The Jewish roots of Christianity

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Bible teaching with an emphasis on Israel, prophecy and the Jewish roots of Christianity

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Episode: “Israel and ‘Palestine’” (Celebrating 75 Trips to the Holy Land)
The former mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert, joined by several important guests, speaks to our tour group about the importance of showing true support by visiting Israel. Palestinian spokesperson Hanan Ashrawi tells Zola her political views, while Joseph Farah and Ergun Caner give rebuttals.
Series: “Voices From Israel”
This ten-program series not only traverses the physical land of Israel with a group of pilgrims visiting Biblical sites, but also scans Israel’s wide political landscape with the perspectives of government officials, so-called settlers and even Palestinians.

Caption transcript for Voices From Israel: “Israel and ‘Palestine’” (2/10)

  • 00:06 THIS PLACE IS PART OF YOUR HERITAGE.
  • 00:09 THIS PLACE IS PART OF YOUR DREAM.
  • 00:11 PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE ARE IN CHARGE OF THE LAND OF THE BIBLE.
  • 00:13 I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY TIMES IN HISTORY
  • 00:16 WHEN CHRISTIANS HAVE LOOKED THE OTHER WAY WHEN JEWISH PEOPLE WERE BEING ATTACKED.
  • 00:19 WE WILL ULTIMATELY SEE THE WORLD CHANGE.
  • 00:23 GOD'S PURPOSES FOR ISRAEL JUST MARCH ON, DON'T THEY?
  • 00:32 SHALOM, HELLO AGAIN.
  • 00:34 WELCOME BACK TO OUR "VOICES FROM ISRAEL" SERIES.
  • 00:37 WE HEAR ALL SORTS OF VOICES IN THIS SERIES, ALL TAPED AND FILMED ON LOCATION IN ISRAEL.
  • 00:44 LATER ON IN THIS PROGRAM I'M GOING TO INTERVIEW HANAN ASHRAWI.
  • 00:48 THIS INTERVIEW CAUSED SOME RESPONSE WHEN WE RAN IT ON OUR PROGRAM.
  • 00:53 TONY, THE GROUP GOES TO SOME VERY INTERESTING PLACES ON THIS ONE.
  • 00:57 ACTUALLY, VERY INTERESTING PLACES, ZOLA.
  • 00:59 THIS IS A BANQUET, IN FACT, IN YOUR HONOR FOR YOUR 75TH TRIP TO ISRAEL.
  • 01:05 IT WAS SUCH A DELIGHTFUL EVENING WITH ALL KINDS OF DIGNITARIES AND SPECIAL GUESTS.
  • 01:09 IT WAS REALLY-- I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED BY IT.
  • 01:12 THE MAYOR OF JERUSALEM CAME OUT FOR WHICH I WAS VERY HONORED, AND TOURISM OFFICIALS.
  • 01:18 THEY MADE QUITE A FUSS OVER IT.
  • 01:21 WELL, I GUESS 75 TRIPS, JUST THE AIRPLANE RIDES; I'M ABOUT 7 YEARS OLDER THAN I SHOULD BE.
  • 01:27 [LAUGHS]
  • 01:29 WE'LL GO NOW TO THAT BANQUET AND LET YOU ENJOY THE PARTY.
  • 01:33 ON THIS EVENING A BANQUET IS BEING PREPARED FEATURING
  • 01:37 THE FRESH, COLORFUL FLAVORS OF THE HOLY LAND.
  • 01:40 OUR GROUP OF CHRISTIAN PILGRIMS HAS ASSEMBLED TO ENJOY THIS SCRUMPTIOUS FEAST
  • 01:44 AND HEAR FROM THE WIDE VARIETY OF GUEST SPEAKERS.
  • 01:47 MANY FACES ARE FAMILIAR. SOME ARE NOT.
  • 01:50 YET EVERY SPEAKER VOICES A HEART-FELT APPRECIATION
  • 01:52 FOR THOSE WHO HAVE COME AND SHOWN TANGIBLE SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL.
  • 01:57 TONIGHT, SEEING YOU IN THESE DAYS IN ISRAEL
  • 02:01 MAKES ME SPEECHLESS TO BE QUITE FRANK WITH YOU.
  • 02:04 YOU ARE HERE, NOT IN SPITE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING,
  • 02:07 YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ISRAEL.
  • 02:10 THAT SHOWS THAT YOU ARE THE GREATEST SUPPORTERS.
  • 02:13 AND AS I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT ISRAEL
  • 02:17 THE BEST WAY IS TO COME AND VISIT US.
  • 02:21 EVERY ELEVEN TOURISTS IS A SALARY FOR ONE EMPLOYEE IN ISRAEL.
  • 02:26 AS I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY, YOU CAN PREACH; YOU CAN TEACH; YOU CAN STUDY THE BIBLE.
  • 02:34 IN ISRAEL YOU SEE THE BIBLE COME ALIVE
  • 02:37 AND I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT IT DOES TO EACH OF YOU HERE.
  • 02:40 EVERY JEW, EVERY CHRISTIAN GOES BACK A DIFFERENT PERSON.
  • 02:44 I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE, AS WELL.
  • 02:47 I CAN RELATE SO EASILY TO PEOPLE WHO THINK THE WAY I THINK.
  • 02:52 WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT?
  • 02:54 I'M TALKING ABOUT THE VERY SIMPLE, SIMPLE CONCEPT THAT THERE IS A GOD.
  • 03:00 THERE'S ONLY ONE GOD.HE'S THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE AND OF ALL PEOPLE.
  • 03:05 THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
  • 03:08 SO I'M SO THANKFUL TO SEE YOU HERE AS TRUE BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF MINE
  • 03:13 IN THE SPIRIT WITH THAT MARVELOUS GIFT OF A NEW HEART AND NEW SPIRIT.
  • 03:18 IT IS SO GREAT TO SEE THE ALMIGHTY GOD INDEED FULFILLING HIS PROMISES TO ABRAHAM
  • 03:25 AND MAKING ISRAEL A BLESSING TO ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH
  • 03:29 AND CALLING YOU TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE PROMISES GIVEN TO ISRAEL
  • 03:34 AND BE ONE IN THE FAMILY OF THE REDEEMED.
  • 03:38 IT'S INCREDIBLE TO SEE ALL OF YOU HERE.
  • 03:41 ONE MEASURES ONE'S FRIENDS WHEN ONE'S IN TROUBLE, WHEN YOU'RE DOWN.
  • 03:46 EVERYBODY WANTS TO JOIN A PARTY, BUT WHEN YOU'RE DOWN
  • 03:49 THAT'S WHEN YOU WANT TO SEE, OKAY, WHO'S AROUND ME?
  • 03:51 WHO HAS COME IN MY TIME OF NEED? YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THAT.
  • 03:54 AGAIN,IN HEBREW WE WOULD SAY [SPEAKING HEBREW];
  • 03:57 ALL THE POWER TO YOU FOR MAKING THIS STATEMENT, FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
  • 04:01 THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
  • 04:03 [APPLAUSE]
  • 04:05 THE FEATURED SPEAKER OF THE EVENING WAS THE MAYOR OF JERUSALEM, EHUD OLMERT.
  • 04:10 HE HAS SINCE RESIGNED AS MAYOR TO SERVE IN THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT,
  • 04:13 BUT IN THIS SPEECH, MAYOR OLMERT TOLD US ABOUT HIS VISIT TO WASHINGTON D.C.IN OCTOBER, 2002.
  • 04:21 YOU KNOW, I FELT A LITTLE BIT UNEASY WHEN I WAS ASKED IN WASHINGTON
  • 04:26 WHAT DO I THINK OF THE REACTION TO THE THREAT OF THE SNIPER SHOOTER,
  • 04:31 BECAUSE IT COST A TERRIBLE PRICE FOR THE PEOPLE THERE.
  • 04:37 I WAS UTTERLY SURPRISED WHEN I FOUND OUT THEY CLOSED ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THE WASHINGTON AREA.
  • 04:43 IT DRAMATICALLY AFFECTED THE LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE
  • 04:50 WHO DIDN'T DARE LEAVE THEIR HOMES IN THE AREA.
  • 04:55 THEY ASKED ME, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT? WHAT COULD I SAY?
  • 04:59 WE HAD IN GILO, FOR INSTANCE, 180 SHOOTING ATTACKS, 180 DAYS OF SHOOTING.
  • 05:07 EACH TIME THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF BULLETS THAT PENETRATED INTO LIVING ROOMS AND BEDROOMS
  • 05:17 AND BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS WHERE PEOPLE WERE SITTING AND EATING OR WATCHING TELEVISION
  • 05:21 OR JUST PREPARING THE HOMEWORK FOR TOMORROW'S SCHOOL.
  • 05:25 SUDDENLY THERE WERE BULLETS THAT PENETRATED AND CROSSED THROUGH.
  • 05:31 WE NEVER, EVER EVEN THOUGHT OF CLOSING ONE SCHOOL OR ONE CLASSROOM.
  • 05:38 WE KEPT OUR FAITH IN GOD AND WE SAID WE'LL KEEP GOING AND MOVE FORWARD.
  • 05:47 I MUST SAY I DON'T CRITICIZE THEM IN WASHINGTON.
  • 05:50 THERE'S A BIG FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE.
  • 05:52 IN WASHINGTON THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO THINK THAT ONCE THIS LUNATIC OR THIS TERRORIST IS FOUND
  • 06:01 AND HE IS ARRESTED THEY CAN RETURN TO A NORMAL PACE OF LIFE
  • 06:05 AND EVERYTHING WILL RETURN INTO ITS ROUTINE.
  • 06:09 IF WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL EVERY- THING WILL RETURN TO ROUTINE HERE, IT CAN LAST FOR YEARS.
  • 06:17 SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE MEANTIME?
  • 06:19 SO WE CAN'T AFFORD TO STOP OUR LIVES TO CLOSE SCHOOLS,
  • 06:23 NOT TO GO TO WORK, NOT TO GO OUT IN THE STREET.
  • 06:26 WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING.
  • 06:29 IT IS AMAZING TO SEE THE STRENTH IN THE SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE HERE.
  • 06:36 NOT THAT IT WASN'T HARD.
  • 06:38 IT WAS TERRIBLY HARD AND IT MAY STILL WILL BE VERY HARD FOR MANY OF US,
  • 06:43 BUT, THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO FIGHT TERROR.
  • 06:49 THIS IS NOT TO SURRENDER TO THEIR ATTEMPTS TO CREATE FEAR IN THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE,
  • 06:57 BUT TO MOVE FORWARD. WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
  • 07:03 THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO US.
  • 07:10 IT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT PROVES AGAIN THAT WHAT WE KNOW,
  • 07:18 BUT WE NEED TO SEE IT IN OUR OWN EYES AND TO BE REASSURED OF THE TIMES.
  • 07:23 YOU GIVE US THE REASSURANCE THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD WHO BELIEVE IN GOD,
  • 07:29 WHO HAVE THE STRENGTH IN THEIR HEART TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR,
  • 07:40 WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING AGAINST AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT THAT WE WILL ADHERE TO OUR POSITIONS
  • 07:51 AND THAT WE WILL KEEP THIS LAND IN THE HANDS TO WHICH IT BELONGS
  • 07:57 AND THIS CITY IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DESTINED TO BE THE SOVEREIGNS IN THIS CITY.
  • 08:07 IT IS OUR HISTORICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE
  • 08:14 THAT THIS CITY IS KEPT UNITED AND UNDIVIDED AND HOSPITABLE AND FRIENDLY AND OPEN
  • 08:23 TO EVERY BELIEVER THAT WANTS TO COME HERE AND TO PRAY TO GOD IN THIS CITY.
  • 08:32 THERE IS ONE THING THAT WE WANT TO SEE MORE.
  • 08:35 WE WANT TO SEE MORE OF YOU.
  • 08:38 WE WANT THAT SO MANY OF YOUR PEOPLE WILL COME HERE AND WILL FEEL THAT THEY CAN SHARE WITH US
  • 08:46 AND BE PART OF THIS PLACE AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF JERUSALEM
  • 08:52 AND BE INSPIRED BY THE SPIRIT OF THIS GREAT CITY.
  • 09:00 AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS SPEECH, MAYOR OLMERT GAVE ZOLA THE OFFICIAL PEN OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM.
  • 09:06 [APPLAUSE]
  • 09:13 THE MAYOR BESTOWED THIS HONOR IN RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION OF ZOLA'S 75TH TRIP TO ISRAEL.
  • 09:19 WELL, TONY, THAT WAS A GREAT EVENING.
  • 09:22 I APPRECIATE YOUR PART IN IT. I ASSUME YOU HELPED SET IT UP.
  • 09:25 IT WAS A DELIGHTFUL EVENING. I'M GLAD I COULD BE THERE.
  • 09:28 SO MANY FRIENDS FROM SO MANY TIMES AND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE LAND.
  • 09:34 THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE THAT EVENING
  • 09:36 THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO EACH OTHER LIKE IN AMERICA.
  • 09:40 YOU HAVE DIFFERENT FACTIONS AND YOU HAVE THE ABSOLUTE,
  • 09:42 ULTRA ORTHODOX THERE, LIBERAL PEOPLE THERE, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS,
  • 09:46 CITIZENS THAT DON'T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT.
  • 09:49 IT'S A DEMOCRACY SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPINIONS.
  • 09:51 I WAS SO PLEASED TO SEE THAT ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE.
  • 09:54 IT WAS A GOOD EVENING, ZOLA.
  • 09:55 IT WAS FUN. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR PART IN IT.
  • 09:58 OKAY, IN THIS TRIP, TOO, WE WENT THROUGH A CHECKPOINT TO RAMALLAH,
  • 10:02 ACROSS THE LINE INTO WHAT'S CALLED THE PALESTINIAN CAPITAL,
  • 10:08 WHERE THE ARABS OF THE WEST BANK AND ARAFAT AND HIS PEOPLE HAVE THEIR HEADQUARTERS.
  • 10:14 A VERY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS PALESTINIAN TV CREW
  • 10:18 TOOK US IN THERE AND WE BROUGHT A COUPLE OF OUR OWN MEN.
  • 10:23 I INTERVIEWED THIS LADY WHO IS A SPOKESPERSON
  • 10:27 AND HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL CABINET.
  • 10:34 I DIDN'T ARGUE WITH HER.
  • 10:38 THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WERE ARGUABLE, BUT I WAS INTERESTED IN HER VIEWS.
  • 10:42 SHE GAVE HER VIEWS.
  • 10:45 THEN, WE PRESENTED THOSE VIEWS TO EXPERT ARAB CHRISTIANS THAT WE KNOW IN THIS COUNTRY
  • 10:51 THAT ARE FRIENDS OF OUR MINISTRY AND THEY DISCUSSED HER VIEWS.
  • 10:54 SO IT WAS QUITE A THOUGHT PROVOKING AFTERNOON.
  • 10:58 WE'LL GO THERE NOW, TO RAMALLAH.
  • 11:01 TALKING TO PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, THEY ARE SINCERELY CONVINCED THIS IS THEIR LAND.
  • 11:07 THEY HAVE BEEN HERE FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL.
  • 11:10 WHAT IS THE REAL--?
  • 11:12 YOU'RE A PROFESSOR, RIGHT?
  • 11:14 YOU TAUGHT AT UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, AM I RIGHT?
  • 11:16 STUDIED AND TAUGHT THERE.
  • 11:18 WHAT IS THE REAL HISTORY OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IN THIS LAND?
  • 11:22 WELL, WE GO BACK CENTURIES. ACTUALLY IF YOU WANT, WE GO BACK TO THE CANAANITES.
  • 11:28 THE CANAANITES? >>YES.
  • 11:30 SO THE PALESTINIANS ARE THE LONGEST STANDING, ONGOING,
  • 11:34 HISTORICAL HUMAN TRADITION IN PALESTINE.
  • 11:37 OF COURSE WE ARE ALSO A MIX OF SO MANY TRIBES THAT CAME INTO PALESTINE, BUT THOSE OF US--
  • 11:44 I MEAN, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN HERE FOR CENTURIES.
  • 11:47 MOST PEOPLE TRACE THEIR FAMILIES CENTURIES AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
  • 11:51 IT'S AMAZING FOR PEOPLE TO TELL US YOU'RE AN ACCIDENT OF HISTORY OR THIS LAND THAT'S YOUR LAND--
  • 11:57 WE DEFINE OUR BEING, OUR CULTURE, OUR HISTORY,
  • 12:00 OUR SENSE OF VALUE FROM BEING A PEOPLE OF THE LAND AND THEN WE ARE TOLD,
  • 12:04 NO, THIS LAND HAS TO BE GIVEN AWAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BIBLE OR SOMETHING.
  • 12:09 IF YOU REORGANIZE THE WORLD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BIBLE, YOU'D BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE.
  • 12:13 THERE ARE 3 FUNDAMENTAL POINTS THAT I THINK ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE HERE HISTORICALLY.
  • 12:18 NUMBER ONE IS THE LUDICROUS STATEMENT ABOUT A PALESTINIAN NATION.
  • 12:22 THERE HAS NEVER, IN THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION BEEN A PALESTINIAN NATION, EVER.
  • 12:27 THE HUMAN CRY FOR A PALESTINIAN STATE DID NOT EVEN BEGIN UNTIL 1948
  • 12:32 WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION ITSELF.
  • 12:34 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MAKE A STATEMENT WHEN I DO PUBLIC DEBATES IS, I SAY,
  • 12:38 I BELIEVE THE PALESTINIANS SHOULD HAVE AS MUCH LAND AS THEY HAVE EVER HAD HISTORICALLY,
  • 12:43 WHICH, OF COURSE IS NONE.
  • 12:45 SHE BELIEVES THAT SHE IS A CHRISTIAN AND AS A PROFESSED CHRISTIAN
  • 12:48 SHE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT GOD MADE A COVENANT WITH ISRAEL. THIS IS FUNDAMENTALLY IMPORTANT.
  • 12:55 THE LAND WAS GIVEN BY GOD TO THE JEWS.
  • 12:59 AS A PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN SHE MUST KNOW HER OLD TESTAMENT ON THIS.
  • 13:03 THE FINAL THING I WANT TO ASK IS, WHY IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THIS CRY FOR PEACE,
  • 13:10 WHY HAS NOT ONE ARAB NATION OFFERED A PARCEL OF THEIR LAND TO GIVE TO THE PALESTINIANS?
  • 13:17 OF COURSE THE ANSWER IS THIS IS NOT AS MUCH ABOUT GIVING THE PALESTINIANS A NATION
  • 13:21 AS MUCH AS IT IS FOR TAKING AWAY A NATION FROM ISRAEL.
  • 13:26 USUALLY HANAN ASHRAWI GETS HIGH MARKS FOR SINCERITY.
  • 13:31 UNLIKE MANY OF THE LEADERS IN THE PALESTINE AUTHORITY SHE REALLY, I BELIEVE,
  • 13:37 BELIEVES WHAT SHE SAYS.
  • 13:39 FOR YASSAR ARAFAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
  • 13:41 YASSAR ARAFAT IS A LIAR FROM THE GET GO.
  • 13:44 HANAN ASHRAWI, I BELIEVE, IS SOMEBODY WHO BELIEVES PRINCIPALLY
  • 13:48 IN FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
  • 13:51 I GIVE HER HIGH MARKS FOR SINCERITY.
  • 13:53 BUT WHEN SHE TALKS ABOUT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE RETRACING THEIR HISTORY TO THE CANAANITES, SHE LOSES ME.
  • 14:01 WHEN SHE TALKS ABOUT THE FACT THAT PALESTINIANS HAVE THE LONGEST STANDING TRADITION
  • 14:07 OF HUMANITY IN THAT REGION OF THE WORLD, AGAIN, SHE LOSES ME.
  • 14:13 ALL WE NEED TO DO, WE DON'T NEED TO GO BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS
  • 14:16 TO SEE WHO'S BEEN LIVING IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD.
  • 14:19 WE CAN GO BACK TO THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY AND LOOK AT WHAT THE POPULATION LEVELS WERE.
  • 14:26 AT THAT TIME, WHEN THE AREA WE CALL PALESTINE WAS RULED BY THE ISLAMIC OTTOMAN EMPIRE
  • 14:34 THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION IN JERUSALEM,
  • 14:37 THE OVERWHELMING POPULATION IN JERUSALEM WAS JEWISH.
  • 14:42 THE SECOND HIGHEST POPULATION LEVEL WAS AMONG CHRISTIAN ARABS.
  • 14:47 AND MUSLIMS, WHO NOW TELL US THAT JERUSALEM IS THE THIRD HOLIEST SITE IN ALL OF ISLAM
  • 14:54 ACTUALLY WERE A VERY SMALL MINORITY OF ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION.
  • 14:59 SO, IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO LOOK AT WHAT HANAN ASHRAWI SAYS ABOUT THIS LONG STANDING TRADITION IN THE REGION.
  • 15:08 THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THE ARAB POPULATION HAS BEEN ON THE INCREASE
  • 15:13 EVER SINCE THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY AND THEY CAME FOR 2 PRINCIPLE REASONS.
  • 15:19 THEY CAME BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY STIRRED BY THE JEWISH IMMIGRATION
  • 15:24 INTO THE REGION AND THEY CAME, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH,
  • 15:27 BECAUSE OF THE FREEDOM THAT JEWS BROUGHT WITH THEM.
  • 15:31 WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, THIS IS ALMOST A FANTASY,
  • 15:35 BUT LET'S SAY A 2 NATION SOLUTION IS FORMED, SOMETHING LIKE IT.
  • 15:39 PALESTINIAN HAVE A NATION, CONTROL, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT
  • 15:43 SINCE THEY ARE LARGELY MUSLIM THEY BEGIN TO ACT LIKE A MUSLIM GOVERNMENT.
  • 15:48 THEY TELL YOU TO COVER YOUR HAIR, THIS SORT OF THING.
  • 15:51 HISTORICALLY, PALESTINE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST TOLERANT, OPEN,
  • 15:55 LIBERAL AND PLURALISTIC SOCIETIES IN THE ARAB WORLD AND IN THE REGION.
  • 16:00 HANAN ASHRAWI SAYS THAT PALESTINE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST OPEN,
  • 16:05 LIBERAL, PLURALISTIC AND TOLERANT SOCIETIES IN THE REGION.
  • 16:09 WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIMEFRAME HANAN ASHRAWI IS TALKING ABOUT.
  • 16:13 FIRST OF ALL, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PALESTINIAN STATE.
  • 16:16 THERE'S NEVER BEEN A SOCIETY, A SELF-GOVERNING ENTITY
  • 16:20 KNOWN AS PALESTINE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
  • 16:23 SO YOU FIRST OF ALL HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHAT PALESTINE IS HANAN ASHRAWI TALKING ABOUT WHEN SHE DEFINES IT THAT WAY.
  • 16:30 BUT IF YOU WANT TO USE LIBERAL, PLURALISTIC, TOLERANT AND OPEN SOCIETIES
  • 16:35 AS THE STANDARD FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, THERE IS ONLY ONE AND IT'S THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
  • 16:41 IT IS THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY IN THE REGION OUT OF,
  • 16:45 THERE ARE 23 ARAB AND MUSLIM STATES ALL VARYING FORMS OF TOTALITARIAN POLICE STATES
  • 16:52 AND ISRAEL IS THE ONLY LITTLE, TINY BASTION OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM IN THE REGION.
  • 16:58 IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IN LIGHT OF-- WELL, PERHAPS HE'S OVERLY RADICAL,
  • 17:03 BUT A HAMAS LEADER SAID THIS RESISTANCE, THIS MORE THAN RESISTANCE,
  • 17:08 THE MILITANCY WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ALL OF THE JEWS LEAVE THE LAND OF PALESTINE.
  • 17:12 IT'S NOT A 2 STATE SOLUTION.
  • 17:14 THAT'S NOT SOMETHING-- NO, THE MAJORITY OF THE PALESTINIANS ACCEPT THE 2 STATE SOLUTION.
  • 17:18 WE DO NOT JUDGE A NATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH A MINORITY.
  • 17:21 THAT'S WHY DEMOCRATICALLY THE MAJORITY WILL HAVE AN AGENDA.
  • 17:25 OF COURSE IT WILL DIFFUSE. IT WILL DISARM THE MILITANTS.
  • 17:29 ONCE YOU SEE HOPE AND ONCE YOU SEE JUSTICE.
  • 17:32 BUT SO LONG AS PEOPLE ARE MOTIVATED BY PAIN, BY REVENGE, BY A SENSE OF VICTIMIZATION,
  • 17:37 THEN OF COURSE THEIR AGENDA WOULD BECOME MORE EXTREME,
  • 17:42 PARTICULARLY IF THEY ARE VICTIMIZED BY ANOTHER EXTREME AGENDA.
  • 17:45 SO REMOVE THE EXTREMISM FROM BOTH SIDES
  • 17:48 AND YOU WILL HAVE A MORE DEMOCRATIC AND TOLERANT SOCIETY.
  • 17:52 HANAN ASHRAWI SUGGESTS THAT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE SUPPORT A 2 STATE SOLUTION.
  • 18:00 IN OTHER WORDS, THE IDEA OF A SEPARATE PALESTINIAN STATE,
  • 18:03 A SEPARATE ISRAELI STATE LIVING SIDE BY SIDE IN PEACE AND HARMONY.
  • 18:07 I HAVE CAREFULLY LOOKED AT EVERY PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY DONE OF ARABS IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD
  • 18:14 AND I SEE NO EVIDENCE TO BACK THAT UP.
  • 18:17 I WISH IT WERE SO. I WISH IT WERE SO.
  • 18:19 LET ME PRESENT YOU WITH A HYPOTHESIS.
  • 18:22 LET'S SAY THAT A GROUP IN IDAHO OR IOWA OR SOME SMALL STATE SETS UP A COMPOUND,
  • 18:28 FENCES IT IN AND CLAIMS IT TO BE THE NATION OF THIS COMPOUND.
  • 18:34 TO PROVE THEIR POINT, THEY STOP PAYING TAXES.
  • 18:38 THEY SET UP THEIR OWN BANKS. THEY SET UP THEIR OWN SYSTEMS.
  • 18:40 TO FURTHER PROVE THEIR POINT, WHEN THE POLICE IN THAT CITY OR NEARBY THAT COMPOUND COME BY, THEY SHOOT THEM.
  • 18:47 THEY BEGIN TO GO INTO THE NEIGHBORING CITIES AND THEY BOMB PEOPLE.
  • 18:52 SOME OF THEM EVEN STRAP BOMBS TO THEMSELVES, WALK INTO THE STORES AND INTO THE RESTAURANTS
  • 18:57 AND STRAP BOMBS TO THEMSELVES AND THEY MAKE THE POINT AND THEY SAY,
  • 19:00 WE WILL NOT STOP THIS UNTIL YOU RECOGNIZE OUR COMPOUND AS A SEPARATE, SOVEREIGN NATION.
  • 19:07 WHAT WOULD WE DO AS AMERICANS? WHAT WOULD OUR COUNTRY DO?
  • 19:11 BUT IN FACT THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING ISRAEL TO DO.
  • 19:15 WE ARE ASKING TERRORISTS TO SET UP YOUR OWN COUNTRY.
  • 19:19 WE ARE ALLOWING THEM TO BOMB ISRAEL, TO ABSOLUTELY OBLITERATE INNOCENT CIVILIANS
  • 19:26 AND WE ASK THEM TO THINK THAT THESE ARE ACTS OF WAR, NOT TERRORISM.
  • 19:30 THEN WE ARE ASKING ISRAEL TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS A STATE.
  • 19:34 IN OTHER WORDS, TO BENEFIT TERRORISM.
  • 19:36 WHY WOULD WE NOT DO THAT IN AMERICA?
  • 19:39 WELL, OBVIOUSLY 2 REASONS COME TO MIND.
  • 19:41 NUMBER 1, THAT'S NOT THE WAY A SOVEREIGN NATION OPERATES.
  • 19:44 SECONDLY, IT REWARDS TERRORISM.
  • 19:48 WOULD WE ALWAYS SUSPECT THAT THEY MAY DO MORE TO GET MORE LAND? OF COURSE.
  • 19:53 AND SO SHOULD ISRAEL.
  • 19:55 THIS IS A TIME FOR CHRISTIANS, EVANGELICALS, FOR JEWS TO UNITE TOGETHER AND BAND TOGETHER.
  • 19:59 WE CANNOT REWARD TERRORISM.
  • 20:01 WE CAN'T REWARD ACTS OF TERRORISM ANY MORE ON OUR LAND AS WE WOULD ASK ISRAEL TO DO ON ITS.
  • 20:10 FOR A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST,
  • 20:14 ASK FOR ZOLA'S FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, THE LEVITT LETTER.
  • 20:22 ZOLA'S NEW KINGDOM CATALOG DESCRIBES HIS BOOKS, TEACHING TAPES AND CORRESPONDENCE COURSE.
  • 20:29 FOR ZOLA'S FREE NEWSLETTER AND CATALOG, PLEASE CALL 1-800-WONDERS.
  • 20:39 I INTERVIEW PEOPLE OF ALL SIDES IN QUESTIONS
  • 20:42 AND IF I TALK TO AN AVERAGE MEMBER OF THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT, THE KNESSET,
  • 20:48 I THINK HE WOULD PROBABLY SAY, LOOK, WE WERE HERE A LONG TIME AGO.
  • 20:53 THE PALESTINIANS ARE VARIOUS ARABS FROM VARIOUS STATES.
  • 20:56 WE MEAN THEM NO HARM.
  • 20:58 WE HAVE BROUGHT THE 20TH CENTURY TO THEM AND SO FORTH.
  • 21:01 BUT THEY JUST WON'T COOPERATE AND WON'T LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY
  • 21:06 AND WE DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN.
  • 21:08 THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT VIEW OF HISTORY.
  • 21:10 ASK THE ISRAELIS YOU TALK TO WHEN DID THEY COME TO PALESTINE.
  • 21:14 THOSE WHO ARE ORIGINALLY PALESTINIANS ARE A MINORITY WITHIN ISRAEL.
  • 21:19 MOST OF THEM CAME FROM BROOKLYN, FROM MOSCOW, FROM--
  • 21:23 THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAME WITH THEIR DIFFERENT CULTURES AND LANGUAGES AND SO ON
  • 21:28 AND RELIGION BECAME TRANSFORMED INTO A POLITICAL INSTRUMENT IN ORDER TO TAKE OVER A LAND
  • 21:34 IN WHICH THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING CONTINUOUSLY FOR CENTURIES.
  • 21:39 WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR CENTURIES.
  • 21:41 WE DIDN'T EMERGE ONLY IN RESPONSE TO THE CREATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
  • 21:46 ASHRAWI SAYS THAT WE, MEANING THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE,
  • 21:51 DIDN'T JUST COME ABOUT IN RESPONSE TO THE CREATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL,
  • 21:55 ONLY IN RESPONSE.
  • 21:57 I THINK THERE'S SOME CANDOR THERE THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE FROM MORE PALESTINIAN SPOKESMEN.
  • 22:02 INDEED WHAT SHE'S ACKNOWLEDGING IS THE FACT THAT THERE'S BEEN THIS TREMENDOUS INFLUX
  • 22:08 OF ARAB POPULATION INTO THE REGION SINCE THE CREATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
  • 22:13 IN FACT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT INFLUX BEGAN BACK AS EARLY AS 1900
  • 22:20 WHEN THE HIGHER LEVELS OF JEWISH IMMIGRATION BEGAN.
  • 22:25 THAT IS A REALITY.
  • 22:27 IT IS A REALITY THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH.
  • 22:30 ONCE AGAIN WE SEE THAT THE FOLKS THAT WE REFER TO AS PALESTINIANS
  • 22:35 ARE ACTUALLY COMING FROM 22 ARAB STATES, COMING FROM NON-ARAB STATES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
  • 22:42 THEY'RE MUSLIMS FROM PAKISTAN. THEY'RE MUSLIMS FROM INDONESIA.
  • 22:47 THEY'RE MUSLIMS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
  • 22:48 TODAY WE CALL THEM PALESTINIANS AND WE'RE DISCUSSING GIVING THEM RIGHTS TO A NATIONAL HOMELAND.
  • 22:56 IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
  • 22:58 EVERY AMERICAN WOULD LIKE A CLEAR ANSWER TO WHY,
  • 23:01 WHEN HE OFFERED A VIABLE PALESTINIAN STATE THAT DIDN'T WASHINGTON--
  • 23:05 ARAFAT DIDN'T SAY THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. WE'LL TAKE IT.
  • 23:08 I'M GLAD YOU RAISED THIS QUESTION BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY MYTHS AND DISTORTIONS.
  • 23:13 THE AMERICAN VIEWERS HAVE ACCEPTED A CERTAIN VERSION THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH REALITY.
  • 23:19 IN CAMP DAVID THERE WAS NO, AS YOU SAY, GENEROUS OFFER.
  • 23:24 THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS. THERE WERE INITIAL IDEAS.
  • 23:27 THERE WAS NOTHING IN WRITING. THERE WERE NO AGREEMENTS.
  • 23:30 THERE WERE JUST IDEAS THAT JUST KEPT CHANGING EVERY DAY
  • 23:33 SAYING HOW MUCH LAND CAN BARAK TAKE AWAY FROM THE 22 PERCENT,
  • 23:38 WHICH THE WEST BANK AND GAZA TO MAINTAIN MORE SETTLEMENTS?
  • 23:42 HOW MUCH LAND CAN HE TAKE THAT WOULD LEAVE THE PALESTINIAN STATE
  • 23:45 TERRITORIALLY NON-CONTIGUOUS AND THEREFORE NOT VIABLE?
  • 23:49 HE WANTED TO ANNEX AREAS WITHIN JERUSALEM AROUND JERUSALEM.
  • 23:54 HE FRAGMENTED THE WEST BANK.
  • 23:56 HE WANTED US TO RELINQUISH THE RIGHT OF RETURN FOR ALL REFUGEES JUST LIKE THAT.
  • 24:00 AND THEN TO SAY THIS IS THE END OF THE CONFLICT.
  • 24:03 WE SAID OKAY, THESE ARE NOT ISSUES ON WHICH WE CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT.
  • 24:09 THERE ARE IDEAS THAT NEED FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.
  • 24:12 ASHRAWI SAYS THAT DURING THE BARAK ADMINISTRATION AND DURING THOSE NEGOTIATIONS
  • 24:18 THERE WAS NO REJECTION OF A PEACE PLAN.
  • 24:23 IN FACT SHE SUGGESTS THERE WAS NO PEACE PLAN AT ALL,
  • 24:25 THAT THERE WAS NOTHING REALLY CONCRETE PUT ON THE TABLE.
  • 24:28 SO THERE WAS NOTHING TO REJECT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
  • 24:30 NOW AS I UNDERSTAND IT SHE WAS NOT A PART OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
  • 24:35 SHE WAS NOT A PART OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY'S NEGOTIATING TEAM.
  • 24:39 SO HER UNDERSTAND OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WOULD BE BASED ON THE SAME KIND OF FACTS
  • 24:43 THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US PEOPLE WHO READ NEWSPAPERS AND SO FORTH.
  • 24:48 AND PEOPLE WHO DO READ NEWSPAPERS AND WHO ARE INFORMED ABOUT THOSE NEGOTIATIONS
  • 24:53 UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WERE INDEED VERY, VERY CONCRETE PROPOSALS.
  • 24:58 UNBELIEVABLE CONCESSIONS THAT WERE MADE BY ISRAELIS, BY THE ISRAELI LEADERSHIP.
  • 25:04 IN FACT THE ISRAELI POPULATION WAS STUNNED THAT EVERYTHING WAS PUT ON THE TABLE
  • 25:10 INCLUDING JERUSALEM WAS PUT ON THE TABLE.
  • 25:13 THE TEMPLE MOUNT WAS PUT ON THE TABLE.
  • 25:16 THAT IS INDEED WHY BARAK WAS ULTIMATELY REJECTED
  • 25:20 BECAUSE THIS PEACE PLAN FAILED AND THE ISRAELI POPULATION LOOKED AT THAT
  • 25:25 AND SAID THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD EVER MAKE THESE FOLKS, THE PALESTINIANS,
  • 25:30 HAPPY IF THEY REJECTED THESE KINDS OF CONCESSIONS.
  • 25:35 SECONDLY, THE POINT MUST BE MADE THAT ALL OF THE ARAB NATIONS THAT SURROUND ISRAEL
  • 25:41 HAVE ONE COMMON VESTED INTEREST, HAVE ONE COMMON ENEMY AND HAVE ONE COMMON GOAL- THE END OF ISRAEL.
  • 25:51 THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER.
  • 25:55 THIS IS WHY WE AS AMERICANS MUST STAND BEHIND THEM.
  • 25:59 THEY ARE OUR GREATEST ALLY BUT THEY ARE ALSO THE MOST VULNERABLE.
  • 26:03 WELL IT'S A PROGRAM OF CONTRASTS, ISN'T IT.
  • 26:07 THERE AREN'T MANY PROGRAMS WHERE YOU'LL SEE MAYOR EHUD OLMERT OF JERUSALEM
  • 26:11 AND HANAN ASHRAWI OF RAMALLAH IN THE SAME PROGRAM TALKING TO THE SAME INTERVIEWER.
  • 26:17 ON THE OTHER HAND THAT'S PART OF COVERING ISRAEL.
  • 26:21 IT'S A FREE AND OPEN DEMOCRACY.
  • 26:24 NOT ENOUGH IS SAID ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE ARABS HAVE THEIR SAY
  • 26:26 BECAUSE THEY CAN HAVE THEIR SAY.
  • 26:30 THERE ARE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WHERE IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN POWER
  • 26:34 YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY SAY WHATSOEVER.
  • 26:37 YOU'RE GOING TO GET NOTHING BUT TROUBLE.
  • 26:39 I FELT THAT THE TRIP TO RAMALLAH WAS AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE, IN A WAY.
  • 26:46 I DID NOT INTRUDE MY OWN OPINION INTO IT.
  • 26:49 WE GAVE IT TO OUR EXPERTS AND I THINK THEY'RE IMMINENT ARAB CHRISTIANS, VERY COMPETENT IN THE SUBJECT.
  • 27:01 I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT. AND SHA'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALYIM, PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.

Episodes in this series

  1. Stand For Truth
  2. Israel and “Palestine” (Celebrating 75 Trips to the Holy Land)
  3. Roots Run Deep
  4. A Place in History
  5. On a Mission
  6. Raised to Walk
  7. On the Outside
  8. For the Future
  9. Top to Bottom
  10. The Last Words

Guest organizations and links