Peace?

HM Gov

 

Another peace treaty has been signed in the Middle East.  Just like all the others some reason to break this one will be found by one side or another.  The media, taking the side of those who pay them most, will support/oppose/be cynical/accept this peace.  The 40,000 dead may have differing ideas.

Will Bibi be able to accept this?  What was in it for Trump?   You can bet it will not last.

Humanitarian aid, supported by Turkish, Egyptian and UAE forces will be sent into Gaza.  Israel forces will withdraw, yet retain 53% of the area, And Bibi and Trump will boast of success while Bibi finds other ways to avoid facing that corruption charge in court.  Possible attack on Iran again maybe?

Hostages are to be exchanged, vast numbers remain in Israeli prisons, yet only a couple of thousand will be released.  20 or so living Israeli hostages and as many dead as possible will be returned, including those killed by over eager Israeli's.  Will settler violence in the West Bank end?  Of course not.  

God is still working his purposes out, even in this disputed land.  However, a quick look at the OT indicates that while the Hebrews often fought Philistines they never took their land.  Bibi has overstepped the mark again I say.  Maybe one day he will understand he will stand before the Messiah to face judgement like the rest of us, there will be no escape from that court.

Police, Palestine, and fake followers.

 

Last night BBC showed a report from a London police station.  As I do not watch TV I did not see this programme, however, Twitter was awash with the righteous informing us off their opinions thereupon.

A reporter, who gladly reveals himself here, worked in a central London police station as a civil (not uniformed policemen) officer, while secretly filming the men around him.  He engaged them in conversation, especially in the pub, and offered a selection of their opinions on some of the people brought into the station each day.

The resulting programme centred on the foul language used on some individuals, racist talk, misogyny, and general nasty things that were said or done.  These do not put the men involved in a good light.

Naturally condemnation arose and swift action from senior officers and many words from politicians, especially the usual crew.  

However, I am no aware if any attempt was made to explain why men come to the conclusions and expressions offered in the programme.  Why do police speak crudely of Muslims?  Could it be the ones they arrest are indeed bad men, violent and not living out the 'religion of peace?'  Could it be these men, and it is usually men, have not been educated in the ways of the UK?  Could it be these officers have years of experience of being punched, kicked and assaulted, threatened with guns and knives, and have had cars driven wildly towards them?  Could there be reasons for their attitudes?

Women who claim rape abound in this world, the courts always take their view, men are named and left stranded, especially if declared not guilty.  The accuser is not named.  

Women bite police, drive cars at them, hit them with broken bottles, if an officer finds a new word for them would we agree with this or not?  

I have met the London policeman several times, and found them worthy of respect, yet carrying the daily prejudices of London life just as we all do.  For the most part I trust them.

Police work will always produce gentlemen who like to misuse their strength, I suppose it is better they use it against criminals than use it as a criminal?  Indeed, some of the people they meet will not answer to anyone unless they are stronger than they themselves, therefore such men have a place.  

As I said, I did not watch this programme and do not know all the details, and  social media and the BBC and Main stream news outlets are not always accurate.  That said, I think more respect for the police is required before we throw them out.  

By the way, in a Scottish court recently a man was charged with violent assault.  This left an officer with a broken wrist, he is still not at work.  The criminal was fined and placed on a community work programme rather than jailed, why?

While people respond to the needless atrocity in Manchester this morning, others will still be showing Palestinian flags in the windows, or on their Twitter feeds, blogs and social media.  This always makes me wonder if anyone doing this really understands the situation or actually cares for the people involved?

Certainly we read of 40 -60,000 deaths, 20,000 of them children and feel anger rightly.  Putting aside questions regarding numbers, and the destruction seen on TV and press indicates many dead and wounded, I find myself asking, "Why do these concerned people not care about the Ukraine, Sudan, Democratic Congo, or Benin?"  "Why is there no outcry re the thousands killed for being Christians in Benin or Northern Nigeria?"   "Why do we only care for the cause that is on TV, and ignore all the rest found in the press, if we look for them?"

Most will forget Palestinians tomorrow, most have little understanding or care for them now or later.  If they really cared they would try to do something, and I am not talking about cheap stunts using boats on the Med.  People follow a cause, but do not really get involved, deep down.  Soon, it will be forgotten.

Research?

I have spent much of today in northern Israel fighting the 1918 Battle of Megiddo.  Now naturally I realise I must indicate to the less intelligent among the congregation that I was not actually participating in the fighting myself, I was merely reading about it.  I was trailing the advance of the 5th Essex Battalion after the battle of Jaffa and discovered the part they played in this major 'Mother of all Battles.'  Actually while here can I remind those mentioned previously that the 'Jaffa' in question being battled over is in fact NOT an orange, or indeed an orchard of that succulent citrus fruit, it was the town after which those fruits were named that I meant.   Also I suppose I must indicate that I failed to find much depth in what the 5th achieved in this advance as the reports tended to concentrate on the Cavalry taking major targets, the RAF bombing the communications centre and lesser regiments taking all the credit.  Tsk!  

This is a wee job I began some time ago and returning to it I discovered just how illiterate I am! What appeared to be acceptable at the time turns out to be meaningless drivel!  Now I realise what sub editors, or critics if you prefer, are for.  It didn't help that I had lost my place in all the books, mags and websites I had been using and have to spend hours attempting to find them all again.  Bah! 

For some the Great War was spent in France and Flanders, usually bored, often cold, damp and shot at.  For the 5th the war was spent in the delight of Gallipoli, Egypt and 120 degrees of heat in the Sinai as they approached Gaza.  After three attempts and a new commander they finally passed that historic town and ventured north to Jaffa, not for oranges remember.  I have yet to find out if any of the original 649 men and 29 officers made it to the end.  As they left Gallipoli only 6 officers and 100 men had survived that escapade.  As the war progressed the losses were made up with replacements from Britain, often no longer Essex men alone merely anyone who was available.  A quick calculation shows the 5th battalion lost a total of 332 men dead by wars end.  Around three others would be wounded, often more than once, and no count can ever be made of those who died from their exertions during the next forty years, often long before the next war came to be.  

.