Much has been written about Mahmoud Abbas' recent rant attributed as a response to Trump's declaration about Jerusalem. Much has been made about how that rant proves that Abbas is not serious about peace and about how the media systematically ignore the parts that most directly make that point. However, I would like to suggest that Abbas' speech demonstrates the point I have made in the past about why our demand should be for for a three-part declaration:
- The Jews are a people
- The Jewish people are deeply connected to the Land of Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular
- The Pact of Umar has no place in the modern world
Countering the notion that it is an unreasonable demand could take some work. The major point in doing so is that failure to make the three-part declaration, or making it and then contradicting it even if less egregiously than in Abbas' recent rant, is demonstration of a belief that Israel's simple existence is an injustice and that any concession to reality is only momentary until reality would not hinder addressing that "injustice." However, the most important part in gaining acceptance for that demand would be to present it.
Many people would say that there is no need to bother with any of that. All that is needed is to look at the Koran and the Hadith and that all the proof is there that the Muslims are unable to accept the permanence of Israel. However, the three-part declaration dispatches any need for essentialist assessments of Muslim beliefs. If someone is unable to make the three-part declaration, it is good enough proof for me that that person will not except Israel's right to exist, and it doesn't matter whether that inability stems from one's interpretation of religious tenets or belief that a visiting alien said to deny it. By the same token, if someone were to make the three-part declaration, and not follow up with any form of contradiction, it would show that whatever religious doctrines exist, they are not an obstacle for that individual to accept Israel's right to exist.
Of we could simply take them at their word and deed. Abbas wants to break all relations with Israel and the US? Fair enough. Starve, die screaming, whatever.
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with setting conditions for doing otherwise and justifying doing as you say until those conditions are met?
DeleteThere's nothing wrong with pretending. We pretend about all sorts of things. We can pretend that Hobbits walk the earth and dragons rule the skies too. Pretending isn't a plan or a policy. It's a wish. And wish based geopolitics isn't useful. Sitting down with 'palestinians' is no more a way forward than trying to teach hounds to juggle. It's never ever ever ever going to happen. Not in their wheelhouse.
ReplyDeleteDon Draper: "What do women want?"
Roger Sterling: "Who cares?"
What's your plan to prevent the absence of peace from being an impetus for international sanctions? Hope that the United States will perpetually elect presidents who don't care if Israel is stymieing peace settlements?
DeleteI'd rather create a narrative in which Israel is not responsible for the absence of peace. Part of doing so is pretending to go through the negotiations and setting defensible conditions on making concessions.
It is a pointless waste of effort to creep along on your knees beseeching them to think as highly of you in inverse proportion to your own obsequies self loathing. Advocacy is counter-insurgency and must be fought as a counter insurgency. Step 1 is ignore what the Arabs have to say about anything for about a year. 100% blackout. Step 2 is make unilateral actions in parallel with the blackout. Step 3 start a countdown clock that defines the schedule for a complete separation of all shared infrastructure services. Step 4 broach no discussion what your plans are, no public policy debates at all.
Delete"The editor of Ma'an News Agency says that it is time for Israeli Jews to leave. Dr. Nasser Al-Laham titled his article "This land belongs to the Arabs. To the Jews of the world: The visit is over."
ReplyDeletehttp://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2018/01/editor-of-maan-says-jews-visit-to.html
Trudy is of course, right. Ultimate peace will look like this: absolute and total war and victory over Gaza and the "west bank," with a demand for total surrender and an Israeli imposed settlement. Barring the evolution of Muslims and Arabs 3 or 8 hundred years down the road of course.
"This land belongs to the Arabs."
DeleteThe "Palestinian" mask drops. Will anyone notice?
Well, I think Nikki and Trump have noticed. The rest of the international community not so much. The EU refused to comment on Abbas' antisemitic rant. I did an internet search but found no evidence that any country other than Israel and Nikki Haley have condemned his remarks.
DeleteThing is, the world is probably embarrassed by the mask they helped stay on slipped but they aren't about to admit it or do anything about it. Looks like to me Trump's peace plan is working perfectly.
NEW:
ReplyDelete***********************************
Articles about the Palestinians
from Aish HaTorah:
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www.aish.com/jw/me/Golda-Meir-on-the-Palestinians.html
www.aish.com/shraga_blog/The_Palestinian_Money_Pit.html
www.aish.com/jw/me/The-Truth-about-Palestinians.html
www.aish.com/jw/me/Believing-Palestinian-Lies.html
www.aish.com/jw/mo/Staged-Palestinian-Photos.html
www.aish.com/jw/s/The_Pro-Palestinians_Real_Agenda.html
www.aish.com/jw/me/48882577.html
www.aish.com/jw/me/48897862.html
www.aish.com/jw/me/48883522.html
www.aish.com/jw/me/48908777.html
I am glad that you have decided to hang around.
DeleteYou are good man.
I keep looking at this piece and Trudy's response to it.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to be offering us a sharp line.
Sar Shalom's position makes perfect sense to me.
Let the Palestinian-Arabs acknowledge those three points as the price of admission because if they refuse to do so it means that they are still at war.
On the other hand, Trudy's harder line has increasing appeal given the fact of never-ending Arab refusal to give up the fight against us children of apes and pigs.
Therefore, I've been arguing for a long time, now, that Israel needs to be more unilateral in its approach.
I certainly think that Israel should give up, entirely, on any negotiations with any of these malicious groups from the PLO and the PA and Fatah and Hamas and Hezbollah and on and on. Israel should no more negotiate with Mahmoud Abbas than it should with Boko Haram.
Israel is nurturing healthier relationships with countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Let those countries acknowledge Sar Shalom's three points out of national self-preservation.
The PA can drop dead.
:O)
DeleteNo.
Abbas true face shown in this speech of his is the true face of any and all future Palestinian "peace partners." Possibly those faces will be even uglier when you look at the current crop of possible candidates. The fact that most of the world has been willing to ignore Abbas vile rhetoric suggests they will likely give any upcoming monsters a break in the name of peace...aka the destruction of Israel.
DeleteI guess what I was thinking of was this link supplied by Mr. Cohen.
Deletewww.aish.com/jw/me/Golda-Meir-on-the-Palestinians.html