The U.S. is attempting to broker a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The American President George Bush addressed the UN and invoked the "P" word. It was the first time an American president referred to a Palestinian state as "Palestine". President Bush must understand what this entails, namely, Israel jeopardizing its security and historical rights. His desire to see an independent Palestinian state called Palestine in peaceful co-existence with Israel will not be fulfilled as long as Arab states continue to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist as a nation.
Not once has Arafat even hinted at the political structure of a new Palestinian government or at cutting down on the anti-Israel rhetoric. Will the new state operate as a democracy or will it continue as a totalitarian dictatorship? Will it continue to permit acts of terrorism to be launched from its newly-acquired territories, posing even more of a threat to Israel? Edward Walker, a former U.S. administration official, is a prominent advocate of Palestinian self-determination. ?If what we're talking about is a Palestine that is a mini-Taliban regime,? said Walker, ?I'd be the first to stand with Prime Minister Sharon and say: ?Hell no. Who needs it???
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell - one who sees nothing wrong with equating Palestinian terrorists with freedom fighters - did not address these issues in his speech on U.S. policy in the Middle East last week, in Kentucky. He did not introduce a new Middle East peace plan, just revived the old one, the Mitchell Committee Report from May, which calls first and foremost for an immediate ceasefire as a basis to reconvene peace talks. Israeli Prime Minister Sharon rightfully continues to insist on seven days of peace as proof of Palestinian resolve, and then calls for the Mitchell Committee Report's six-week cooling-off period before resuming negotiations with the PA.
Last Monday, just prior to Powell's speech, three more Israelis were wounded in drive-by-shootings. Yet Powell wants Sharon to lower his restrictions, drop the seven-day period of quiet. He mentioned in his foreign policy speech on Monday that "too many Palestinians have grown up with checkpoints, raids and indignities." What he neglected to mention is that too many Israelis live endlessly in fear for their lives from a population whose members are trying to blow them up. Hence, the need for checkpoints and raids - as preventative measures to prevent additional terrorist attacks in Israel. Powell is expecting Israel to lower its defenses. Doing so would only expose Israel to more terrorism and give terrorists easier access to undefended areas within Israel. Would Powell lift restrictions at U.S. airports for the sake of the dignity of foreigners?
Most Israelis would like nothing more than to see peace in the Middle East, but only if Israel's security is not compromised. That means Palestinians must accept the recommendations of the Mitchell Commission Report, which urges Palestinians to make it clear that terrorism is unacceptable and to "incarcerate terrorists operating within the PA's jurisdiction." Yet Arafat will not re-arrest known Islamic terrorists. He sends them in and out a revolving door as he has done for years. Just two weeks ago Arafat released senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Mohammad Tawalbeh, the night after he was arrested by the PA in the West Bank town of Jenin, home base for many suicide bombers. Tawalbeh is on Israel's 10 most-wanted list, having organized many suicide bombings and shootings. The next evening, the PA released two DFLP (Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine) terrorists who were arrested following the Oct.17th assassination of Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi.
The Palestinian track record is not good. The Tel Aviv disco suicide bombing on June 1st killed 22 Israeli teenagers - less than a month after Israel agreed to the Mitchell peace plan. Terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad are gaining more public support in some PA-controlled territories than Arafat's own Fatah organization and they challenge Arafat's authority on key issues. Islam is also used to drive the anti-Israel hate machine. Last year, Arafat's Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the religious leader who forbade Moslems to join the U.S. anti-terror coalition, stated that Middle East peace can only come if and when ALL of Israel is liberated - not just the disputed territories - and the Jews expelled. "The land of Palestine is not only Jerusalem; this land stretches from the (Jordan) River to the (Mediterranean) Sea," he said.
In schools, Palestinian children are taught that "there is no alternative to destroying Israel", from the PA's 6th grade textbook, "Our Country Palestine", title page of Volume 1. President Bush last month declared that "the idea of a Palestinian state has always been a part of a vision, so long as the right of Israel to exist is respected." The Palestinians have not yet shown themselves ready to accept the existence of Israel. Arafat has not shut down the jihad summer camps for suicide bombers, where young Palestinians train to kill as many Israelis as possible. More and more suicide bombers are being groomed, nurtured endlessly on anti-Israel terror-inciting propaganda infused in their state-controlled media, school textbooks and mosque sermons.
Once created, this new Palestinian state would be easily capable of eating away at what is left of Israel's security, phase two of Arafat's "Strategy of Phases", adopted in 1974 by the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). It is the strategy of weakening and destroying Israel gradually, phase by phase. The Oslo accords in 1993 served as phase one, whereby Arafat promised to put a stop to terrorism, but didn't. Former Israeli PM Rabin wrote in his memoirs: ?Palestine will rise upon the ruins of the State of Israel.? We are deluding ourselves into believing that Arafat would now accept that which he rejected last year at Camp David: a Palestinian state on almost all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem and even a ?right-of-return? to Israel proper for thousands of Palestinian refugees who held land before the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948. Arafat has unleashed a bloodbath over the past year and rewarding his terror tactics with statehood is giving the green light to more terrorism.
Furthermore, there has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. It was the name given to the land of Judea by Roman occupiers. There is no language or culture known as Palestinian and there is no such thing as a Palestinian nation. Palestinians are Arabs, like their ethnic brothers in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. After 1922, when Palestine no longer included what is now Jordan, thousands of Arabs came from neighboring countries to find work on Jewish projects to improve the land and create industry. They gradually began calling themselves Palestinians, particularly after 1964 when the PLO was formed. There was no serious movement for a Palestinian state until Israel captured the disputed territories in 1967 from Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In other words, those lands were not considered "occupied" until Israel seized them. Until then, they were considered legitimate possessions of the aforementioned countries. It must also be stressed that these territories were seized by Israel in a defensive move, when the surrounding Arab nations waged war in an attempt to destroy Israel. That still remains a goal of most Arab nations.
It is high time we recognize that at present, land will not bring peace, nor will a Palestinian state bring security to Israel. Arab hatred for Israel and the Jews will not cease to exist while it remains a center-piece of their curriculum and media. It was prevalent before Israel captured the disputed territories in 1967. In fact, it existed long before the Israeli declaration of independence in 1948. Returning to the pre-1967 borders, as Powell implicitly suggested Israel do in his speech ("Israel must be willing to end its occupation, consistent with the principles embodied in Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338..."), and accepting a Palestinian State will neither diminish Arab hatred, nor guarantee Israel's security. Renewing any deals, such as land-for-peace or state-for-security, with those who remain dedicated to Israel's destruction will almost certainly guarantee just that: Israel's demise.
Until the Palestinians are ready to make some changes, Israel should not be placing itself in a position where it can no longer defend itself.
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Cynthia Yacowar-Sweeney is an associate with the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research (CIJR) in Montreal.
Not once has Arafat even hinted at the political structure of a new Palestinian government or at cutting down on the anti-Israel rhetoric. Will the new state operate as a democracy or will it continue as a totalitarian dictatorship? Will it continue to permit acts of terrorism to be launched from its newly-acquired territories, posing even more of a threat to Israel? Edward Walker, a former U.S. administration official, is a prominent advocate of Palestinian self-determination. ?If what we're talking about is a Palestine that is a mini-Taliban regime,? said Walker, ?I'd be the first to stand with Prime Minister Sharon and say: ?Hell no. Who needs it???
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell - one who sees nothing wrong with equating Palestinian terrorists with freedom fighters - did not address these issues in his speech on U.S. policy in the Middle East last week, in Kentucky. He did not introduce a new Middle East peace plan, just revived the old one, the Mitchell Committee Report from May, which calls first and foremost for an immediate ceasefire as a basis to reconvene peace talks. Israeli Prime Minister Sharon rightfully continues to insist on seven days of peace as proof of Palestinian resolve, and then calls for the Mitchell Committee Report's six-week cooling-off period before resuming negotiations with the PA.
Last Monday, just prior to Powell's speech, three more Israelis were wounded in drive-by-shootings. Yet Powell wants Sharon to lower his restrictions, drop the seven-day period of quiet. He mentioned in his foreign policy speech on Monday that "too many Palestinians have grown up with checkpoints, raids and indignities." What he neglected to mention is that too many Israelis live endlessly in fear for their lives from a population whose members are trying to blow them up. Hence, the need for checkpoints and raids - as preventative measures to prevent additional terrorist attacks in Israel. Powell is expecting Israel to lower its defenses. Doing so would only expose Israel to more terrorism and give terrorists easier access to undefended areas within Israel. Would Powell lift restrictions at U.S. airports for the sake of the dignity of foreigners?
Most Israelis would like nothing more than to see peace in the Middle East, but only if Israel's security is not compromised. That means Palestinians must accept the recommendations of the Mitchell Commission Report, which urges Palestinians to make it clear that terrorism is unacceptable and to "incarcerate terrorists operating within the PA's jurisdiction." Yet Arafat will not re-arrest known Islamic terrorists. He sends them in and out a revolving door as he has done for years. Just two weeks ago Arafat released senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Mohammad Tawalbeh, the night after he was arrested by the PA in the West Bank town of Jenin, home base for many suicide bombers. Tawalbeh is on Israel's 10 most-wanted list, having organized many suicide bombings and shootings. The next evening, the PA released two DFLP (Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine) terrorists who were arrested following the Oct.17th assassination of Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi.
The Palestinian track record is not good. The Tel Aviv disco suicide bombing on June 1st killed 22 Israeli teenagers - less than a month after Israel agreed to the Mitchell peace plan. Terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad are gaining more public support in some PA-controlled territories than Arafat's own Fatah organization and they challenge Arafat's authority on key issues. Islam is also used to drive the anti-Israel hate machine. Last year, Arafat's Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the religious leader who forbade Moslems to join the U.S. anti-terror coalition, stated that Middle East peace can only come if and when ALL of Israel is liberated - not just the disputed territories - and the Jews expelled. "The land of Palestine is not only Jerusalem; this land stretches from the (Jordan) River to the (Mediterranean) Sea," he said.
In schools, Palestinian children are taught that "there is no alternative to destroying Israel", from the PA's 6th grade textbook, "Our Country Palestine", title page of Volume 1. President Bush last month declared that "the idea of a Palestinian state has always been a part of a vision, so long as the right of Israel to exist is respected." The Palestinians have not yet shown themselves ready to accept the existence of Israel. Arafat has not shut down the jihad summer camps for suicide bombers, where young Palestinians train to kill as many Israelis as possible. More and more suicide bombers are being groomed, nurtured endlessly on anti-Israel terror-inciting propaganda infused in their state-controlled media, school textbooks and mosque sermons.
Once created, this new Palestinian state would be easily capable of eating away at what is left of Israel's security, phase two of Arafat's "Strategy of Phases", adopted in 1974 by the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). It is the strategy of weakening and destroying Israel gradually, phase by phase. The Oslo accords in 1993 served as phase one, whereby Arafat promised to put a stop to terrorism, but didn't. Former Israeli PM Rabin wrote in his memoirs: ?Palestine will rise upon the ruins of the State of Israel.? We are deluding ourselves into believing that Arafat would now accept that which he rejected last year at Camp David: a Palestinian state on almost all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem and even a ?right-of-return? to Israel proper for thousands of Palestinian refugees who held land before the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948. Arafat has unleashed a bloodbath over the past year and rewarding his terror tactics with statehood is giving the green light to more terrorism.
Furthermore, there has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. It was the name given to the land of Judea by Roman occupiers. There is no language or culture known as Palestinian and there is no such thing as a Palestinian nation. Palestinians are Arabs, like their ethnic brothers in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. After 1922, when Palestine no longer included what is now Jordan, thousands of Arabs came from neighboring countries to find work on Jewish projects to improve the land and create industry. They gradually began calling themselves Palestinians, particularly after 1964 when the PLO was formed. There was no serious movement for a Palestinian state until Israel captured the disputed territories in 1967 from Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In other words, those lands were not considered "occupied" until Israel seized them. Until then, they were considered legitimate possessions of the aforementioned countries. It must also be stressed that these territories were seized by Israel in a defensive move, when the surrounding Arab nations waged war in an attempt to destroy Israel. That still remains a goal of most Arab nations.
It is high time we recognize that at present, land will not bring peace, nor will a Palestinian state bring security to Israel. Arab hatred for Israel and the Jews will not cease to exist while it remains a center-piece of their curriculum and media. It was prevalent before Israel captured the disputed territories in 1967. In fact, it existed long before the Israeli declaration of independence in 1948. Returning to the pre-1967 borders, as Powell implicitly suggested Israel do in his speech ("Israel must be willing to end its occupation, consistent with the principles embodied in Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338..."), and accepting a Palestinian State will neither diminish Arab hatred, nor guarantee Israel's security. Renewing any deals, such as land-for-peace or state-for-security, with those who remain dedicated to Israel's destruction will almost certainly guarantee just that: Israel's demise.
Until the Palestinians are ready to make some changes, Israel should not be placing itself in a position where it can no longer defend itself.
---------------------------
Cynthia Yacowar-Sweeney is an associate with the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research (CIJR) in Montreal.