A grassroots organization has penned an open letter to President George Bush in honor of his visit, succinctly explaining why many Israelis oppose a Palestinian state.

The letter, dotted with sources from the White House website and elsewhere to bolster its points, begins by welcoming the US President to Israel.  It then explains that "vital interests" of both Israel and the US are liable to be endangered "due to your visit, particularly in view of Prime Minister Olmert's legal troubles."

By far the worst terror threat, therefore, is the potential terror machine in Judea and Samaria, just opposite the homes of millions of Israelis.





Not North or South, but East

The Mattot Arim group states that Israel's worst security threat comes not from Lebanon or Gaza, but from a potential Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria: "Israel is plagued from the north by a terror machine in Lebanon, and from the south by a second terror machine in Gaza. However, Israel's north and south border regions are populated by fewer than 200,000 Israelis. By far, the worst terror threat, therefore, is the potential third terror machine, in Judea and Samaria, just opposite the homes of millions of Israelis." 

Pro-Terror Rate in PA - the Highest in the World

The letter briefly quotes the finding of the prestigious Pew Global Attitudes Project that fully 70% of Moslems in the Palestinian Authority believe that suicide terrorist bombings against civilians can be often or sometimes justified.  The PEW survey notes that the extremist Palestinian position is "starkly at odds with Muslims in other Middle Eastern, Asian, and African nations." In fact, the next-highest rates of Muslim approval for such attacks are Nigeria, Mali, and Lebanon, with 42%, 39%, and 34%, respectively. 

Mattot Arim states that "this sinister prospect [of danger to millions of Jews] will immediately spring into being if the plans to establish a 'Palestinian state' in Judea and Samaria are pursued."



"We know from your last visit, Mr. President, that you are well aware of this problem," Mattot Arim states. "For example, on January 9, 2008, you said: 'You can't expect the Israelis, and I certainly don't, to accept a state on their border which would become a launching pad for terrorist activities.'"

Despite this, the letter to Bush continues, "Persecution of the only alternative to the Palestinian terror machine - namely the productive and peaceful, half-million strong Jewish population in Judea and Samaria - continues, including destruction of homes and places of worship, prohibitions on building homes and schools for large families with desperate housing needs, and disregard for elementary safety of these Jews from terror attacks."

Sadly, due to PM Olmert's ongoing and recently greatly exacerbated legal troubles, he cannot be expected to show leadership on the topic of Judea and Samaria.

'Olmert is Indisposed'

The letter posits that Olmert's legal troubles render him unable to solve this problem: "Sadly, due to  Prime Minister Olmert's ongoing and recently greatly exacerbated legal troubles, he cannot be expected to show leadership on the topic of Judea and Samaria. So, both Israel and the United States can look only to you to act prudently with respect to Judea and Samaria, an area which has long held the elusive key to world peace."



The letter concludes, "We are sad to observe our liberal counterparts not only openly advocating pressure against Israel, but cynically claiming that such pressure is a form of friendship. We are proud to profess a more reasonable alternative... Contrary to what you may have been informed, both the people of Israel and Israel's countless friends in the United States and abroad will welcome any steps you may choose to take to further the Jewish, peaceful and productive, alternative in Judea and Samaria.  Throughout history, whenever and wherever allowed to exist, the quiet, stable, constructive Jewish home has been a successful antidote to extremism and barbarism. Your actions can make it so again - this time in Judea and Samaria, a historically Jewish area whose importance to world peace cannot be overestimated."