Distorted Reasoning at Annapolis

www.aish.com ^ | 11/25/07 | Natan Sharansky

[Convert from ECUSA]

One of the high points at which the drama could have turned into a farce within seconds occurred nine years ago at the Wye Plantation summit. After exhausting and debilitating efforts, we received from Yasser Arafat a promise (even if half-hearted and unwilling) to delete from the Palestinian Charter the sections calling for the destruction of Israel.

Upon leaving the conference room, we saw one of the closest advisers of President Bill Clinton and proudly told him about our achievement.

"Are you out of your minds?" he shouted. "He's going to be killed because of that. He is too weak for dramatic steps like that. First he has to be strengthened!"

I recalled this tragic-comic story a few days ago as I was talking with a player from the international elements engaged in building up the destroyed Palestinian economy. When I asked him why they weren't making aid to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) contingent on stopping the anti-Israeli incitement on the official television channel and in the Palestinian education system, he replied, "Abu Mazen is so weak, and this is not a popular step. First of all, it is necessary to strengthen him and afterward it will be possible to demand something of him."

I have never understood this strange reasoning: First strengthen the weak leader, by giving legitimization to anti-Israeli actions that he allows (or encourages, and sometimes even operates) and then, once the anti-Israeli positions have made him popular, expect that he will suddenly change his spots and lead his people determinedly toward the desired peace.

This distorted approach has become a kind of sacred cow. "We must strengthen Abu Mazen," say Israel's leaders as a kind of mantra. It is of no importance that along the way they are educating another generation of Palestinians to hatred, violence and the aspiration to destroy Israel. It is of no importance that the way to the strengthening is the diametric opposite of peace and dialogue. The main thing is that we are strengthening Abu Mazen.

The old argument of President Shimon Peres and Meretz MK Yossi Beilin and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on "with whom to make peace, a strong leader or a weak leader" is no longer relevant. A look back over the years since the Oslo Accords shows clearly that the direction in which Palestinian society has marched is not the direction of peace. It was all in all just a hudna (truce) before another intifada. And when the society is becoming more extreme, what difference is it to us if the leader is strong or weak?

It is true that to carry out courageous reforms and educate the people to peace, a strong and bold leader is needed. Leaders like that, who understand the need for education toward peace and reforms, do exist -- but not in the Muqata in Ramallah. These are people who are not afraid to challenge the tyranny of the weak leader and who believe in building a civil society as a necessary foundation for any progress on the road to peace.

As chairman of the Institute for Strategic Studies, I meet them quite frequently. It is true that they are weak, but for one reason only: We ourselves are weakening them by giving unreserved support to "moderate" tyrants. The justification that support for these troublemakers weakens the only element that is capable of stopping Hamas doesn't hold water: It is precisely the strengthening of an antidemocratic regime and the absence of an alternative that are pushing the public into the arms of fundamentalists, into the arms of Hamas.

Annapolis is doomed to failure not because we or the Palestinians have not made enough concessions -- it is doomed to failure because it is built on distorted reasoning to the effect that it is possible to move ahead and make a deal with some leader and totally ignore what is really happening in Palestinian society. In this, to our regret, Annapolis has become another tragic-farcical Middle Eastern scene.

This article originally appeared in Haaretz.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Ping!

[DoughtyOne]

Natan Sharansky

Who am I confusing this guy with. Isn’t there a well known Marxist that goes by this name, a mentor of Bill and Hillary, or something like that?

This article makes some very good points. I agree with it.

[DoughtyOne]

Strange as it may seem, it was Saul Alinsky that I was confusing with this guy. My bad. At least that’s my perception at this point.

[Convert from ECUSA]

You may be thinking of Saul Alinsky, who is a red-diaper bolshie of the lowest kind (he mentored Billy Jeff and Queen Evita).

Natan Sharansky is about as far from Alinsky as can be. He was a prisoner in the USSR for wanting to emigrate to Israel back in the 80s. He’s a great friend of the United States.

[SunkenCiv]

After exhausting and debilitating efforts, we received from Yasser Arafat a promise (even if half-hearted and unwilling) to delete from the Palestinian Charter the sections calling for the destruction of Israel.

That never took place, which means the "agreement" is null and void.

[DoughtyOne]

Yes, I believe you are right. And now that you mention it, I do remember Sharansky in the context you have touched on. I appreciate the reminder.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Excellent article

Disturbing that Bush/Rice have adopted the failed Carter/Clinton Anti-Semitic-Pro Terrorist response to the Mid East.

There will never be peace in the Middle East until you deal w the Islamics through force, first. Not a single deal w the Jews and the Islamics has ever worked

Sad to see Bush now renege on the War on Terror by having peace talks with various Islamic Terrorist States. The WOT is obviously over

[SJackson]

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[blasater1960]

Distorted is a bit of an understatement IMHO.

I think these peace conferences do tremendous harm because it further solidifies the lie of the palestinian narrative and conversely undermines Israels right to exist.

[Salem]

"Distorted Reasoning at Annapolis..."

Like President Bush predicting a "Palestinian state by '08".

Keep praying for our feckless, fallible leaders.

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[montag813]

Annapolis is doomed to failure...

Let us pray that comes to pass.

[Convert from ECUSA]

"I think these peace conferences do tremendous harm because it further solidifies the lie of the palestinian narrative and conversely undermines Israels right to exist."

Exactly right!

[RockinRight]

Let’s not throw the towel in just yet...even if Bush doesn’t do this right he won’t be the one in charge forever.

[Convert from ECUSA]

"Keep praying for our feckless, fallible leaders."

Quite honestly, I have given up on our leaders. I pray for the Lord to bless and protect Israel and to confound and plans and those who come up with them, that every plan they try to implement to Israel's detriment falls flatter than a lead pancake. What ever happened to "you're either with us or with the terrorists?" Obviously, that doesn't apply to Israel. In the case of Israel, the administration expects Israel to make all the concessions for the sake of "peace." I used to think that if the shoe was on the other foot, the administration would stand firm against anyone claiming US land, but given the latest cave-in by the administration and DHS to the ACLU and the illegal alien special interest advocacy groups to "negotiate" the enforcing of US laws regarding employment of illegal aliens, if La Raza or MALDEF demanded Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, I would not be surprised to see a flurry of negotiations with Calderdon to discuss a "two-state" solution for the American southwest.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Believe me, I’ve been praying that this conference will be confounded and flop like a cold, wet fish.

[Tolik]

Natan Sharansky:

...I have never understood this strange reasoning: First strengthen the weak leader, by giving legitimization to anti-Israeli actions that he allows (or encourages, and sometimes even operates) and then, once the anti-Israeli positions have made him popular, expect that he will suddenly change his spots and lead his people determinedly toward the desired peace.

This distorted approach has become a kind of sacred cow.

...A look back over the years since the Oslo Accords shows clearly that the direction in which Palestinian society has marched is not the direction of peace. It was all in all just a hudna (truce) before another intifada. And when the society is becoming more extreme, what difference is it to us if the leader is strong or weak?

It is true that to carry out courageous reforms and educate the people to peace, a strong and bold leader is needed. Leaders like that, who understand the need for education toward peace and reforms, do exist -- but not in the Muqata in Ramallah. These are people who are not afraid to challenge the tyranny of the weak leader and who believe in building a civil society as a necessary foundation for any progress on the road to peace.

As chairman of the Institute for Strategic Studies, I meet them quite frequently. It is true that they are weak, but for one reason only: We ourselves are weakening them by giving unreserved support to "moderate" tyrants. The justification that support for these troublemakers weakens the only element that is capable of stopping Hamas doesn't hold water: It is precisely the strengthening of an antidemocratic regime and the absence of an alternative that are pushing the public into the arms of fundamentalists, into the arms of Hamas.

Annapolis is doomed to failure not because we or the Palestinians have not made enough concessions -- it is doomed to failure because it is built on distorted reasoning to the effect that it is possible to move ahead and make a deal with some leader and totally ignore what is really happening in Palestinian society. In this, to our regret, Annapolis has become another tragic-farcical Middle Eastern scene.

Nailed It!
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[metesky]

bttt

[Convert from ECUSA]

Thanks! Sharansky gets it, as usual! I wish he was the Israeli PM (or Bibi Netanyahu for that matter) instead Tweedledee the wonder dummy (alias Olmert).