Ha’aretz publishes an op-ed that says the Arab war against Israel is ideological, not territorial. I think what he means is, “It’s the Islamism, stupid.”
Peres, who wrote enthusiastic articles in favor of the greater Land of Israel in a journal I edited, and Olmert, who collected signatures on a petition that stated “liberated territory will not be returned,” and later guarded the settlers at the Kaddum camp with me, should know very well that the main reason for the Arabs’ war against the Jews is ideological and not territorial, and that even a concession of 100 percent will not satisfy the Arabs.
This is why the 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon strengthened Hezbollah and not the moderates, and why Hamas, not Fatah, won control in free elections after 25 Israeli settlements were uprooted from the Gaza Strip.
If the conflict were territorial, a Palestinian state would have arisen in 1947 when the Jews greeted the partition plan with singing and dancing; certainly the Palestinians would have been prepared to accept the 1948 armistice lines as permanent borders. Ultimately they would have accepted – following an internal crisis, which they probably would not have overcome – the far-reaching concessions that prime minister Ehud Barak made to Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat in 2000.
But at the crucial moment, Arafat proved that even 96 percent of the territory, including the Temple Mount, was not his real goal. And now, with Hamas having won in free elections, will it accept less than Fatah would have?
The extent of the extremism can be seen through what is happening among the Arabs of Israel. A week ago, a delegation headed by Shawki Khatib, the chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, met Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and demanded he refrain from any agreement with Israel that is not acceptable to Hamas.
That would explain why every Muslim nation on earth would like to see Israel disappear.
There have been many instances when I wished that, just for a day, the Israelis weren’t civilized people. Just let them have one day when they’re free to let their inner beasts roam free, severed from any ties to their superegos. I believe that the Islamic terrorists would start killing any and all of their brethren who voiced a “hey, let’s go kill some Jews” opinion. Fear of annihilation can be quite a motivator for peace.
Then I come to my senses and remember that Israel is completely unlike its enemies, which is why said enemies continue to survive.
Radical Arab Muslims want to conquer the world for Islam.
Moderate Arab Muslims only want to kill all the Jews.
Concessions only encourage them.
Ed Hausman is a genius!
I sure wish Joshua would’ve listened…
Robert