Posted on 08/25/2003 3:57:44 PM PDT by SJackson
The latest bus bombing in Jerusalem clearly proves (as if any more proof were needed) that making peace with the Arabs is an impossibility. There is no solution to this conflict that will be satisfactory to both sides. Therefore, the time has come for Israel to execute a complete reversal of policy.
Israel's goal must not be peace, but victory, because without victory there can never be peace. The Palestinians and their supporters seek a war of annihilation against us. We must deal with them as they deal with us. We must stop trying to differentiate between good and bad Palestinians, just as they don't make that distinction among Jews. We must recognize that this is a war between two peoples, not a war between one people and a small group of unrepresentative extremists from another people.
We must stop saying, after every terrorist atrocity, that the Arabs have to decide whether they want to live in peace with us or not. They clearly made that decision a long time ago, and the answer was "no."
We must stop saying, after every attack, that the PA must crack down on terror, or else we'll do it ourselves. The PA clearly has no intention of cracking down on terror, so why should we hesitate any longer?
We must stop saying, after each new bombing, that we'll give the PA just "one more chance" to prove its good intentions. All negotiations with the Palestinians must end. Against this type of enemy, diplomacy can achieve nothing, and can only be counterproductive. Trying to find moderate Arab leaders such as Abu Mazen to replace extremist ones such as Yasser Arafat is pure futility. All of the Arab leaders seek Israel's demise. And in a society based on violence, anger and lust for blood, the most brutal elements will always rise to the top.
We must take full possession of the entire Land of Israel, obliterate the Palestinian leadership and expel the Palestinian Arabs from the land. We must abandon the foolish notion that we don't need to do this, because the international community will somehow solve our problems or fight our battles for us.
In advocating the Jewish takeover of all the Land of Israel, and the expulsion of the Arab population, I am of course aware that victory and defeat are determined by God, and not by our own force and skill. Israel will not be able to subdue its enemies and live in peace unless it gets help from above. Therefore, we must focus our attention on making ourselves worthy of such help. We must take a hard look at ourselves and at Jewish society, and begin to correct those flaws that keep God apart from us. We must rise above all base instincts, and acknowledge that we are here to serve the Creator on His terms, no more and no less. When we do this, all of our efforts will be successful, and we'll have no need to fear any enemies.
We must not allow ourselves to be seduced by pleasant-sounding belief systems such as universal humanism, which is based on the falsehood that all people are basically good, and that all problems can therefore be resolved peacefully. Good and evil are not inherent qualities, but choices that people make. And many people choose evil over good, because they think it will bring them greater benefits. The Arabs hate us because they have chosen to hate us. They're committed to their choice, and nothing we can do can change it. All we can do, with God's help, is to drive them out before they can carry out their murderous plans.
Using religious concepts as a basis for policy raises a difficult question. It is a basic tenet of Judaism that God wants us to possess the Land of Israel, and that He will help us to do so. But Islamists claim that God has rejected the Jews, and wants Muslims to destroy them. Both sides claim that God supports their cause. How can the average person know which side, if either, is telling the truth?
Thousands of years ago, Israel's prophets predicted not only the exile, but also the return. The fact that Israel exists today after all our tribulations is proof that God has not abandoned us. Also, we have not allowed ourselves to become consumed by hatred for the enemy. Even though they're forcing us to annihilate them, we continue to recognize them as human beings. This ability to see God's handiwork in every creature, and realize that each person, no matter what they do, is playing a role in the Master Plan, is a positive spiritual trait that evokes God's mercy and opens the gate to help from above.
As for the Islamist claim that God wants them to kill the Jews, it is true that those who serve God may sometimes be called on to wage war. But the servants of God do not make hatred the centerpiece of their lives. They don't allow their souls to become consumed by rage. They don't revel in slaughter, or derive pleasure from bloodshed. They don't slander their enemies with a constant stream of incendiary falsehoods, or teach those falsehoods to their children. They recognize and respect the fact that their enemies are human beings, regardless of their differences.
Whether they realize it or not, the Islamists are serving the Devil, not the Lord. They use religion as a rationalization and a mask for their true objectives, which include domination of others by force, eradication of all opponents, and also murder and bloodshed for their own sake. Suicide bombers who target innocent women and children because their teachers told them that this would earn them a place in Heaven will be extremely disappointed when they open their eyes on the other side.
I happen to agree with this author; yet at the same time, I'm amazed that his attitude is identical with that of the pro-Jewish sympathizers of the first century Roman occupation, perhaps even including Jesus.
That's been said so many times, so many ways. One day they'll put them in a book and send it over to the State Dept.
I think thats an unfair comparison, but I agree, we should acknowledge an ally, and leave her free to fight a common enemy.
Of course, I'd support cutting all aid to Israel, and giving her back the Sinai :>)
IMO that's not the only connection, it's not a religious question, rather a moral one that lots of Americans can decipher. The terrorism is directed at Israel, and Jews, and Americans, Christians (aka Crusaders), Hindus, Buddists, Indians (Native Americans too, though not high on the list), Indonesians, Phillipinos, et al. It's not about blowback, simply belonging to the right club, and yes, Israel is at the center of it, but it doesn't end there.
I don't much like his tenure at State, but I do respect the man. I wonder if he cares? Sometimes he strikes me as someone marking time in a position he was ill suited for.
Works for me. Don't have to explel them though. Following me around, my new nazi friend?
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