Neck of the woods

“Israeli President Shimon Peres offered his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a history lesson on Thursday, saying his lack of knowledge about the region was an embarrassment. “It was an embarrassing speech which showed a deep historical ignorance with regard to the deep historical connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel,” he said, adding that Ahmadinejad did not even know the history of his Persian ancestors. The name Israel first appeared at the end of the late Bronze Age and Israelite tribes were living in the area more than 3,000 years ago, archaeologists say. Shortly after 600 B.C., Babylonian forces swept through the lands and forced Jews into exile and captivity. But in 538 B.C. the Persians in turn conquered Babylon and King Cyrus let the Jews return to their old homeland. “Around 2,500 years ago King Cyrus, the King of Persia, granted the Jewish people led by Ezra and Nechamia the right to return to Israel and to rebuild their home. The Jews lived on the land of Israel for thousands of years and there is no lie or leader that can remove chapters of history,”…………….”

Shimon Perez is right of course, about the history. He is also wrong in claiming that Ahmadinejad is ignorant of the history. The history is all there in the old testament. Some of it is even in the Quran. Ahmadinejad also knows the history: he is not really questioning the history. He may question the more recent history, better-documented with living eye-witnesses, the history of the Holocaust, but not holy ancient history. Even someone like Bin laden would not contest that history.
Cheers
mhg
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