Senior Israeli officials have for the past two months been bemoaning the fact the Palestinian Authority is failing to live up to its Road Map obligations. They have also insistently pointed out that the PA-brokered ceasefire, or hudna, is nothing more than a transparent veil behind which the terror groups are frenetically rearming for a new round of war.
These Israelis have been trying to get the rest of the world to see that, while their country has met a number of its phase-one Road Map commitments and thrown in a few extra ?goodwill gestures,? the PA has done nothing but contravene the agreement. Israel insists that while it is adhering to the Washington-backed plan, the Palestinians are gearing up for renewed violence, terror and warfare. This is all fine and good. The evidence certainly supports Israel?s assertions.
But then Israel turns around and releases hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in accordance with PA demands. And then it hands over security control of several Palestinian towns from which terrorism traditionally emanates. And it does so as if its own prior claims about PA noncompliance were actually not completely true, and that, in fact, the PA was being diligent and trustworthy in its efforts to keep its word - as if the PA was actually fulfilling its Road Map obligations to the letter.
Case in point - following the murders of two Israeli Jews by Palestinian genocide bombers last Tuesday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed Israel would hand over no more cities to the PA nor go through with a planned release of prisoners until the Palestinians actively cracked down on the terror groups. Only days later, Sharon went ahead and released more than 70 additional Palestinian prisoners, and, if recent reports are accurate, Israel will hand over security control of Jericho and Kalkilya to the PA this week.
Put simply, Israel?s words and its actions are in complete contradiction to each other.
How can Israel expect anyone in the West, including its millions of Christian Zionist friends, to believe anything its says, when its actions belie its words?
If the old saying holds true, Israel?s actions will speak louder than its words. Even among its Christian friends, Israel?s current behavior is likely to produce the result that its words are seen as political rhetoric, while its actions tell the real story. That is certainly the way we have learned to decipher the Palestinians? true intentions. If this does indeed happen, the West is less likely to believe Israel?s words, and more likely to see its continued gestures as proof the PA is, in fact, complying with the Road Map.
Even for those of us who are in a position to recognize Israel?s actions as political capitulation and see what is really going on with the Palestinians, it is a detrimental situation. How can we continue - at the risk of our own credibility - to voice our strong support of Israel?s war on terror, and opposition to the PA and its terrorist ways, when Israel itself undermines our efforts? Who is going to take us seriously if we strongly back Sharon?s vow to never release terrorists with blood on their hands, only to have the prime minister turn around and do just that?
This pattern will not only erode our credibility, but will have the more dangerous consequence of diminishing Israel?s deterrence factor.
So what is to be believed? If the Palestinians are feverishly preparing for an even bloodier round of fighting, then the decision to allow the PA to oversee the snake pits from which this terror is being planned is irresponsible in the extreme. By this very act, the government will almost certainly contribute to the deaths of more of the people it was elected to protect and defend.
If the Palestinians are truly trying to clamp down on terror, then they should be assisted and applauded instead of being gainsaid and undermined by Israeli accusations that they are not.
Which is it?
[Courtesy of Jerusalem Newswire]
These Israelis have been trying to get the rest of the world to see that, while their country has met a number of its phase-one Road Map commitments and thrown in a few extra ?goodwill gestures,? the PA has done nothing but contravene the agreement. Israel insists that while it is adhering to the Washington-backed plan, the Palestinians are gearing up for renewed violence, terror and warfare. This is all fine and good. The evidence certainly supports Israel?s assertions.
But then Israel turns around and releases hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in accordance with PA demands. And then it hands over security control of several Palestinian towns from which terrorism traditionally emanates. And it does so as if its own prior claims about PA noncompliance were actually not completely true, and that, in fact, the PA was being diligent and trustworthy in its efforts to keep its word - as if the PA was actually fulfilling its Road Map obligations to the letter.
Case in point - following the murders of two Israeli Jews by Palestinian genocide bombers last Tuesday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed Israel would hand over no more cities to the PA nor go through with a planned release of prisoners until the Palestinians actively cracked down on the terror groups. Only days later, Sharon went ahead and released more than 70 additional Palestinian prisoners, and, if recent reports are accurate, Israel will hand over security control of Jericho and Kalkilya to the PA this week.
Put simply, Israel?s words and its actions are in complete contradiction to each other.
How can Israel expect anyone in the West, including its millions of Christian Zionist friends, to believe anything its says, when its actions belie its words?
If the old saying holds true, Israel?s actions will speak louder than its words. Even among its Christian friends, Israel?s current behavior is likely to produce the result that its words are seen as political rhetoric, while its actions tell the real story. That is certainly the way we have learned to decipher the Palestinians? true intentions. If this does indeed happen, the West is less likely to believe Israel?s words, and more likely to see its continued gestures as proof the PA is, in fact, complying with the Road Map.
Even for those of us who are in a position to recognize Israel?s actions as political capitulation and see what is really going on with the Palestinians, it is a detrimental situation. How can we continue - at the risk of our own credibility - to voice our strong support of Israel?s war on terror, and opposition to the PA and its terrorist ways, when Israel itself undermines our efforts? Who is going to take us seriously if we strongly back Sharon?s vow to never release terrorists with blood on their hands, only to have the prime minister turn around and do just that?
This pattern will not only erode our credibility, but will have the more dangerous consequence of diminishing Israel?s deterrence factor.
So what is to be believed? If the Palestinians are feverishly preparing for an even bloodier round of fighting, then the decision to allow the PA to oversee the snake pits from which this terror is being planned is irresponsible in the extreme. By this very act, the government will almost certainly contribute to the deaths of more of the people it was elected to protect and defend.
If the Palestinians are truly trying to clamp down on terror, then they should be assisted and applauded instead of being gainsaid and undermined by Israeli accusations that they are not.
Which is it?
[Courtesy of Jerusalem Newswire]