10/17/2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Is your trip to the Middle East tomorrow wise? Is your personal vibe so strong that you must be in the room with someone for them to understand your message? Is there some kind of magic in your handshake that sparks trust & confidence? Or will you be saying some things in private that could be detected on a Zoom call?

            As you know Bibi is a wild card, so getting some kind of assurance from him to avoid killing civilians is not to be trusted. Everyone knows this, including King Abdullah, Palestinian Authority President Abbas & Egypt’s President el-Sissi. When you meet with them tomorrow, you can only promise so much.

            Try repeating my mantra a few times, WINTA! WINTA! WINTA! It’s a catchy phrase.

When you talk to Bibi, you can educate him about Jesus’ idea captured in Matthew 5, “[38] Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: [39] But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Perhaps that will help Bibi imagine an alternative to a ground assault in Gaza. We all know that would be a disaster with no winners! We do not want to add another million Palestinians refugees to the load of displaced persons living on our planet, so Bibi needs to stop telling them to “evacuate” when he isn’t providing them with a safe place to go.

            You could also remind Bibi about the plight of the Rohingya. The Burmese did not “win” anything by forcing them to evacuate their homeland. In fact, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, is visiting Thailand right now to draw attention to the Rohingya issue. He says, ““Something has got to change here. I’m worried about the future of Rohingya refugees & the patience of the host countries.”

Tich Nhat Hanh reminds us to appreciate the wonderful moment that is now by breathing & smiling. Let’s give that a try.

BYBS,