Commentary/Contentions
13 December '11
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/12/12/homes-efrat-peace-un/
Once again, the announcement of a small housing project by Israel is causing the United Nations to claim that such settlement building prejudices the peace process. But the overwrought statement from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on this subject was even more off the mark than most such condemnations of Israeli actions. The plan that set off alarms at the UN and other Israel critics is for the building of 40 homes in the town of Efrat in the Gush Etzion bloc just outside of Jerusalem.
The place where the homes are being built is a town that even many Palestinians have conceded would remain part of Israel in the event of a peace deal. If there are to be the “land swaps” that President Obama has said would be part of his demand for negotiations on the basis of the 1967 lines, then there is no doubt that Efrat and Gush Etzion will be areas that are swapped. So how then would the addition of 40 new families or even 400 or 4,000 Jews to that settlement prevent a two-state solution in the event the Palestinians ever changed their minds and accepted one? More to the point, the history of Gush Etzion makes the effort by the Palestinians, and implicitly supported by the UN, to evict not only new settlers but also the existing inhabitations of Gush Etzion, particularly inappropriate.
But even if you ignore the history, the idea that building a few more houses (and adding a few more Jews to towns that the overwhelming majority of Israelis have no intention of relinquishing under any circumstances) harms the peace process is absurd. Indeed, the new homes in Efrat are no more an obstacle to peace than the thousands of housing units now under construction in Arab neighborhoods in the Jerusalem area which are, for some reason, not deemed controversial.
Were the Palestinians the least bit interested in a two-state solution in which they would recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state of Israel no matter where its borders were drawn, the presence of Jews in any of the settlements wouldn’t be an issue. They know very well that the majority of Israelis are prepared to sacrifice many of the settlements in exchange for real peace. They also know that if they want peace, they need to forget about a repeat of 1948 when the Gush bloc was wiped out. That is one spot on the map Israelis will never agree to give up.
Leaving aside the hypocrisy of the UN and the intransigence of the Palestinians, it should also be noted that a representative of Peace Now was quoted as criticizing the new homes in Efrat. Those wondering why the Israeli left has lost its influence over the Israeli public need only read that statement for evidence of just how out of touch that organization — and its American cheering section — are with Israeli public opinion.
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Regarding Settlements and who is really running out of time.
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Perhaps one day in the very long and distant future some one will have the simple human guts to stand up and say:
"Until the day that those who have sworn to destroy the State of Israel, reverse that sworn position and ideology and agree to sign Treaties in the presence of the entire UN Membership, that they recognize Israel's right to exist, Israel will continue to build homes for its people, wherever, whenever and how so ever Israel chooses is in the best interest of its people, and at Israel's sole discretion".
All the big lies about how the Middle East conflict got to where it is today evolved over time and represent the collective and aggregate mountain of lost opportunities in which spokes persons for the Israeli people did not stand up and challenge the rewriting of the Middle East's geographic/territorial history.
There is a certain irony that it is a non-Israeli, non-Jewish individual, Mr. Newt Gingrich, who recently had the courage to fire the shot heard round the world by stating what no one else had the guts to say about those Arabs who believe they have a right to make certain territorial claims on the State of Israel.
Hopefully, with time, as more and more individuals begin to speak up and inject more and more additional, irrefutable facts into the public conversation re the whole Middle East debate, the endless discussion/s about a so-called "Peace process" can take on a sense of reality as opposed to hysteria and/or the wild and delusional pipe dreams that exist in and emanate from the mostly belligerent and non peaceful countries that surround the State of Israel.
There was a moment in history around the time of modern Israel's founding that a "Two State" solution was offered and rejected by the Arabs.
Some opportunities come but once in a lifetime and but once in the world's history.
The "Middle East Peace Process" was the name of a train that left the station more than half a century ago.
The Arab nations of the Middle East chose not to be on it.
That train will never return -nor should it, considering all the precious Jewish lives, which over half a century, have been needlessly lost because the Arabs refused to board the original "peace train" when they had the opportunity to do so.
As more people of courage rise up to point out these truths, perhaps the nature of the entire Middle East debate will begin to regain some degree of sanity.
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ReplyDeleteRegarding Settlements and who is really running out of time.
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Without going into detail it should be pointed out that the State of Israel presently possesses the technological, scientific know-how and absolute ability to emerge supreme in any future conflict with one or even all of its enemies. Indeed Israel, if it wished could bring all life to a stupifying standstill in any nation surrounding Israel without initially killing or harming a single individual in that nation in any way whether man, woman or child. I will refrain from saying more on this topic except to say if there is ever another war, G-d forbid, in the Middle East it will be fought by the State of Israel in a manner unlike anything the world has ever seen.
In short when one listens to the rhetoric emanating from the mouths of the leaders of Israel's enemies one is challenged to know if he should laugh or cry at the recklessness and foolish ignorance displayed by Israel's enemies. They do not have a clue what they are up against as they hurl their imbecilic hate and threats at this small, (but only in geographic size) nation.
The best thing the Arabs can do for themselves at this point in time is to try to arrive at some form of solid Peace Agreement/s with the State of Israel while they still have the chance.
It is Israel's enemies, not the State of Israel that is fast running out of time.
But if history is any indication, one should hardly expect Israel's enemies to ever be capable of digesting that simple fact.
If only America had a President who understood all the above and acted accordingly with the requisite degree of intelligence, wisdom and integrity.
It would be for the good of the entire world.