Leon Uris Novels

First Palestinians, then Mexicans?

I know, I know. Talking about the problems Israel faces with its enemies who have sworn to destroy it causes many American eyes to glaze over.

From their point of view – enough is enough with Jewish problems.

Many of these same people react the same way when the issue of illegal aliens is raised. That's because they believe the people who cross our borders illegally are here simply seeking a better life, and any objections to that is blatant racism.

That there's a relationship between Israel's borders and the problems the U.S. faces with its border isn't as farfetched as you might think.

The idea of a Jewish homeland wasn't always considered a problem. In fact, there was American rank-and-file support for the establishment of the Israeli state in 1947, but that's deteriorated to popular support today being heavily pro-Palestinian.

Propaganda over the years worked, and the popular image of the "refugees" is of a suffering, put-upon people whose every problem in life would be resolved of only Israel would give back their land and just disappear from the earth. It smacks of the Nazi approach to the "Jewish problem" in the '30s and '40s.

If there's any doubt about the change in American thinking, consider the blockbuster three-and-a-half hour film "Exodus," based on Leon Uris' novel about the founding of the Israeli homeland.

Directed by Otto Preminger with a star-studded cast headed by Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint, "Exodus" garnered Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy and Golden Laurel awards and nominations for acting, cinematography and Ernest Gold's unforgettable score.

If you don't think the mood of this country has changed, can you even imagine such a film being made today – about Israel ?

The Palestinians, yes; Israelis, no.

In the years since 1947, the U.S. and Israel have been allies. Considering that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, the alliance makes sense.

But the presidency of Barack Obama changed that in a manner that shows Obama has little concern for the history of the relationship between the two countries and less concern for what the current turmoil among the countries surrounding Israel will mean to their and our

Obama's Mideast speech made it clear he's decided he wants peace there at any price. He laid down clear terms: "[T]he borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps.