Soon after the current war began, I cringed when I heard suggestions from hardliners that Israel should just fight it out with the Palestinians and, if need be, the rest of the Arab world once and for all. That approach still seems out of line, but after three-and-a-quarter years of hearing constant news of my brethren being murdered, that approach is no longer out of mind. It is an idea worth holding in reserve.
As time moves on, arrogant statements from self-proclaimed Arab leaders push me further to the right all the time. The fact is, we have been engaged in a war and the Arabs have lost. In so many words, they have admitted as much by agreeing to attempts at a peace pact and making lame efforts to form a provisional government.
However, there are two words that we have yet to hear from them: "We surrender."
After all, that is usually what happens when one side wins and the other loses. Not in Israel's case, of course. Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 in a brief war that was, in effect, started by the Arabs. Since September 2000, Israel has worn down the Arabs militarily and economically. So that's the another time the Arabs lost a war that they started.
The usual victor does not negotiate with the loser. Rather, he dictates terms. I would not have a problem with the Israelis talking a peace deal with the Arabs, but some Arab attitudes do not exactly endear themselves to those who try to give them some free rein.
When Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suggested moving settlers from Gaza to the West Bank, Arab negotiator Saeb Erekat retorted that any such plan "undermines the basic foundation of peace," according to the New York Times. Erekat also said, "The settlements in the West Bank are as much an obstacle to peace as the settlements in Gaza."
Here's another obstacle to peace: Walking out on talks in which you are offered an independent state and initiating a war, which has left 900 Israelis and 2,600 Arabs dead. Still another obstacle: Killing innocent human beings. Ending the genocide bombings would go a long way to providing for peace.
Also recently, the United States threatened to cut off $200 million yearly from the Palestinian Authority for health, education, water and other programs operated by the U.S. Agency for International Development, because of the Authority's failure to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killing of three American security guards in the Gaza Strip last October.
According to the Washington Post, Brig. Gen. Jibril Rajoub (national security adviser to Yasser Arafat) said, "The Americans stopped their involvement, waiting for the results of the investigation. I think that's blackmailing. Americans are using this isolated case in order either to not be involved (in efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) or to blackmail the Palestinian people."
Rajoub should know blackmail when he sees it: Such as when a group of hijackers threatened to murder 100 Jews in Uganda 28 years ago unless a bunch of terrorists were released. Or promising not to kill people if you are given land lost in a war that you started.
Let me be clear: I have serious concerns about Ariel Sharon's handling of this war, but I know crap when I hear it. That's a fair assessment of Ereket and Rajoub's remarks. And that's something that does not deserve to be rewarded.
As time moves on, arrogant statements from self-proclaimed Arab leaders push me further to the right all the time. The fact is, we have been engaged in a war and the Arabs have lost. In so many words, they have admitted as much by agreeing to attempts at a peace pact and making lame efforts to form a provisional government.
However, there are two words that we have yet to hear from them: "We surrender."
After all, that is usually what happens when one side wins and the other loses. Not in Israel's case, of course. Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 in a brief war that was, in effect, started by the Arabs. Since September 2000, Israel has worn down the Arabs militarily and economically. So that's the another time the Arabs lost a war that they started.
The usual victor does not negotiate with the loser. Rather, he dictates terms. I would not have a problem with the Israelis talking a peace deal with the Arabs, but some Arab attitudes do not exactly endear themselves to those who try to give them some free rein.
When Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suggested moving settlers from Gaza to the West Bank, Arab negotiator Saeb Erekat retorted that any such plan "undermines the basic foundation of peace," according to the New York Times. Erekat also said, "The settlements in the West Bank are as much an obstacle to peace as the settlements in Gaza."
Here's another obstacle to peace: Walking out on talks in which you are offered an independent state and initiating a war, which has left 900 Israelis and 2,600 Arabs dead. Still another obstacle: Killing innocent human beings. Ending the genocide bombings would go a long way to providing for peace.
Also recently, the United States threatened to cut off $200 million yearly from the Palestinian Authority for health, education, water and other programs operated by the U.S. Agency for International Development, because of the Authority's failure to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killing of three American security guards in the Gaza Strip last October.
According to the Washington Post, Brig. Gen. Jibril Rajoub (national security adviser to Yasser Arafat) said, "The Americans stopped their involvement, waiting for the results of the investigation. I think that's blackmailing. Americans are using this isolated case in order either to not be involved (in efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) or to blackmail the Palestinian people."
Rajoub should know blackmail when he sees it: Such as when a group of hijackers threatened to murder 100 Jews in Uganda 28 years ago unless a bunch of terrorists were released. Or promising not to kill people if you are given land lost in a war that you started.
Let me be clear: I have serious concerns about Ariel Sharon's handling of this war, but I know crap when I hear it. That's a fair assessment of Ereket and Rajoub's remarks. And that's something that does not deserve to be rewarded.