Now that it's been a year since America tasted horrific acts of terrorism on its own soil, it's important to review that Saudi "peace plan." I know you're thinking, "What? The very country that supplied nearly all of the September. 11th terrorist hijackers? The same place that has an appalling record of human rights abuse, especially towards women and non-believers? And the country that offers support money to families that produce a suicide bomber?!"
Hey, I didn't write the script, but it sure seems straight out of Hollywood. Well, make that the Marx Brothers to be more specific.
Wasn't this the very thing that the Oslo Accords was supposed to accomplish? You know the scenario; Israel gives away land and territory and cities to the so-called Palestinians. They, in turn, recognize Israel's right to exist. Nothing major like full commerce. Just small things like letting them drive their cars around, eat in restaurants, and take buses without getting shot or bombed.
Surprise, surprise. Israel gave, as they had given the entire Sinai area to Egypt for peace. (Although with the recent discovery of tens of illegal underground arms-smuggling tunnels between Egypt and PA controlled areas, ya gotta wonder what kind of peace we're talking about.) At any rate, the so-called Palestinians took. Then, almost before the ink dried on these great documents, they quickly violated every term. They began accumulating weapons and using millions of donated funds, not for self-government or self-improvement, but for the specific purpose of bringing terrorism within Israel.
The Saudi "peace plan" rings as hollow as the attempted bribery donation that the former mayor of NYC, Guiliani, so bravely rejected. There is nothing that justifies the horrific acts of 9/11. So too, with Israel. There is no "cycle of violence" or "tit-for-tat" exchange, as it is often referred to in the media. It is a sovereign nation (democratic and peace loving, in fact) trying to defend itself against an openly hostile enemy.
Trust me on this one: If there was a foreign element, or group of people, doing the same thing within American cities, no matter how legit their personal grievances might be, they'd be long gone. Their towns & cities of refuge would be leveled. (Recall the nearly 24/7 two-month bombing campaign against Afghanistan.) No questions asked. No eulogies & no wimpy EU boycott of American products. America would not tolerate the almost daily level of terrorism that Israel puts up with, within their borders. As well they shouldn't.
The Saudis, in a blatant attempt to divert attention away from their own involvement in international terrorism as well as domestic repressive policies, come up with the novel approach for the Middle East - land for peace!
For Israel, it's a case of "been there, done that, folks." In normal situations, perhaps, it might have worked. Israel forgot (but hopefully learned once & for all) that its partner was not at all interested in peaceful co-existence. While Israel outlaws anything that smells of anti-Arab philosophy, from bumper stickers to political parties, such as Kach, the other side openly teaches hatred of Israel and the Jewish people, glorifies violence, sings the praises of suicide bombers, and doesn't even put Israel, no matter how small, on their PA controlled school textbook maps. In another one of their favorite tricks - rewriting history, they actually teach the little tikes that there has never been a Jewish presence in the Middle East! It clearly has been a one-way street.
The unwise creation of an official Palestinian state would be more of the same. Like the American-Indians during the 1800's, who saw new deal after new deal, it meant only one thing: Give a little now, more later, and eventually the whole thing. The Indians bargained in good faith. The other negotiating party was spelling the word somewhat differently. It wasn't "peace" they were after, but "piece" - until the Indian had nothing left.
Sounds a whole lot like Israeli/Arab politics.
For the sake of democracy and the free world, it's high time to lay this ridiculous "land for peace" policy to rest. Israel belongs to the Jewish people for a variety of reasons. First, in terms of time - and we're talking lots of it, they've been living there since the times of Abraham, close to two thousand years before Islam even came on the scene! Second, as most Christians acknowledge, there is the Biblical claim - God's "promised land" to the children of Jacob. Third, Israel has most of the current land after it won four major wars since 1948. Wars, mind you, that they did not start and tried their best to avoid. Never before in the history of the world has a nation been under almost constant pressure to relinquish territory it captured in battle, and thus, threaten its own security.
For the Arabs it's a big case of sour grapes. They started these wars (about six of 'em) and lost. Israel won. Since when does the losing, openly hostile side dictate policy to the winners?
But we can put all these reasons aside for two small, yet very significant numbers: 9/11. After this fateful day, when the world witnessed first-hand what terrorism can do, America needs all the real friends it can get. In the Middle East, there's only one true ally we can rely on. It's time to strengthen Israel, not weaken her.
Like the anti-drug campaign, we need to simply say no . No to land-for-peace and no to a Palestinian state. We need to do this for the sake of stability in the Middle East, the world at large, and even for the so-called Palestinians, who are much better off under a democratic Israel than a militant Arab regime. Ask yourself this million dollar, no-brainer: Do we really want yet another anti-democratic, autocratic, corrupt, violent, anti-American and anti-Israeli state in the Middle East?
Even the Marx brothers would be dumbfounded.
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Dr. David Lazerson, Dir. - Project CURE!
Miami Beach, Fl.