Friedman's insane idea for Israel
Thomas Friedman:
"Let's not mince words. American policy today toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is insane.
"Can anyone look at what is happening — Palestinians, gripped by a collective madness, committing suicide, and Israelis, under a leadership completely adrift, building more settlements so fanatical Jews can live in the heart of Palestinian-populated areas — and not conclude the following: That these two nations are locked in an utterly self-destructive vicious cycle that threatens Israel's long-term viability, poisons America's image in the Middle East, undermines any hope for a Palestinian state and weakens pro-American Arab moderates. No, you can't draw any other conclusion. Yet the Bush team, backed up by certain conservative Jewish and Christian activist groups, believes that the correct policy is to do nothing. Well, that is my definition of insane.
"Israel must get out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as soon as possible and evacuate most of the settlements. I have long advocated this, but it is now an urgent necessity. Otherwise, the Jewish state is in peril...."
First, the Palestinians are not a nation. They are a group of people with an irrational hatred of Jews. They will continue to have an irrational hatred of Jews whether Isaelis live on the West Bank and Gaza and they will continue to murder Jews if all settlements disappeared. They are driven by ethnic and religious bigotry that is not bounded by borders are policy. When they say end the occupation they are talking about the entire state of Israel.
Second, the question Israel has to ask itself with respect to the settlements is whether removing them would help its security. Based on the Palestinians attitude, the answer has to be that it would make no difference and could make things worse, because the Palestinians would see it as a sign of weakness and thus rachet up their attacks in Israel proper. On the other hand, the settlements may not fit in a defense perimeter that Israel is putting up with its defensive wall. Settlers who want to live outside the wall may have to be told that they are on their own.
Thomas Friedman:
"Let's not mince words. American policy today toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is insane.
"Can anyone look at what is happening — Palestinians, gripped by a collective madness, committing suicide, and Israelis, under a leadership completely adrift, building more settlements so fanatical Jews can live in the heart of Palestinian-populated areas — and not conclude the following: That these two nations are locked in an utterly self-destructive vicious cycle that threatens Israel's long-term viability, poisons America's image in the Middle East, undermines any hope for a Palestinian state and weakens pro-American Arab moderates. No, you can't draw any other conclusion. Yet the Bush team, backed up by certain conservative Jewish and Christian activist groups, believes that the correct policy is to do nothing. Well, that is my definition of insane.
"Israel must get out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip as soon as possible and evacuate most of the settlements. I have long advocated this, but it is now an urgent necessity. Otherwise, the Jewish state is in peril...."
First, the Palestinians are not a nation. They are a group of people with an irrational hatred of Jews. They will continue to have an irrational hatred of Jews whether Isaelis live on the West Bank and Gaza and they will continue to murder Jews if all settlements disappeared. They are driven by ethnic and religious bigotry that is not bounded by borders are policy. When they say end the occupation they are talking about the entire state of Israel.
Second, the question Israel has to ask itself with respect to the settlements is whether removing them would help its security. Based on the Palestinians attitude, the answer has to be that it would make no difference and could make things worse, because the Palestinians would see it as a sign of weakness and thus rachet up their attacks in Israel proper. On the other hand, the settlements may not fit in a defense perimeter that Israel is putting up with its defensive wall. Settlers who want to live outside the wall may have to be told that they are on their own.
Comments
Post a Comment