You can't have, won't have peace when one side does not want it. Revolutionary concept or what? Most Palestinians don't want it if you listen to them.
The conflict clearly isn’t solvable right now, because when asked whether there’s “a way for Israel and an independent Palestinian state to coexist peacefully,” a whopping 61 percent of Palestinians said “no,” while only 14 percent said “yes.” (Israelis, in a triumph of hope over experience, said “yes” by a 50-38 margin.) In other words, a huge majority of Palestinians said that even if a Palestinian state is established, the conflict will continue as long as Israel continues to exist. So where does that leave the chances for Israeli-Palestinian peace? Palestinians have actually been telling pollsters this for years. In a 2007 poll, for instance, 77 percent of Palestinian respondents said “the rights and needs of the Palestinian people cannot be taken care of as long as the state of Israel exists.” And in a 2011 poll, 61 percent of Palestinians said they saw a two-state solution only as a stepping-stone to Israel’s ultimate eradication. Thus the problem isn’t that Palestinians are dishonest about their intentions; it’s that Westerners consistently choose to ignore their frank avowals and focus instead on anything that could possibly be interpreted as grounds for optimism–like the desire for greater American involvement voiced in last week’s poll.And if you are one of the fools who believes in Palestinian Solidarity, you better be prepared to support terrorism as a tactic:
If you are in solidarity with the Palestinian people and our right towards self-determination, then you are in solidarity with our rights to fight colonialism by all means, including armed resistance, there is no compromise. Not that an occupied people needs a law to take back its dignity, however, UN resolution 3070 by the general assembly even states that a colonized population has the right to liberate itself using armed resistance. The selective support for a single form of resistance (usually unarmed) is not genuine solidarity.No room for any of you peaceniks!!!
And if you are are a potential BDS'er, according to the Angry Arab, you need to be against the very existence of Israel:
1) The movement has to take a clear, categorical stance against the very existence of Israel. The deliberate decision to suspend the agreement on the political goal is rather hypocritical as it allows friends of Zionism to infiltrate the movement and to sabotage its mission.Listen to what they say! You aren't going to like it unless you are a Jew hater. Luckily for them there are lots of those out there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IxbTaG-l-4k
ReplyDelete41 minutes with subtitles. In Hebrew and English, for the most part.
The key point to take away from any of this is not that the Arabs are Arabs or that in their binary world view there are two options - death or glory, or maybe death AND glory. The key point is that talking to them at all is a complete waste of time. There's no end game. There's never a point ever where the Arabs have said "This is enough, this is our last demand". There is no last demand. Talking to them is a tactic to tie you down.
ReplyDeleteIn a similar note, Jonathan Schell in "The Seventh Decade" - a somewhat concise review of the history atomic weapons...for the first 7 decades, notes in his chapters about Iran that there's a kind of cultural glitch in dealing with the Iranians and with Arab nations as well. In it he recounts statements by Germans who were initially recruited to build out Iran's nuclear capability but who grew frustrated and walked away. The problem they encountered was that the Iranian never stop renegotiating and demanding changes. Never. Even when you give them everything they ask for, they stop, make new or contradictory demands and go back to the beginning again. They never stop this. Never. It it more important to them to beat their partners over the head with constant ceaseless complaints and changes than it is to make progress. Whatever it is, no matter how small and meaningless the issue, even if it's something they just argued about and got - they still persist. It's some of weird honor based artifact where the Iranians can never see themselves as partners or equals. They have to delude themselves into seeing themselves as kings and gods.
And as far as honor based cultures go, this fits the Arabs to a T. Whatever it is they demand, it's not the demand they're interested in. What they're interested in is you caving to them. That is all that matters. It is unimportant what concessions Israel makes because the Arabs the only factor is THAT they made concessions. That is their victory. So in order to guarantee an endless supply of victories they simply demand more and new and different concessions. The details don't matter. The specifics are meaningless. Whether Israel gives them anything concrete or not isn't the point. Simply saying they agree to submit is the only point. The world "Islam" means "submission", this is entirely what they're about.
What Israel should do is simply ignore them. Don't agree to talk to them about anything and don't make any statement that they won't. Don't say anything at all. Arab culture dictates they would rather be hated than ignored. So ignore them, utterly. No break in relations nor any change in them either. Just stop having these relations and don't comment on them.
At the Khartoum Conference after the 6 Day War, is when the Arab league concocted the '3 No's'. They declared as doctrine no recognition of Israel. This is more or less what Israel should do except they shouldn't state it, since stating it gives someone an opportunity to condemn it, fisk it, parse it. Simply say nothing at all, not even the phrase 'no comment'. Just silence. It will make their heads explode. Don't make any claims about what they will or will not do about Iranian missiles or terrorist in the Sinai. Make no claims about al Aqsa, Make no statements about Egypt's blockade of Gaza or any COGAT activities. Make no statements about Golan. Have absolutely nothing at all to say about Iran, Syria or Hezbollah. And when questioned as to why they are silent, be silent as the only response. When Kerry comes to Israel making noises about something or other, have nothing to say at all. Zero.
What Israel should do is simply ignore them. Don't agree to talk to them about anything and don't make any statement that they won't. Don't say anything at all. Arab culture dictates they would rather be hated than ignored. So ignore them, utterly. No break in relations nor any change in them either. Just stop having these relations and don't comment on them.
DeleteThis is generally what I favor. Though I'd prefer we not generalize Arab people, many of whom are my neighbors and friends, as a whole, I do believe in this specific circumstance the best tack for Israel to take is to shut them down (shut 'em down!), tune 'em out, and turn 'em off.
14 centuries of oppression is enough. It's time for our people to be free.
We've stood up for everybody else over the years, now it's time to stand up for ourselves.
If you ask me.
Norman,
ReplyDeletewe don't see much of you around this joint, but I certainly see you elsewhere.
Let me ask you this. If peace is impossible because the Arabs do not want it for theological reasons, what is the best course of action for Israel to take?
What I suggest is that Israel declare its final borders, remove the IDF to behind those borders, and then toss the keys over their shoulder.
What I do not suggest is the complete annexation of Judea and Samaria.
Where are you on this question?