69 million page views

Mirror function of Israel

Reader comment on item: Pro-Israel Palestinians

Submitted by Werner (United States), May 11, 2005 at 10:19

Israel as the western fortress in the arab world has a mirror function for Arabs and Palestinians in particular. They look over the border and then compare their own daily lives with those of Israelis.

When Arabs see in this mirror it is very painful for them. What they see is a thriving country, scientifically advanced, modern technologies, wealth, educated and productive people, a society based on human rights, a people which plans, acts and thinks.

The Arabs got their first wake up call with the defeat by Napoleon's armies. By that event they knew they are backwards, disorganized, fragmented, lacking in technology, lacking admitting the truth and finding the truth, favoring emotions over rationalism, are restrained in their development by a backward adaptation of religion and so on.

Arabs know to what level they have to develop (if only it is for the sake of defeating Israel) but the question is do they develop?

The USA confronts Arabs' backwardness even more. Iraq (I know it is not completely Arab) will be a state with a strongly influenced western culture. That is going to be a bigger mirror to the Arab nations, and which is already influencing the neighboring countries.

As a reaction to seeing themselves, they try to destroy the mirror. They can't stand to see their mistakes. Smarter ones learn from their enemies. Hopefully this learning will also diminish the hate they feel.

Napoleon defeated the Arabs 200 years ago, the French colonized Tunis, Algiers and Morocco, the Brits the Ottoman empire, but did that really change the arab mentality? I doubt that, at least it is a very very slow process.

Let's see whether the USA and Israel can do better.

Greetings

Werner
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (22) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Kudos [74 words]SamMar 29, 2008 18:01124054
of course the historian know.. [54 words]lance lancarDec 5, 2007 22:27115795
I Appreciate the Column [51 words]Sara CannonMay 30, 2005 19:0322478
re: comment by Leonard, "My little bungalow" [57 words]DavidMay 18, 2005 18:5422159
Who Wouldn't [245 words]Arlinda DeAngelisMay 15, 2005 11:0022110
Why isn't this in our daily newspapers? [17 words]Joyena AbrahamMay 14, 2005 23:1822106
History repeating itself once again [134 words]garyMay 12, 2005 13:5622085
My little bungalow [174 words]LeonardMay 11, 2005 23:5422076
Are you kidding, Mr. Pipes?! [137 words]RomanMay 11, 2005 15:4422069
Lets roll [94 words]ethan jacobyAug 4, 2006 19:3222069
Comfort Level... [92 words]MichaelMay 11, 2005 13:3322068
Mirror function of Israel [278 words]WernerMay 11, 2005 10:1922065
Freedom is the fundamental political reqirement for humans [159 words]Ralph C. Whaley MDMay 11, 2005 09:5422064
Moderate Muslims [120 words]Dr. Richard BenkinMay 11, 2005 06:3922063
1Hardly a Majority [52 words]Jacob CarmielMay 11, 2005 05:5422060
Defamation of Character [14 words]JohnMay 10, 2005 19:2622054
The Silent Majority (?) [72 words]PatMay 10, 2005 11:1522043
Comfort Level of Arabs in the Disputed Terrorities and in Israel [105 words]Sheldon SeltzerMay 10, 2005 11:0222041
Palestinian Arabs [38 words]Donald W. BalesMay 10, 2005 10:4122040
Palestinian rights [263 words]Octavio JohansonMay 10, 2005 10:2322039
The Anti Human 'Palestinian' Arabs use of 'Human rights' organizations - The 'Human rights propaganda' [3128 words]AlApr 5, 2009 12:3722039
Amnesty's Agnes Callamard = Shill for dictator fascist dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; propagandist for pro terror Qatar; against killing Soleimani [194 words]VoilaFeb 2, 2022 18:3322039

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)