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Essays, Opinion, & Commentary |
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Agust 13, 2007 Realism, Not Pessimism, And Certainly No Room For Optimism by Gerald A. Honigman
Yet another State Department Arabist takes Jews to task for wanting to survive the Foggy Folks' less than friendly--if not downright hostile--"peace" (of the grave) plans. We'll return to this later… First, imagine, for one moment, that the entire territory of the United States was reduced to the size of New Jersey. Rather than being separated from any real or potential enemies by thousands of miles of oceans as it formerly was, this new, constricted America is still surrounded by the rest of the same territory that was the old America…but that land now consists of enemies dedicated to mini-America's destruction. Next, picture that the animosity of the enemies America faces has nothing to do with its size --for America is now indeed tiny--but is based on their belief that Americans have no historical or political right whatsoever to the land. Our enemies, instead, claim all of the area--including America--as purely their own patrimony. Next, picture that mini-America with 6 million Americans, surrounded by hundreds of millions of enemies who would like to have it for dinner, has a powerful, friendly nation across the sea from which it gets most of its support--militarily, financially, and so forth. The problem is that America's friend also has deep connections to America's far more numerous and wealthy enemies. The friend wishes that America would be more "pliable" so that it could further its standing with them for many reasons--not the least being the enormous amount of money being made by government employees, courtesy of those above deep connections, as they move through the revolving doors of government and business. There are, of course, strategic and other reasons as well. The dilemma here is that just supporting a viable, independent America is enough to make America's enemies its powerful friend's enemies as well. Okay…Welcome back to reality. The above, of course, is the relationship between Israel and America reversed. On August 10th, an Israeli newspaper quoted former Prime Minister, now Defense Minister, General Ehud Barak, as saying that Israel would not withdraw from the West Bank before finding a solution to Palestinian Arab rocket attacks, "which will take between three to five years." Commenting on others' wishful thinking about a "quick peace," Barak then added, "the Israel public reacts sanely in not believing such fantasies ... for it is not possible to envisage a separation with the Palestinians before finding the means to protect the population against shootings" from rockets or missiles. Consider, please, that after Israel totally withdrew from Gaza--while it was still under the "moderate" Abbas' control--towns in southern Israel proper were hit non-stop by Arab rockets, mortars, and so forth. Consider also that the Arab intifada was launched under Fatah's watch--not Hamas'--and the Arafatians did nothing to stop the blown buses, teen nightclubs, restaurants, and other barbarism deliberately targeting the most innocent. Not only did they not stop it, but they were often a party to the atrocities themselves. Next, think about this… When it comes to the subject of a Jewish Israel, there is no disagreement between Fatah and Hamas on this subject--despite the whitewashing and cover-ups that the State Department has been doing in Arafat's and his successors' names for decades now. So, Israel is faced with a Hamas openly calling for its destruction and Abbas' Fatah Arafatians adhering to their destruction in phases and Trojan Horse strategies for Israel's elimination. Abbas has never changed the platform he ran on for Israel's destruction (but by "more acceptable" means), and the schools, mosques, camps, television stations, newspapers, maps, websites, and so forth look no different than Hamas' when it comes to the acceptance of a Jewish State as a permanent neighbor. On the contrary, Israel's disappearance or non-existence is the perpetual message in all of Fatah's outlets. After Abbas' Fatah got the boot from Gaza recently, it then had to start the sweet talk up once again to gain additional American support. Since it doesn't take much to get the Foggy Folks to squeeze the Jews ( they opposed Israel's rebirth in the first place and have often been nasty to its mere basic interests ever since), the full court press was indeed short in the coming, with a weak-kneed Israeli leadership bearing the brunt. And this time, Israel's alleged "best friend," President George W. Bush, was leading the charge. With a long term good prognosis for Iraq not likely, Dubya would like a success he could point to in the region as he leaves office. The birth of Arab state # 22--and second, not first, Arab state in " Palestine" (Jordan sitting on about 80% of the original 1920 Mandate)--would do nicely…for many reasons. Enter Ehud Barak… Ironically, this is the same guy whom President Bill Clinton--aiming to redeem his own presidency--squeezed at Camp David and Taba not long ago to give away the store. Luckily, Arafat refused. But, here we are again a bit later--yet with virtually the same scenario. Abbas has so far proven to be nothing more than Arafat in a suit. He too "condemns"--wink, wink--blowing Jews apart while funding those who do so and having his own Fatah folks take part. He plays the good cop/bad cop game well with State Department assistance. And for such "moderation"--he still refuses to give up on his demand to overwhelm Israel with millions of alleged "returning" jihadist refugees, talks only of a hudna /cease fire, refuses to confront Arabs who terrorize Jews, and so forth-- Prime Minister Olmert (the other Ehud) & Co. have turned over arms and military equipment, released terrorists, given up territory, provided funds, further exposed Jews to Arab terror, etc., etc., etc. When Barak commented that Israel should not be rushed to a virtual retreat to its miniscule1949 armistice lines existence before it developed better means to deal with attacks that will likely be launched from new territory scheduled to be turned over to Abbas, he was simply stating the facts that the most naïve of the naïve could understand. What Defense Minister anywhere faced with such realities Barak is confronted with would plan differently? Would America be so trusting of an enemy with such a proven deadly, rejectionist record? Well, after Barak responded as we've read above, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (she already has an oil tanker named for her…all hail the petrobuck!…just ask, among many others, former Secretary of State James Baker) had her man at Foggy Bottom do the typical Arabist dirty work. Tom Casey issued an insulting diplomatic slap calling Barak's comments "overly pessimistic." Can you ever recall a Foggy spokesperson issuing such a slap to one of the feudal Arab oil despots--even after 9/11 and all of those Saudi homicide bombers? Not good for business…if ya know what I mean. Again, many a Foggy Folk and other government official has eventually benefited from the Arab oil spigot…including the Bush family. Finally, read General Barak's comments again. Where's the pessimism? He is a seasoned Israeli military leader who knows his enemies far better than any Foggy Arabist does. Would Casey allow Dulles Airport, the White House, Pentagon, and such to come within range of rocket fire from an enemy dedicated to our destruction and which has constantly launched missiles at us in the past--even after extensive unilateral concessions were made to them? How about, perhaps, Casey's own kids--would he bare their necks so optimistically given the nature of the enemy Israel faces? What evidence does Casey provide that the Fatah leopard will change its murderous spots? We've heard the empty sweet Arafatian tune before. Excuse after excuse after excuse has been made for them. Meanwhile, Abbas' boys have been reported to be currently renegotiating deals with Hamas and paying Hamasniks with money recently released to Abbas by Olmert under Washington's pressure. What evidence does Casey have of a Fatahstan which will fully recognize a Jewish Israel and finally change its charter which calls for Israel's destruction? Or a Fatahstan which will ever teach acceptance instead of the joys of martyrdom to its children? None. None at all… But the Jews, in a nation the size of New Jersey, will continue to be squeezed anyway, and this time it won't be just places like Sderot in the Israeli Negev under fire, but Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and most of Israel's population and industry which are located in Israel's narrow 9-16 mile wide waist that will be under attack. Realism, Mr. Casey…not pessimism. And certainly not optimism. Yet, only if the latter was truly available, would the core concessions Israel is being forced to make make any sense. As many of us have written, this whole thing has the stench of Munich 1938 about it, with Chamberlain's sellout of the Czechs to Hitler to supposedly achieve peace for our time. Unfortunately, none of this matters right now with the folks running the show in Washington. So, what will it take to wake the Israeli public up from its dangerous slumber? A great Hebrew sage, Rabbi Hillel, proclaimed a few thousand years ago, "if I am not for myself, who will be? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" Israel has bent over backwards to make critical concessions to those who still seek its destruction anyway. It's time for the first part of Hillel's message to at last be taken seriously. Gerald A. Honigman is a Florida educator who has done extensive doctoral studies in Middle Eastern Affairs. He has created and conducted counter-Arab propaganda programs for college youth, has lectured on numerous campuses and other platforms, and has publicly debated many Arab spokesmen. His articles and op-eds have been published in dozens of newspapers, magazines, academic journals and websites all around the world. Visit his website at http://geraldahonigman.com/.
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Shocking…
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