There's No Profit in Peace

I was in the Knesset today, listening to Edwin Black, author of Flanning the Flames.

He said something that resonated with something else I had read (thanks to DG) written by Tom Friedman:

...what an utter waste of money and human talent has been the Arab-Israeli conflict. Look how eager all these young Arabs and Persians are for the tools and resources to realize their full potential, wherever they can find that learning...

What did Edwin say?

He said, "there's no money in peace".

But I think that should have been phrased there's no profit in peace.

He describes in his book that activists get paid more or only if there is violence that is worthy of being photographed and reported aborad to damage Israel's image, violence that is initiated and planned with malice aforethought by so-called "human rights campaigners".  If there would be peace, no money for them.

He also pointed out that had the SodaStream factory and similar had been set up in Kosovo or Cambodia by church-affiliated groups, they may have won international recognition and gratitude for fostering peace and reconciliation. But the double standard is at work with Israel.

The others listening:

His book I read through quickly in London when I was there in December, thanks to Sol Unsdorfer.

It is deatiled, fact-based and devasting as a charge of betrayal against the idea of human rights, not to mention probable infractions of financial laws in the US.

You will read it, yes?

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Ruthie Blum's take.
^