Prophet and Priest

While basking in the radiant sunlight of our recent “marriage” to the United Arab Emirates iI would be wise to remember the meeting between the prophet of the Southern kingdom of Judea, Amos, with the priest of the northern kingdom of Israel, Amatzia.

In their meeting the prophet Amos made it very clear to the priest Amatzia “lo navi anochi v’lo ben navi”..

I am nether a prophet nor a son of a prophet, referring his powerful message as only the words of the One True God.

We are living in glorious historical times, as our esteemed Founding Editor of THE TIMES OF ISRAEL, David Horovitz, has so brilliantly written in his most recent article to our readers, “An Arab state happy to be seen with Israel”.

Over several years I have been influenced by his words, the words of a navi, a prophet, though probably not a ben navi, a son of a prophet.

He writes in his own skillful words facts as he sees them. And in his recent message to readers everywhere he hails the recent rapprochement between the Jewish State of Israel and the Arab Muslim emirates of the Gulf states.

But clearly we know that no-one does something for nothing. For tolerant Abu Dhabi the road to their needs lies at Israel’s open doors with the United States of America.

Having been refused by America to sell to the United Arab Emirates the F-35 fighter planes which they drool to purchase, the closed doors may be opened by Israeli influence on the Trump government. And hopefully before the American election in November.

The UAE is perhaps the most tolerant nation on the face of the earth, surpassing even a race-hatred society within parts of the USA. Jews are welcome to live in the UAE and there is even a synagogue in Dubai which serves the religious needs of a small community of foreign Jews who live there.

The reception given to a delegation of Israelis arriving on an El Al flight via Saudi Arabian air space and landing in Abu Dhabi whose airport was covered with a red carpet intended to welcome the Israeli dignatories is symbolic of Arab hospitality, more gracious than that of western nations.

In comparison with our diplomatic relations with neighboring Egypt and Jordan, one might compare the differences to an oven and a freezer… one quite warm and the other quite cold.

It remains to be seen the real motives of the United Arab Emirates to turn its back on its membership in the Arab League. What, if nothing but scorn, can it possibly receive from fellow Arab nations?

Like David Horovitz I too have hailed and praised the newborn relationship with a modern and educated Arab nation while cautiously keeping both eyes wide open to the possibility of a future disappointment.

While the newest event in our history is akin to a marriage, we are very much aware that an unhappy marriage can lead to an unpleasant divorce.. And with every divorce there are complications which include financial settlements. It is commonly known as alimony.

Israel may have the ability to convince an untrustworthy America to sell the UAE some if its desired F-35 planes. But why would a peace-loving UAE need them? It is thankfully not at war nor hostility with any other nation near or far and in the event of an attack upon its sovereignty it can count upon aid from its neighbor in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The dignity and pomp and circumstances of the newly demonstrated relationship between our distant countries was remarkable, a sight to be seen and hailed by all of us, instead of receiving the hated negative remarks from both Egypt and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Both jealous of a warm peace.

I lack the magnificent and skillful words and brilliance of our distinguished chief editor and founder, David Horovitz.

And I yield to his immense wisdom.

The only question I have of him… which one of us is Amos and which one of us is Amatzia?

Who is the prophet and who the priest?