Presbyterian Power Play
This interesting development has caught my attention. When I lived in Syria, I was exposed to types of dialogue that are much less common in the U.S.A. For example, nearly everyone spoke openly and matter-of-factly about their dislike of Jews. While this initially shocked me, I became less judgmental as I learned about regional politics and history. For one thing, Syria was and is in an official state of war with Israel. Additionally, much of the pan-Arab rhetoric for three decades was calculated towards fighting “The Zionist Entity”.
Much of this overtly anti-Semitic dialogue contained references to a Jewish lobby, and to the cooperation of American Christian organizations with this lobby. According to the common thread of discussion, these two powerful entities (ill defined as they were in the conspiracy theories) combine to control U.S. finances and politics, place key figures in positions of authority, and shape media opinion.
The Syrians would ask: “How else could America support Israel’s blatant terrorism and disregard for U.N. laws?”
For the curious reader, below are the most common Jewish Lobby conspiracy theories as I heard and disputed them in Syria. You will see that I treat these theories with no small degree of sarcasm. Please do not mistake this to be disdain for Syrians or Arabs. Remember, these sentiments rise out of three generations of perpetual war, indoctrination, and political dispute. Many of those who expressed these theories are refugees. Many have lost loved ones to Israel military forces. So, enjoy this peek into the Syrian mind. But don’t get the impression that I am mocking Syria or its people:
1. Monika Lewinsky was a a plant by the Jewish Lobby. Her job was to humiliate and bring
Bill Clinton. Why? Because he was going to start playing hardball with Israel.
2. The Middle East version of Big Brother, based in Bahrain, was the brainchild of Jews. The goal was to undermine Muslim unity, introduce corrupt Western Morals (this one I believe), and generally weaken the resolve of the Arabs. Because of a multi-national uproar, the producers pulled the plug on the show after only 2 or 3 episodes. In fact, the promotionals leading up to the premier of the show lasted longer than the show itself.
3. The Jews had JFK assassinated. First of all, because he was Catholic. Second…you guessed it. He was going to make policy favorable to the Arabs.
4. The Jews were behind the attacks on September 11, 2001. When I asked a Syrian friend what his reaction was on 9-11, he told me that he was watching the news with his father-in-law, and that the first words out of his mouth were: kulna Kharaa: We just ate Sh–. Being more naive at that time, I asked him what he meant by that. The answer: As soon as those buildings went down, we knew that the beast had been awakened, and that the backlash against Arabs was going to be unprecedented. The immediate implication of this was carte blanche for Israel in its Palestine problems.
The evidence: None of the hundreds of Jews who worked in the buildings showed up to work that day. They had all been notified in advance to call in sick.
Obviously, the New York Times article I’ve linked to above brings all of these memories back. If you have not read it yet, go back up to the top and open it. As you read, you may hear faint music in the air around you. That would be the theme of The Twilight Zone.