The Middle East conflict is difficult to solve, but it is among
the simplest conflicts in history to understand. By Dennis Prager
The Arab and other Muslim enemies of Israel (for the easily confused, this does not mean
every Arab or every Muslim) want Israel destroyed. That is why there is a Middle East
conflict. Everything else is commentary.
Those who deny this and ascribe the conflict to other reasons, such as "Israeli
occupation," "Jewish settlements," a "cycle of violence,"
"the Zionist lobby" and the like, do so despite the fact that Israel's enemies
regularly announce the reason for the conflict. The Iranian regime, Hizbollah, Hamas and
the Palestinians -- in their public opinion polls, in their anti-Semitic school curricula
and media, in their election of Hamas, in their support for terror against Israeli
civilians in pre-1967 borders -- as well as their Muslim supporters around the world, all
want the Jewish state annihilated.
In 1947-48, the Arab states tried to destroy the tiny Jewish state formed by the United
Nations partition plan. In 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan tried to destroy Israel in what
became known as the Six-Day War. All of this took place before Israel occupied one
millimeter of Palestinian land and before there was a single Jewish settler in the West
Bank.
Two months after the Six-Day War of June 5-10, 1967, the Arab countries convened in
Khartoum, Sudan, and announced on Sept. 1, 1967, their famous "Three NOs" to
Israel: "No peace, No recognition, No negotiations."
Six years later, in 1973, Egypt invaded the Israeli-held Sinai Peninsula, a war that ended
in a boost in Egyptian morale from its initially successful surprise attack. Though nearly
all of the Sinai remained in Israel's hands, the boost in Egyptian self-confidence enabled
Egypt's visionary president, Anwar Sadat, four years later (November 1977), to do the
unimaginable for an Arab leader: He visited Israel and addressed its parliament in
Jerusalem. As a result, in 1978, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in return for
which Israel gave all of the oil-rich Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt.
Three years later, in 1981, Sadat was assassinated by Egyptian Muslims, a killing welcomed
by most Arabs, including the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Why welcomed?
Because Sadat had done the unforgivable -- recognized Israel and made peace with it.
The lesson that Palestinians should have learned from the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement
was that if you make peace with Israel, you will not only get peace in return, you will
also get all or nearly all of your land back. That is how much Israelis ache for peace.
Think about Israel for one moment: Israel is one of the most advanced countries on earth
in terms of culture (most books published, translated from other languages and read per
capita; most orchestras per capita, etc.); major advances in medicine; technological
breakthroughs; and decency as a society, as exemplified by its treatment of its women,
gays and even its large Arab minority (particularly remarkable in light of the widespread
Arab and Muslim anti-Semitism and desire to annihilate Israel). This is hardly a picture
of some bloodthirsty, land-grabbing society. And Jews, whatever their flaws, have never
been known to be a violent people. If anything, the stereotypical Jew has been depicted as
particularly docile.
As a lifelong liberal critic of Israeli policies, the New York Times foreign affairs
columnist Thomas Friedman wrote just two weeks ago: "The Palestinians could have a
state on the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem tomorrow, if they and the Arab League
clearly recognized Israel, normalized relations and renounced violence. Anyone who says
otherwise doesn't know Israel today."
Give Israel peace, and Israel will give you land.
Which is exactly what Israel agreed to do in the last year of the Clinton administration.
It offered PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat about 97 percent of the West Bank and three percent
of Israel's land in exchange for peace. Instead, Israel got its men, women and children
routinely blown up and maimed by Palestinian terrorists after the Palestinians rejected
the Israeli offer at Camp David. Even President Clinton, desirous of being the honest
broker and yearning to be history's Middle East peacemaker, blamed the ensuing violence
entirely on the Palestinians.
Israel's Camp David offer of a Palestinian state for Palestinian peace was rejected
because most Palestinians and their Arab and Muslim supporters don't want a second state.
They want Israel destroyed. They admit it. Only those who wish Israel's demise and the
willfully naive do not.
If you don't believe this, ask almost anyone living in the Middle East why there is a
Middle East War, preferably in Arabic. If you ask in English, they will assume you are
either an academic, a Western news reporter, a diplomat or a "peace activist."
And then, they will assume you are gullible and will tell you that it's because of
"Israeli occupation" or "the Zionist lobby."
But they know it isn't. And it never was. by Dennis Prager Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Article and Feedback TownHall.com
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Carlotta writes: Dennis is 100% right. You just need to read the Qur'an, in which
"Allah" commands muslims to kill Jews. If you don't believe me, just read the
Qur'an online, you'll find many versions with a Yahoo! search. I don't believe how naive
so many people are, people who assume that muslims are peaceful like us, without ever have
read their most basic book. Muslims prefer war, that's a religious obligation. Moreover,
the goal of the believer is to subdue **all** nations by the saber until all the world is
islamic. See also www.americancongressfortruth.org for a heart-wrenching account of life as a
christian in a muslim country. Muslims are also supposed to **lie** to non-believers about
their imperialistic ideals - there's even a name for that: Taqqiya.
Wake up and smell the coffee, America. The conflict is coming to our shores. Do you think
that they will stop after having killed the Jews? The only solution - besides supporting
Israel 100% - is to ban muslim immigration to this country, on the grounds that their
culture is antagonistic to ours.
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steinwedell writes: Israel is a better place to live
I have only visited the Middle East two times. The first a mentor, who had ties with both
sides, he was a World War II hero in Africa through Italy, was our tour guide. Our
historian was the Chaplain of the British Army during WWII and his wife.
Our group stayed in East Jerusalem, and had a lecture from a PLO talking head giving us
her ideas of struggle. My mentor was concerned we have a balanced and full view of the
situation.
The second time was during the early 90's, without such a tour.
Both times it was clear to me, that the non-Jewish people were happy to be in Israel, and
were treated much better than most Arabs or Palestinians in the entire Middle East.
Israeli’s are mostly non-religious. And they are socialistic and atheistic in their
paradigm. With the exception of their country. But they understand the need for treating
others with respect and dignity, and except for the ‘normal’ human political
maneuvering which can be vicious, there is a practicality and common sense with most
Israelis.
The Palestinian issue, especially the ‘camps’ seemed more to do with major Arab
influence and power believes that solving the problem, or bringing these unfortunate
people into their own countries, or dividing part of their countries to provide cities,
infrastructure etc., is not politically expedient. Money, land, resources are not a big
issue, except for Israel.
The point is Palestinians are not, nor ever wanted by any other Arab country. The economic
issues were more evident of a culture of highly structured hierarchy, with fear and
tradition keeping movement upward, or rewarding of initiative. Education and knowledge
give people choices which it seems most leaders do not want their people to have, for the
truth shows the leaders themselves to be men wanting power, and willing to use their own
to keep it.
Palestinian camps have an average age of around 15 years. This is when young men, need to
have purpose and higher ideals and hope of becoming significant to themselves, even if
only to themselves, but to having a family and moving on. In these camps they are taught
lies about the evil of the Jews, of the blessedness of martyring of themselves to find
life and eradicate the Jews. With Clinton’s Onslow attempt at peace, Israel was
willing to give almost their entire security advantage for peace. Arafat said no. Because
without the hatred of the Jews, the anger all funneled to Israel as the reason for all
their problems, and discontent, the impotency of the PLO, Hezbollah, leadership and
authority to do anything required for peace and security would be exposed. Things like
infrastructure, schools, health, a moving economy, competitive and growing without a death
grip on their constituents is impossible. So the truth would expose these leaders.
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