An evening with the Shapiro's

The hall fill up very quickly with young blond women
wearing kyffia (?) wrapped around their heads, and Muslim women with tee
shirts, with bloody victims of "Israeli" Horrors on the front and backs.
However, I soon saw that the room became fairly balanced. It was a well behaved crowd, and though I sat for over
one a half hours listening to the Shapiros tell a distorted version of the
history of Israel, and the reason Oslo failed (it was the Jews fault, because
they had check points, therefore, the Palestinian's had no dignity, what else
to do?). So they stated, at that point, that the Palestinian were not going to
accept a peace deal, and had o other choice but to resort to violence. That
they originally started with a peace movement, but the International community
ignored it, so the only way to get noticed, was by terror. They were
challenged by a woman, who resented the constant usage the tern "occupied
Palestine" in referring to Israel. She remind them that this land, was homeland
to the Jews over thousands of years ago, as well as the Roman, the Turks, and
the Brits. That it has changed hands, and borders, and no one cried about the
loss of Palestine then. Adam Shapiro, acknowledged that she was correct,
however over 750,00 Palestinians were force ably removed from their homes, and
thrown into refugee camps. Again, what to do? Mrs. Shapiro, when asked about
the teaching o hatred by the schools and the PA, told us those books were
printed in Jordan, and they were not the choice of the Palestinians, but
because of the Israeli incursions, they had nothing else, but now their books
are all good, and they leach the kids about war, but not hatred. We asked her
if she had seen the books, which she had not. She also was asked, why the
Christian population in Beit Jalla, and Bethlehem was reduced since the racial
Islamic groups have taken to living there, and declaring the churches, their
holy sites. She said, the only reasons the Christians were leaving was because
of the Israeli Occupation, not because of the radicals. This was met with some
laughter in the audience. Then she was asked if the siege of the church of the
nativity, had the Muslims been allowed to bury their dead in the church,
created a holy martyrs site, and therefore, the church of Christ would now be a
Muslim shrine. She said she could not address that now. From the gist of the
evening this is their spin
1.Occupation is the only point that is between the peace process.
2.THE PA was set up by Oslo, therefore it has no power, and cannot control the
PLO.
3. All Israeli soldiers, are mean, hateful, and destroy peoples lives. Tey
shoot at innocent men women and children, and they force the shopkeepers, to
open their stores if curfew is not over.
4.That the issue of Israeli's victims-a shame, but what else can the poor
people, who have no weapons, no money, no International help, except the few
people who stand in front of the tanks, from Ireland, France, and other
countries to hear their message.
5.The Palestinians cause is not given its due share of reporting in the media,
and the names of the victims of Israeli terror are never given. (I guess they
don't read the LA Times, or the NY TImes
6.Basically to sum up their issues, "Its the occupation, stupid!"
No wine, nor medication taken prior to the event, but I am taking 3 Advil and
going to sleep.