First Response:

 

In reading the first letter, I encountered a peaceful, loving and welcoming address to a hostile audience which reveals the fact that the writer desires nothing more than to instill love and peace into their hearts.

There is, however, one thing about which I disagree in the first letter. I am unsure whether to mention this in the review, even though I am confident in its veracity. Yossi claims that Islam is a peaceful religion, yet I roundly reject this assertion.

I understand that the author attempts to make peace with the opposing side by being politically correct and complimenting nearly everything with which they are affiliated, including on matters of religion.

However, in my opinion –  about which both I and many Jews and Christians alike agree – radical Quran-based Islamic ideology is the main reason peace is so elusive, and will continue to be so, for as long as such an ideology is professed by all who embrace it throughout the world.

Yes, there are peaceful and loving Muslims. However, these are the ones who, thank God, although Muslim by heritage, haven’t been indoctrinated by this radical Quranic ideology.

If you want peace, it’s crucial not to hide the truth in order to please the other side nor obscure what is obvious for the sake of political correctness, for in so doing, whilst you may temporarily extinguish the fire, you will never achieve a  long-lasting peace.

These claims about the radical nature of Quranic ideology are not unsubstantiated. One need not look beyond the Quran itself:

Quran (9:29): “Fight against Christians and Jews until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low.”

Quran (5:51): “Don’t take Jews or Christians for friends. If you do, then Allah will consider you to be one of them.”

Quran (2:65-66): “Christians and Jews must believe what Allah has revealed to Muhammad or Allah will disfigure their faces or turn them into apes, as he did with the Sabbath-breakers.”

Quran (5:51): “O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.”

Quran (9:30): “And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!”

There will be no peace, at least from the Palestinian Muslim side, if this ideology is not eliminated. It is thus my opinion that most of the obstacles that have thus far derailed the peace plans have not been erected by the Israeli side.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

Sam Mina from Jordan

——————————————————————————————————————-

Sam Mina’s Second response:

 

I was enlightened by this letter in which I read about the history of the Jews and the struggles and persecution which they had undergone since the destruction of the First Temple; from their expulsion from the Land of Israel until the re-establishment of the State in 1948.

What I admire most in this letter is ”Hatikvah”; the spirit of optimism, the longing for homecoming, the clinging to hope and the Jews’ faith in both God and the visions of their prophets that foretold their return to their original abode. I admire the Jews’ refusal to accept the loss of their home or identity as permanent just as I marvel at their hope and willpower which is as hard as a diamond and as rough as titanium. This is all the more inspiring in light of the persecution they were forced to endure for the sake of maintaining their identity. All throughout their exile, in which they were scattered around the globe and faced terrible atrocities such as those perpetrated by the Nazis during the Second World War, Jews preserved their faith and hope.

That same hope kept the Land of Israel in the hearts of the Jewish people at a time when the name “Israel” was almost non-existent and external forces attempted to erase their identity. ”Hatikvah” is undoubtedly the proper name for the Jews’ national anthem: it is the spirit that awakened the sons of Israel, got them back on their feet again and forever, enabling them to re-establish a state in their ancient homeland.

My favorite quote in this letter reads: ”Israel exists because it never stopped existing, even if only in prayer“. It demonstrates the influence that the sons of Israel had on the world, even before the establishment of the modern state of Israel, particularly in the fields of medicine, technology and science.

The letter also addresses the misconception that most Palestinians hold about the nature of Zionism and Judaism. I truly believe that most Palestinians, particularly those who are hostile towards Israel, will not be able to distinguish between the two terms until they cease to listen to their Palestinian and Arab media outlets. Frankly, these news and information sources, such as Al-Jazeera, are cunning and dishonest.

I firmly hold the opinion that peace may only be reached once the Palestinian people have read an unaltered history of the Jews, with an open mind and an unbiased heart. Only then will they stop doubting the archaeological evidence, especially that which is abundant in Jerusalem, which serve as historical testimonies to Israel’s right to exist. 

Furthermore, they must confront the doctrines that incite hatred towards their Jewish neighbors, a point which I addressed already in the first letter’s review. Such steps are crucial to achieving peace.

I also hope that Israel refrains from adopting a discriminatory attitude towards all Arabs and Palestinians. There are those – such as the writer of this book review – who secretly (out of concerns for personal safety) love Israel and want to embrace peace with this beautiful country.

  As a Christian Arab, I support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself. I also support the two-state solution and encourage peace between the two sides of this conflict. I believe that the two sides should live as neighbours in peace.

I fully understand the concept of the two-state solution. However, I hope that peace between the two sides grows exponentially to the point that there’s a wholesome mutual trust which can facilitate open borders; a sort of trust that is shared between two good neighbors who feel safe living alongside one and other, and welcome the other’s visit. This may sound like a fairy tale which is unlikely to happen, but God makes everything possible. We should keep praying that love and compassion triumphs over blind hatred and cruelty.

Best Regards,
Sam Mina from Jordan

——————————————————————————————————————

To read Yossi’s reply check this link