When Michael Oren irked Bob Simon

[BudT]

64. Like most real issues it cuts many ways.

If Arab Christians are not in fact leaving the West Bank, then not only is Israel vindicated, but so are the Christians' Muslim neighbours. If they're not fleeing Israel because they're not actually fleeing, then they're not fleeing their Muslim brethren, either.

I agree - - with the understanding that there is movement by Arab Christians (on net) from areas where they are less acceptable to the local population and into areas where they are not as likely to be harassed.

And in fairness to 60 minutes, pro-Israel advocates have been running the line that Christians are leaving because of "Muslim pressure" for a long, long time.

OK lets look at that. I doubt that pro-Israel advocates noticed one day that large numbers of Arab Christians were leaving the WB and decided to make an issue of it. I don't think pro-Israel advocates care much one way or the other if any denomination of Arabs leave the WB as long as they don't come to Israel. Based on what I've learned from reading up on this because of this thread - - it appears Arab Christians have been used (and are cooperating) in the making of a false issue to smear Israel. It's a smart tactic. The same one used by 60 Minutes. Accuse the Israelis and their occupation for a major decline in the Christian population of the Holy Land. Some Pro-Israel advocates reply by saying no, it's the Muslims who are abusing them, not us. Then 60 Minutes does a segment on the topic accusing Israel of the same thing on national TV. See how it works? Now no-one is talking about the accusation (which happens to be false when you look at net population figures) it's all about who's to blame for it.

But if Christians are leaving Bethlehem, but remaining within the West Bank, that means that they are leaving a town where the Muslim population is 85%, for an area where the Muslim population is 90%+, which doesn't make sense if they are fleeing from Muslims.

Actually they are fleeing from Bethlehem because Bethlehem has become a hotbed of Islamic ideology and Hamas support. Syria (under Assad) and Jordan have both been pretty protective of their Arab Christian minorities. Its understandable they would move there or to other cities on the WB.

It does make sense, however, if they are leaving because of this:

I'd say much of what was happening in that clip was young soldiers showing off for the camera - - showing how tough they can be because their friend was filming it. I'd guess for every case like that one there are just as many IDF soldiers who treat the Palestinians decently, despite the regular occurrence of attempts to kill those same soldiers doing their jobs.

Think about this. For 2 to 3 years after the Six Day War ended thousands of Palestinians crossed into Israel every day for good paying jobs and returned home after work with almost zero hassle. During this time the infant mortality rate dropped, health care and education improved. (Note that this was territory Israel wanted to return to Jordan and Egypt in exchange for a peace treaty and recognition of Israel's right to exist but was turned down at Khartoum.)

But what happened to reverse all that progress in the Palestinians' living conditions? Did Israel decide it would be better policy to make the Palestinians miserable and humiliate them so they'd hate Israelis more than they already did? Did Israel start putting in unnecessary road blocks and check points and manning them with a**holes? That's a rhetorical question because I'm sure you know the answer as to what happened.

Just as an aside I pass back and forth between Canada and the US several times a year. I have waited in lines for hours. I've had all the contents of my van totally dumped on the ground several times by US customs and gone through with drug dogs. I've been strip searched. I've been taken into an interrogation room and sat in front of a guy who asked me casually if I ever smoked marijuana. (It was all I could do to keep from breaking out laughing at that one.) It's never easy crossing the border but some times it's just dealing with people who have the power to f**k with you - - and so some of them do.

When that happens I try to assume the officer was having a bad day for some reason and I try not to get pissed off. I'm sure most of them are decent folks just trying to make a living and retire some day. It was unfair and sometimes humiliating but I got over it. And all that happened at a time when Canadians were not lobbing rockets across the border trying to kill US civilians in Bellingham or planting bombs along the border trying to kill and/or kidnap soldiers on patrol.