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Jewish World Review June 11, 2003 / 11 Sivan, 5763 Double suicide By David Warren
http://www.jewishworldreview.com |
I would devote more attention to fine details if I thought the large ones
were generally understood. I therefore invite my readers to obtain two
crayons, a razorblade, and an outline map of the Middle East.
Use one color of crayon to fill in the Arab countries, as neatly as
possible, plus or minus Iran. Now, sharpen the other crayon with the
razorblade to as fine a point as you can, and use it to color in Israel --
taking great care not to slip into Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, Gaza,
Jordan, or the Sinai. The area around Jerusalem will be especially
difficult, perhaps you should use a rapidograph.
The State of Israel was created in 1948, by the same U.N., in the face of an
invasion by the armies of all its Arab neighbors. Some three-quarters of
the Arabs living in what became Israel fled -- mostly on instructions from
their own leaders, who promised they would soon return. The number was
between 600,000 and 700,000. At the same time, Jews dispersed throughout the
Arab world -- some 860,000 of them, counted on their arrival in Israel --
fled their own homes and left most of their belongings to make new lives in
Israel. Forget blame -- I am only saying look at both halves of the apple.
President George W. Bush by fax: (202) 456-2461, (Andrew Card, Chief of Staff)
or by e-mail.
Dr. Condoleeza Rice, National Security Advisor, FAX (202) 456-2883, PHONE (202) 456-9491
Mr. Elliot Abrams, the Director for Near East and North African Affairs, at FAX (202) 456-9120, and by phone through his secretary Joanna, (202) 456-9121
Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, 1000 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1000 or by e-mail form:
http://www.defenselink.mil/
Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense, 1010 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1010 or by e-mail form
http://www.defenselink.mil
Surprise: Israel does not agree to commit suicide. Surprise: the Arabs will
settle for nothing less. The diplomatic "road map" leaves this issue to be
resolved "later".
It does, however, demand that Israel begin now, to remove Jewish settlements
from the West Bank. For it is commonly accepted, among the world's
diplomats, that Jews have no right by history or birth or otherwise to live
without invitation in territory "belonging" to Arabs.
Now let us draw in the focus to present events, as recent as yesterday. The
Israelis retaliated for the latest terrorist hits on Israeli soldiers and
civilians, by attempting to assassinate Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a senior leader
of the terrorist organization Hamas. They did this several days after the
new Palestinian premier, Mahmoud Abbas, publicly declared that he would
"under no circumstances" act against Hamas, and after Hamas itself had
publicly pledged to continue terror strikes on Israel. From his hospital
bed, Rantisi repeated his call for the extermination of all "criminal
Zionists" -- an expression which in the Hamas lexicon means all those Jews
not descended exclusively from Arab forebears (who would thus be entitled to
"dhimmi" or protected minority status in return for paying special taxes
under an Islamic theocracy).
President Bush, through his spokesman, condemned Ariel Sharon for ordering
an attack that "will undermine efforts by Palestinian authorities and others
to bring an end to terrorist attacks and does not contribute to the security
of Israel." As the recipient of the strikes of Sept. 11th, 2001, Mr. Bush
should understand that Mr. Sharon will be his own judge of what constitutes
a necessary response to terror.
Mr. Sharon and Israel will not stop retaliating for terrorist hits. Nor, for
that matter, will they be stopped from dismantling West Bank settlements, if
they can see the prospect of something in return. In yesterday's case, there
was nothing in return: for Mr. Abbas had already declared he wouldn't
himself act against Hamas.
The Israelis will make hard decisions, but not suicidal ones, and granting
an open season on Jews to Palestinian terrorists would be suicidal.
The Bush administration is trying to appease Arab opinion by telling the
Israelis to do what they just won't do (stop defending themselves); and to
assuage Israeli opinion by telling the Palestinian Authority to do what they
just won't do (confront the terrorists themselves, and thus sign their own
death warrants).
This is not a "road map." It is a demand for a double suicide, and it is
absolutely crazy.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. JWR contributor David Warren is a Columnist for the Ottawa Citizen. Click here to comment on this column. © 2003, David Warren | |||||||||||||
