The City of Abraham by Edward Platt

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At last, I have finished a book!  

Through no fault of my own books are piling up on the 'To Read' shelf.  I do not know where they have come from!  Some of them have been lying about for years it appears.  Others have bookmarks in them from long ago so they will have to be restatred, from the beginning I suspect, at some time in the future.  

However, I have finished this one.

Hebron is a very contested city in Israel held territory, taken during one of the wars.  To Jews it is the city in which David first ruled as King over the southern part of the land, then called Judah.  David reigned there after the fall of Saul and seven years later he became king over all of Israel both the northern kingdom, later called 'Israel,' and Judah.  The united kingdom settled and happy under King David, a time of joy and certainty under his rule.  This became divided after his sone Solomon died, the wealthy kingdom soon split into two once again.  

Hebron is important to Jews and Muslims as Abraham himself was buried in the cave nearby where a huge building now stands over the place considered to be the cave in which he was buried. Abraham as you know not only had Issac as a son, his grandson Jacob became the name from which Israel is known throughout the Old Testament, he also had Ishmael via Hagar and he is seen as the father of the Arabs. No Muslims in those far off days as you know.   

Today many Jewish settlers have moved in and built their Settlements over many parts of the city, including the highest point considered to be the centre of old Hebron, a city dating back eons into the past.

The writer, the typical English middle class trendy, goes to Hebron with the intention to avoid taking sides, as if!  Folk like him already have a leaning towards the Arabs however little they know or understand the middle east.  There again, reading the book it becomes very easy to take sides with the Arabs, the Settlers, protected by Border Guards, Soldiers and Police, do not make themselves attractive, and as I found myself in Israel eons ago, Israeli Jews are not that welcoming to tourists even though they depend on their money.  

The land some say is divided between Jews and Arabs, it is however divided much more than that.  The Israeli population are themselves divided into many factions, many on the right, many on the left, also there are religious Jews divided into similar factions. Add to that the division between those that came from Spain with those arriving from Russia, and then there are holocaust survivors, or indeed those who feel shame at avoiding capture.  

Likewise the Arabs have divisions, Fatah and Hamas, tribal divisions, those in Hebron from those in the North, all making the simple choice of who to support difficult.  All however, are trapped in a war zone featuring occasional outbursts of serious violence and constant daily stone throwing from one side or another, and always the others fault!  

Simple people claim there is a simple answer to the division in the land, reading this book I found a constant depression returning as there is no obvious answer to the mix.  Everybody has a claim, everybody is right, and everybody goes back deep into History for their claim.

Palestinians claim to have been there since time began, I am sure some DNA tests would reveal many indeed have history going back thousands of years.  However, so many have moved through this very small space, many remaining when the invaders moved on, it would reveal also a mixture of middle east heritage from many sides.  I wonder if such a test has been conducted?  Maybe the results were to inflamable to reveal?

The Hebrews certainly possessed the land from the time of Joshua, around 1200 BC possibly, until driven out by the Romansd after the war of 70 AD and the revolt of 135 AD?  Some Jews might well have remained though most were exiled.  

For well over a hundred years possession has belonged to the Jews, they clearly are in control, and yet it is possible for Jew and Arab to live together quite happily, there is a desire for this amongst many in Hebron and elsewhere.  However, on both sides others disagree, and all are armed.

The settlers are another thing altogether.  I had the idea settlers were mostly American Jews who considered themselves John Wayne fighting the Indians, and in Hebron this can be seen amomg many there.  The settlers do not come across as open-minded, considerate or lovable.  Indeed, their violent and aggressive behaviour would easily temp us to join with the Palestinians locals in throwing stones.  When one video was revealed though Israel TV indicating settlers behaviour in Hebron many Israeli's turned against them.  It also shocked the settlers to realise they did not represent all Jewish people.  

I naturally wanted to know more about the ancient Historical sites, however, the settlers have erected their homes above the main 'dig,' the part of Hebron David walked and many have ruled from.  There will be no 'digs' for many years.  

The Tomb of Abraham also turns out to be somewhat disappointing.  Although illegal to dig down underneath some have in the past gone down through tunnels and found ancient caves with bones and fragments, but sadly no proper modern archaeology can be conducted.  It will be obvious that with all the passing armies since Abraham was buried some 4000 years ago these caves, if indeed these are the correct places, will have been ransacked many times by the curious seeking riches.  So, another Historical site turns out to be not what it might be after all.  

I am just glad Hebron is Hebron, and this may well be the place David ruled but no work to prove this can occur these days.

The author attempts to talk to all people in the city, Arabs, Jews, even an occasional settler, and we see the human cost of what they call the 'occupation.'  We find soldiers, young, badly trained conscripts, bored, frightened by both sides, confused and angry, all hoping to go somewhere better than this.  The Police limited by the army, the army limited by settlers, the courts decisions often ignored, and the rule of law changing according to someones whim.

And yet we see people on both sides happy to trade with one another, to use the markets, even to meet and discuss on occasions.  As always the majority just wish to get on with their lives and ignore the troubles around them.  It must be remembered that many Jews and Christians lived reasonably happy lives for generations amongst the Arabs, rare was the conflict.  So we must question why, since the end of the 19th century, has such a situation arisen?  Jews were found across the middle east, now none are found in Iraq, and others flee to Israel or the US!  

I think it would help if the author, Edward Platt, knew and understood the biblical  background better.  Another ignorant of Christianity, he quotes from the Authorised Version of the Bible (he calls it the KJV) even though venacular bibles have been around for 70 years, indicating his desire to put the bible down rather than learn from it, and his knowledge of Islam is similarly short.  Clearly he has made an effort to read what a Sunday School could have taught him but this however, has not opened his understanding of the people, the background nor the future of this land, which is a serious failing in this book.  

The book being published in 2012 is slightly out of date, nevertheless it gives an insight into the people of the land today, some idea of the Historical background, and, for me, a depressing knowledge that no easy answer can be found.  The book however, is worth a read, just to get one man's insight into the people living in this mix.  

God remains in control of this land, however, it is clear the people living there have not sought, or if they have sought, have not found his answer, to the situation.  If the Good Lord has indeed put the Hebrews back in his land we cannot remove them.  But are these his Hebrews?  Are they living his way?  Jesus is their Messiah and until they know him they will not find his answer for the land.  Until his Spirit moves there life will continue like this.  However, God is there, and when we see Hebrews turn to his Messiah Jesus en masse we will know that soon his Son will return.

 

Tuseday Tittle-Tattle

Last night I sat entranced at the bright red sky as the sun went down.  Had I not been otherwise occupied I may have tries to get outside and capture the sky.   Around half nine the sky was still stunning and I attempted pityfully to capture the night.  It was almost like this.  I awoke at ten past four this morning and found the sky lighter and still stunning.  How wonderful this time of the year can be, if it doesn't rain or cloud over.    
Of course as the sun shone I was inside the museum meeting good people and watching the boss work three peoples jobs.  I could not help while working the shop, most unfortunate.  The school was good, cheery kids.  
I had to rush home because the man was coming to check out the sink that had sunk.  Naturaly he came after two as planned, around five actually as not planned.  They had been working in Camoludunum.  Once here they quickly decided the job would entail replacing the entire unit, this meant a big job in a narrow space and both agreed it was time for going home.  So this will be replaced in time, probably a long time, and I will struggle on with the damaged tap until he can work up the courage and time to do the job. 
I might leave home while they do it!

Another outrage in Manchester, not the first they have suffered.  The media are filling spaces with masses of speculation and little substance so I am avoiding them. When I awake at four this morning I heard the early news and the guesswork as to what was happening.  I gave up as they began the tedious repeating of the same question to different people to get the same story over and over with little understanding of what was going on.  This is not journalism just filling air time.
 So what are we to do, what are we to make of this killing of around 22 people and wounding of dozens of others?  The rest of the audience, mostly adolescent and teenage girls, will be somewhat traumatised for years after this.  The apparent lack of stewards to guide or control them after the event was worrying and a greater disaster was avoided by luck it appears to me.
Today everyone is 'standing with Manchester' as you might expect.  This is good but we must ask will it happen again and why does it happen?  

The UK and the French, then the USA have been kicking Arabs about for over two hundred years.  The needs of Empire, or just greed, have ensured the woshes of what was considered the backward Arabs was of no importance to London or Paris.  The greater game was their concern and the dying Ottoman Empire and Arab opinion dd not count.  
Britain and France under the Sykes-Picot agreement, with Russian acceptance, divided the dead Ottoman Empire between themselves after the Great War.  The only Arabs considered worthy of discussion were lied to and their understanding of the situation totally amended to suit the agreement.  They were not happy.  
The resultant creation of several new nations, not all split thoughtfully enough it must be said, has led to nothing but war, assassination and bad feeling ever after.  
Now in more recent times to save the west from the nasty Iranians under the Ayattollah the Americans (That nice Mr Rumsfeld again) gave the Iraqis help when fighting Iran and ignored the million or two dead and dying because they were not 'us' and anyway far away.  What could possibly go wrong?
Well Saddam did not play ball for a start, the first Gulf War causing many thousands of deaths, but mostly Arabs, the second, needless, war cost more and being badly managed by Rumsfeld and Cheney led to the break up of Iraq, the growth of Al-Queda and Islamic State and how many other Islamic type groupings.
Now add Obamas desperate attepmt, an attempt desired by most in the US, to bring his troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and see the fear rise in Saudi Arabia at the growth of Iran and their nuclear weapons.  Result?  The war against Syria led and paid for by Saudi's using ISIS and all the others to break up a peaceful and more tolerant state than Saudi Arabia. The result of this is the growth of ISIS and their attempt to build up and take over Saudi!  
It gets confusing from here on so I will let you guess the rest.

Now we have young men in many places convinced they ought to be strict Muslims fed a diet of radical teaching by persons unknown.  Those less competent as well as those who should know better respond to this as young men do who wish to change the world.  Many have died fighting in the Middle East.  Others have attempted action in the UK with only police action defeating them and usually with information from Islamic sources.  Fed a belief that dying makes you a martyr and glory awaits encourages many to enlist.  Young men respond to this and some take action.  
Whoever took action last night considers his act worthy of his faith.  With Muslim men, women and children killed by the west he considers his actions defending his faith.  Any Muslim killed would be seen as a martyr also, others merely unbelievers.  The fact that most were young girls will not deter him, the Middle East has seen many such suffer terribly over the years from Muslims and a few westerners would not cause the conscience much trouble.

We cannot defeat this behaviour by force.  It requires propaganda and actions to stabalise the Middle East and deal with each nations fears.  There appears little suggestion of such happeneing these days.  The US has just sold billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, no doubt also to Israel, and anyone else who toes the western line.  That will not ensure peace.  
I thought I had a conclusion to put in here and I discovered I have none.  All that is in my mind remains the thousands of Muslims who die this way and we care not.  Baghdad, Beirut, Kabul anywhere in Pakistan all suffer outrages and most are not reported in the west.  We stand with one another in the west heightening the separation of two sides, each outrage polarising opinion and killing sensible debate on both sides. 
No wonder people read the media for easy answers.

  

Arab Uprisings

Book Depository

If you wish to understand the Syrian situation, or indeed the Middle East today in any way you need to read this book.  The BBC Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen has 12 years experience of the region, sometimes in great danger, occasionally being shot at and occasionally hit.  
Bowen takes us through the last few years of 'revolution, from the beginning in Tunisia, through Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and of course a great deal of the book covers the Syrian situation.  The whole area is split into many factions, religious and political.  In some states such as Tunisia a 'secular' approach is found even though the majority call themselves Muslim.  In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood won the first election because they had a well ordered organisation that had been working since the time of Nasser, the middle class secular city dwellers did not possess such and lost out through squabbling amongst themselves.  A violent uprising in Libya, supported by the western air forces, removed Qaddafi from power but has not led to a peaceful settlement.  Militias, Islamist''s and criminals hold much power yet.  Saudi has thrown £100 billion at avoiding rebellion in the state, more on offer in an attempt to keep the Kings position safe. Yemen alone has begun a six month 'conversation' to decide the future of that troubled state. Some secular people find themselves at odds with Al-Qaeda types from the mountains in the north. Iraqis seek to go their own way in spite of being allies but not lackeys of Iran, and Iran aids Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon while saying little.  
Iran finds itself Saudia Arabia's main enemy, and the Saudi's have attempted to invite a US invasion.  This has not found much support in Washington where foreign adventures are harder militarily and public opinion opposes violently!   Iran is of course Shia Muslim, Saudi Arabia Sunni. That sectarian divide runs through the region threatening to explode and involve many nations. Syria, led by 'Alawite' Assad who finds himself supported by rich Sunni businessmen and minority Christians now is being opposed by Sunni extremists who are proving stronger than the original rebels, who just wanted a more prosperous and safe life without the secret police beating them. This conflict falls over into Lebanon where the delicate balance is under threat. Here some 18 groupings share power.  Already sections of some towns are unreachable because of the conflict there and almost anything could lead to this part of the world giving us a war of First World War proportions.  That conflict was savage enough, this would be much, much worse! 
Bowen provides no answers here.  This book merely covers the ground, explaining the background, allowing us to see from both sides and here the words, often truthful in spite of the dangers, exposing the immense difficulty anyone has in producing peace quickly in this area today.   The west has little understanding of what to do, William Hague the UK Foreign Secretary spouts comments often but Bowen leaves us in no doubt as to the limited information and government double speak on offer here.  The west wish to support the good side and now, after Iraq, find they have an Iraq government that is friendly to Iran the west's enemy, support by the million given to rebels in Syria, the strongest of whom are Al-Qaeda types, the types that threaten our troops and encourage bombs and murder on UK streets!  The confusion does not stop there just look at the Islamist's in Libya who we provided air cover for!  
To understand the Middle East it is imperative to read a book like this.  No doubt there are others around but I found this book full of clarity on the situation from a man who risks his life, carefully, to meet the people and report the situation.  One of the BBC's better journalists his writing enlightens the minds of those who wish to see the Middle East as she is today.  
  
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