A wonderful letter to Egypt

By Donniel Hartman, found below and at this link. Also worth reading the comments at the link below the posting; many of them are quite thoughtful.

A Letter to the Egyptian People (13/02/2011)

By DONNIEL HARTMAN

Dear Neighbor:

We, your neighbors, have been speaking a lot about you these last few weeks. As the status quo in your country to which we have become accustomed has changed, some of us expressed concern, others hope, and still others, admiration. Each view has its pundits, whose reading of the "facts" (your reality) seemed somehow to always fit into their pre-existing worldview.

The truth is that we don’t know. We don’t know, first and foremost, who you are. You see, for the last 30 years it seems, we never got a chance to talk. We spoke with your leaders, but as you so aptly proved, they don’t speak for you anymore, if they ever did.

We got used to and comfortable with the existing state of affairs and learned how to adapt and work with it in ways that would fit our own national interests and aspirations. We all must now come to terms with the fact that it is not only about us, but about you. We must begin a new conversation with you, a partner that has declared loud and clear that your voice - the voice of the people - must and will be heard.

First, let me start then with a hello. As neighbors, we have had a long relationship, filled with many different memories. I remember as a young teenager the feelings of fear that you aroused when in 1973 your armies crossed the Suez Canal and my country's very existence was in doubt. I remember the awesome beauty of the Sinai desert as a soldier in the tank corps when it was still under Israel's control and the strategic comfort it provided. I remember falling head over heels in love with your President Anwar Sadat, when he declared, "No more war, no more bloodshed." I remember the hope that he brought to our country, a hope which inspired us to recognize that our future security could not and should not be based solely on the strength of our army and the impenetrability of our borders, but on the stability of our peaceful relations with our neighbors.

For nearly 35 years now, we have lived in peace with each other. Our children have not died at each other's hands. It hasn’t been the warmest peace, but as we say in the Jewish tradition, "dayenu." It was enough. We Israelis, while always aspiring for more, deeply valued it nonetheless. Where do we go from here?

One of the old adages posits that democracies rarely go to war with each other. This is so, it is argued, because when the people who actually have to pay the price of war get to choose, they will invariably choose resolution over conflict. They will choose their children's lives over national pride and ideology.

It is here that the Middle East has often proven this wrong. It seems that in our neighborhood at times, our children are our least valued commodity. The two of us, however, who have enjoyed the fruits that peace has given to our children are also a Middle Eastern phenomenon, and must become the rule instead of the exception.

Democracies rarely go to war, however, for yet another reason. A democracy is not simply the rule of the majority, but rather the rule of the majority that preserves the inalienable rights of its minorities. It is a system of government which believes that all humans are endowed with certain basic rights and freedoms which both empower them to govern themselves and which frees them from the potential tyranny of that same government. Democracies rarely go to war not simply because they want to preserve the lives of their citizens but because they respect the inherent freedoms of all humans, citizen and non-citizen alike. When one respects one's own rights to be free, it often leads one to respect one's neighbor's rights to the same freedoms as well.

I pray that this will be one of the outcomes of your democratic revolution. I hope that our two peoples living in vibrant democracies will find new ways to reach out to each other and respect each other. That does not mean that we always have to agree. It is possible and even likely that there are policies which each one of us is pursuing, either externally or internally, that may differ from the other's national interest or even moral sensibilities.

We have a critical choice ahead of us. The change in the status quo can cause us to revert to the old and mutually destructive patterns. I hope we do not need to relive the experiences of our grandparents and parents in order to learn yet again that war is not a solution. I pray that we will use the change in the status quo as a catalyst to move us forward. Status quos are comfortable, but they can also lead to stagnation. Our neighborhood is one in which there is still much pain and hatred. We, the two of us, have a unique opportunity to change the rules of the game, to speak, engage, challenge, and even push each other to find a new and vibrant status quo.

I know you are going to be busy over the next number of months and we are not your primary concern. I am nevertheless writing to you to again say, hello, and that we look forward to speaking with you soon. Until then, we wish that your transition to freedom be a peaceful and beneficial one to all your citizens and that your freedom be a blessing to you, and to the whole world. Amen.

Last Call: Mubarak

Mubarak appears to be stepping down as of September (apparently with some prodding by the Obama Administration).

Article from Ha'aretz follows, along with a little Musical Interpretation.

Mubarak: I do not intend to stand in next election

Announcement comes after a week of mass protests throughout Egypt, culminating Tuesday night in million-strong rally in Tahrir Square in central Cairo.

By Haaretz Service Tags: Israel news Egypt protests Hosni Mubarak

Embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced Tuesday that he would not run in the next elections in the country, following mass protests that have been ravaging the country for the past week.

The protests throughout Egypt culminated Tuesday night in a huge rally in Tahrir Square in central Cairo, in which more than a million people reportedly gathered to demand his resignation.

	Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announcing he will step down at the next elections, in a televised speech to the nation, February 1, 2011.
	Photo by: AP

"I did not have the intention of running in the next election and wanted to spend my life trying to serve the people," he said in a televised address to the nation. "Now I want to finish my role while Egypt is at peace."

The next presidential election is scheduled for September, but in his address, Mubarak pressed his cabinet to speed up elections. Until this most recent announcement, officials had indicated that Mubarak, 82, would likely run for a sixth six-year term as president, a role he has held for over 30 years. There were also indications that he was grooming his son, Gamal, to take his place.

Mubarak claimed the opposite in his speech, saying "I never intended to be a candidate for another term."

"During the next few months I am going to try hard so that we can fulfill a peaceful transition of the regime," the president said in a speech that was greeted by loud cheers and jubilation from the crowd gathered in Tahrir Square. There were, however, many in the square who vowed that they would continue their protests until the president left office immediately.

Among the changes he said he intended to make, the president said he would seek changes to the constitution. In an earlier attempt to appease the protests, Mubarak sacked his cabinet and appointed a new one. But protesters have been resolute in saying that they refuse to stop their demonstrations until Mubarak resigns.

Speaking about the riots which have left a reported 100 people dead and over 1000 wounded, Mubarak said that they were organized by political groups that wanted to threaten the country's stability.

He concluded his speech by saying that he did not plan on leaving Egypt after stepping down at the end of his term. Mubarak, a former air force officer, took over the presidency following the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981.

"The Hosni Mubarak who speaks to you today is proud of his achievements over the years in serving Egypt and its people," he said. "This is my country. This is where I lived, I fought and defended its land, sovereignty and interests, and I will die on its soil."