazification, they did. They could also emigrate to North America. These were the safe options. Jews had not inhabited the Middle East for two thousand years. But the Nazi had killed 6,000,000 Jews. That’s why I named Hitler.
France was told it would not get financial help from the United States if it voted against the partition of Palestine. Partitioning Palestine was a terrible blow to Palestinians and, given that Palestine and Arab countries objected, the partition was unsafe for Jews.
The Holocaust provided leverage for what has turned into a seven-decade conflict. Partitioning Palestine and related events was an assault on reason but it does not justify the barbarity of Daesh. Daesh is yet another wrong. Human life is again trivialized and matters will not change until we consciously turn a page. It’s war after war after war after war… Syrians are caught between Daesh and an autocrat who used sarin against his own people who have left by the millions.
Is that a solution? No, it’s an offence by Muslims unto Muslims and by terrorists unto Muslims. If fact, terrorism is an offence to everyone. Poor Paris!
The only solution is for us to drop the guns and start respecting and loving one another. It will not be easy, but it will give us a future.
Dear Fais, it did begin before Hitler, but the killing continues.
I’m joining you in your prayers.
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Beautiful reply dear loaded with facts .
Yup I hope the killing stops and both sides let bygones be bygones
Have a great day
You too. 🙂
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