Posted on 08/06/2002 12:23:49 AM PDT by Stultis
The White House says it with sorrow. The Israeli prime minister says it with impressive determination. Pundits say it as though it is stone-carved truth.
We must not reward terrorism -- by demolishing the West Bank settlements, by negotiating with Yasser Arafat (or even accepting the legitimacy of his leadership), by withdrawing Israeli troops from Palestinian territory or, above all, by seriously pushing for Palestinian statehood.
The admonition is repeated as though its meaning is crystal clear. But what, in fact, does it mean?
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
It is supposed to mean, of course, that Israel (and the United States, its chief supporter) will not call off the military action or press for a Palestinian homeland in the face of the continuing suicide bombings.But isn't the implication that all these things will happen if the Palestinians stop the suicide bombings, dump Arafat and otherwise behave? Is it believable that Israel will make -- can make -- the critical concessions in the absence of pressure that it could not make at the peak of pressure? Isn't that like expecting civil rights demonstrators to call off their marches in the hope that Bull Connor will escort them to the registrar's office, or expecting the World Trade Organization to modify its policies if only the protesters behaved civilly, or expecting management to accede to labor's demands if the picketers will just shelve their embarrassing placards and their nasty threats to strike?
This is not about giving the Palestinians a "state". This is about Israel's right to exist and their right to defend themselves against people who have made no bones whatsoever about murdering every Jewish man, woman and child.
If and when the Palestinians get their "state", the violence will continue. The intent of the Arabs is and always has been, the extermination of the Jewish people. The terrorism will continue until the Arabs achieve their goal, unless Israel gets serious about declaring war on the people who have declared war on them. And war doesn't mean sitting in a tank in front of Yasser Arafat's compound for a month and then leaving.
Are the Palestinians wrong to doubt that statehood will ever be their reward for good behavior, when no one seemed to pay much attention to their distress until the intifada?
Up until the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada, Israel was prepared to sign off on 95% of what the Palis said they wanted. A state, Jerusalem partitioned, military power, the whole ball of wax. But the Palis turned away at the last moment, because that is not what they wanted.
The Palis will not be happy until they march the Jews into the sea. Nothing short of that will satisfy them. The only to people in the World to dense to see that were Bill Clinton and Ehud Barak.
And, apparently, William Raspberry.
All this proved was how whacked out Rowan was.
I read Raspberrys article yesterday and he lumped-in Israeli retaliation with Palestinian suicide bombers as “the violence”.
To Raspberry, both parties are equally guilty.
I was a protester in the '60's. The equivalent actions would have been for me, after having been removed from the university admin. building, to go and blow up a bus full of children.
Israel in fact did just that. During the peace negotiations hosted by ex-prez Clinton, Barak offered the Palis 90% of what they wanted. At the time there were no terrorist attacks going on and the peace negotiations were not conducted in a terrorist atmosphere or during "the peak of pressure". Arafat's response was to walk out and begin the intifada. Gee, does Raspberry even read the newspaper he writes for?
I think Malcom X suggested this.
If one reads up on the history of the area, even just the last 60 years, it becomes so clear that this isnt about statehood. Its real tough to not be cynical after reading pieces just like the one here.
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