Realism, Not Pessimism, And Certainly No Room For Optimism\u2026<\/p>\n
by Gerald A. Honigman<\/p>\n
Shocking\u2026<\/p>\n
Yet another State Department Arabist takes Jews to task for wanting to survive the Foggy Folks\u2019 less than friendly–if not downright hostile–\u201cpeace\u201d (of the grave) plans. We\u2019ll return to this later\u2026<\/p>\n
First, imagine, for one moment, that the entire territory of the United States was reduced to the size of New Jersey.<\/p>\n
Rather than being separated from any real or potential enemies by thousands of miles of oceans as it formerly was, this new, constricted America is still surrounded by the rest of the same territory that was the old America\u2026but that land now consists of enemies dedicated to mini-America\u2019s destruction.<\/p>\n
Next, picture that the animosity of the enemies America faces has nothing to do with its size –for America is now indeed tiny–but is based on their belief that Americans have no historical or political right whatsoever to the land. Our enemies, instead, claim all of the area–including America–as purely their own patrimony.<\/p>\n
Next, picture that mini-America with 6 million Americans, surrounded by hundreds of millions of enemies who would like to have it for dinner, has a powerful, friendly nation across the sea from which it gets most of its support–militarily, financially, and so forth.<\/p>\n
The problem is that America\u2019s friend also has deep connections to America\u2019s far more numerous and wealthy enemies. The friend wishes that America would be more \u201cpliable\u201d so that it could further its standing with them for many reasons–not the least being the enormous amount of money being made by government employees, courtesy of those above deep connections, as they move through the revolving doors of government and business. There are, of course, strategic and other reasons as well.<\/p>\n
The dilemma here is that just supporting a viable, independent America is enough to make America\u2019s enemies its powerful friend\u2019s enemies as well.<\/p>\n
Okay\u2026Welcome back to reality. The above, of course, is the relationship between Israel and America reversed.<\/p>\n
On August 10th, an Israeli newspaper quoted former Prime Minister, now Defense Minister, General Ehud Barak, as saying that Israel would not withdraw from the West Bank before finding a solution to Palestinian Arab rocket attacks, “which will take between three to five years.”<\/p>\n
Commenting on others\u2019 wishful thinking about a \u201cquick peace,\u201d Barak then added, “the Israel public reacts sanely in not believing such fantasies … for it is not possible to envisage a separation with the Palestinians before finding the means to protect the population against shootings” from rockets or missiles.<\/p>\n
Consider, please, that after Israel totally withdrew from Gaza–while it was still under the \u201cmoderate\u201d Abbas\u2019 control–towns in southern Israel proper were hit non-stop by Arab rockets, mortars, and so forth.<\/p>\n
Consider also that the Arab intifada was launched under Fatah\u2019s watch–not Hamas\u2019–and the Arafatians did nothing to stop the blown buses, teen nightclubs, restaurants, and other barbarism deliberately targeting the most innocent. Not only did they not stop it, but they were often a party to the atrocities themselves.<\/p>\n
Next, think about this\u2026<\/p>\n
When it comes to the subject of a Jewish Israel, there is no disagreement between Fatah and Hamas on this subject–despite the whitewashing and cover-ups that the State Department has been doing in Arafat\u2019s and his successors\u2019 names for decades now. <\/p>\n
So, Israel is faced with a Hamas openly calling for its destruction and Abbas\u2019 Fatah Arafatians adhering to their destruction in phases and Trojan Horse strategies for Israel\u2018s elimination.<\/p>\n
Abbas has never changed the platform he ran on for Israel\u2019s destruction (but by \u201cmore acceptable\u201d means), and the schools, mosques, camps, television stations, newspapers, maps, websites, and so forth look no different than Hamas\u2019 when it comes to the acceptance of a Jewish State as a permanent neighbor. On the contrary, Israel\u2019s disappearance or non-existence is the perpetual message in all of Fatah\u2019s outlets<\/p>\n
After Abbas\u2019 Fatah got the boot from Gaza recently, it then had to start the sweet talk up once again to gain additional American support. <\/p>\n
Since it doesn\u2019t take much to get the Foggy Folks to squeeze the Jews ( they opposed Israel\u2018s rebirth in the first place and have often been nasty to its mere basic interests ever since), the full court press was indeed short in the coming, with a weak-kneed Israeli leadership bearing the brunt. And this time, Israel\u2019s alleged \u201cbest friend,\u201d President George W. Bush, was leading the charge. With a long term good prognosis for Iraq not likely, Dubya would like a success he could point to in the region as he leaves office. The birth of Arab state # 22–and second, not first, Arab state in \u201c Palestine\u201d (Jordan sitting on about 80% of the original 1920 Mandate)–would do nicely\u2026for many reasons.<\/p>\n
Enter Ehud Barak\u2026<\/p>\n
Ironically, this is the same guy whom President Clinton–aiming to redeem his own presidency–squeezed at Camp David and Taba not long ago to give away the store. Luckily, Arafat refused.<\/p>\n
But, here we are again a bit later–yet with virtually the same scenario.<\/p>\n
Abbas has so far proven to be nothing more than Arafat in a suit. He too \u201ccondemns\u201c–wink, wink–blowing Jews apart while funding those who do so and having his own Fatah folks take part. He plays the good cop\/bad cop game well with State Department assistance.<\/p>\n
And for such \u201cmoderation\u201d–he still refuses to give up on his demand to overwhelm Israel with millions of alleged \u201creturning\u201d jihadist refugees, talks only of a hudna \/cease fire, refuses to confront Arabs who terrorize Jews, and so forth– Prime Minister Olmert (the other Ehud) & Co. have turned over arms and military equipment, released terrorists, given up territory, provided funds, further exposed Jews to Arab terror, etc., etc., etc.<\/p>\n
When Barak commented that Israel should not be rushed to a virtual retreat to its miniscule1949 armistice lines existence before it developed better means to deal with attacks that will likely be launched from new territory scheduled to be turned over to Abbas, he was simply stating the facts that the most na\u00efve of the na\u00efve could understand.<\/p>\n
What Defense Minister anywhere faced with such realities Barak is confronted with would plan differently?<\/p>\n
Would America be so trusting of an enemy with such a proven deadly, rejectionist record?<\/p>\n
Well, after Barak responded as we\u2019ve read above, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (she already has an oil tanker named for her\u2026all hail the petrobuck!\u2026just ask, among many others, former Secretary of State James Baker) had her man at Foggy Bottom do the typical Arabist dirty work. <\/p>\n
Tom Casey issued an insulting diplomatic slap calling Barak\u2019s comments \u201coverly pessimistic.\u201d Can you ever recall a Foggy spokesperson issuing such a slap to one of the feudal Arab oil despots–even after 9\/11 and all of those Saudi homicide bombers? <\/p>\n
Not good for business\u2026if ya know what I mean. Again, many a Foggy Folk and other government official has eventually benefited from the Arab oil spigot\u2026including the Bush family.<\/p>\n
Finally, read General Barak\u2019s comments again.<\/p>\n
Where\u2019s the pessimism? He is a seasoned Israeli military leader who knows his enemies far better than any Foggy Arabist does.<\/p>\n
Would Casey allow Dulles Airport, the White House, Pentagon, and such to come within range of rocket fire from an enemy dedicated to our destruction and which has constantly launched missiles at us in the past–even after extensive unilateral concessions were made to them? How about, perhaps, Casey\u2019s own kids–would he bare their necks so optimistically given the nature of the enemy Israel faces? <\/p>\n
What evidence does Casey provide that the Fatah leopard will change its murderous spots? We\u2019ve heard the empty sweet Arafatian tune before. Excuse after excuse after excuse has been made for them. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Abbas\u2019 boys have been reported to be currently renegotiating deals with Hamas and paying Hamasniks with money recently released to Abbas by Olmert under Washington\u2018s pressure. What evidence does Casey have of a Fatahstan which will fully recognize a Jewish Israel and finally change its charter which calls for Israel\u2019s destruction? Or a Fatahstan which will ever teach acceptance instead of the joys of martyrdom to its children?<\/p>\n
None. None at all\u2026<\/p>\n
But the Jews, in a nation the size of New Jersey, will continue to be squeezed anyway, and this time it won\u2019t be just places like Sderot in the Israeli Negev under fire, but Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and most of Israel\u2019s population and industry which are located in Israel\u2019s narrow 9-16 mile wide waist that will be under attack.<\/p>\n
Realism, Mr. Casey\u2026not pessimism.<\/p>\n
And certainly not optimism. Yet, only if the latter was truly available, would the core concessions Israel is being forced to make make any sense. <\/p>\n
As many of us have written, this whole thing has the stench of Munich 1938 about it, with Chamberlain\u2019s sellout of the Czechs to Hitler to supposedly achieve peace for our time.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, none of this matters right now with the folks running the show in Washington.<\/p>\n
So, what will it take to wake the Israeli public up from its dangerous slumber?<\/p>\n
A great Hebrew sage, Rabbi Hillel, proclaimed a few thousand years ago, \u201cif I am not for myself, who will be? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?\u201d<\/p>\n
Israel has bent over backwards to make critical concessions to those who still seek its destruction anyway. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s time for the first part of Hillel\u2019s message to at last be taken seriously. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Realism, Not Pessimism, And Certainly No Room For Optimism\u2026 by Gerald A. Honigman Shocking\u2026 Yet another State Department Arabist takes Jews to task for wanting to survive the Foggy Folks\u2019 less than friendly–if not downright hostile–\u201cpeace\u201d (of the grave) plans. … Continue reading