Given Due Warning
Any Arab states that feel conflicted about ending their conflict with Israel are forewarned by the very Arab group whom they succoured at the creation of the State of Israel, to squash that impulse to seek peace. Jordan and Egypt, presumably, excluded. And isn't it odd, that it is the Palestinians who don't live in the West Bank and Gaza who are so furiously and fundamentally resistant to peace with Israel? Somewhat like the Hamas operatives controlling Gaza seeking a brief surcease of hostilities, but being urged by their controllers living in Lebanon and Syria to continue the active 'resistance'.While the world is almost united in its condemnation of Israel as the aggressor now in the state-to-nascent-state negotiations, even while Israel stands ready to sign a peace agreement, making painful concessions in its attempt to reach peace with Palestinians, Fatah itself, heading the Palestinian Authority, is throwing up significant roadblocks to peace. At its current congress, Fatah exiles demand a blunt fist in the face of Israel, while those living within the territories opt for moderation.
Regardless, moderation as expressed by Fatah or Hamas bears little resemblance to what the word is normally taken to mean. The exiled Palestinians demand a complete recovery of all land and possessions they left behind in their panic to vacate a war zone with the collected invading armies of the Middle East ready to oust the new State of Israel. Nowhere in the world is any body, let alone Israel on behalf of Jews, demanding that the million Jews whose properties and possessions were absorbed by the Arab countries expelling them be restored.
Right in line with the original Saudi Arabian resolution that Israel relinquish all land captured during the Six-Day War of 1967, inclusive of the Old City of Jerusalem and neighbourhoods in Jerusalem that currently house 300,000 Jews, demanding also that Israel permit five million exiled Palestinians which number includes the original 700,000 and their descendants, Fatah reflects these demands as a temporary agreement to be extracted from Israel.
Entitlement to these demands is seen as non-negotiable. The Palestinians give up nothing whatever, other than their militancy toward Israel. They must, unequivocally, take possession of the Old City of Jerusalem where sits the most sacred site in Judaism. And that is the first of the negotiations. Fatah, like Hamas, refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. And little wonder, since if they had their way an influx of some five million Palestinians into Israel would speedily transform Israel into a Palestinian state.
Needless to say Israel's tentatively hopeful position has the logic of reasonableness to it; extract from Israel that part of the country that houses mostly Arabs to be absorbed into a new Palestinian state, and allow Israel to absorb those portions of the West Bank that house hundreds of thousands of Jews into a redrawn Israeli border. Unfortunately, the Arabs living within Israel are not fond of such a notion as a redrawn border, preferring to stay within Israel. Jerusalem? It is indivisible, representing Israel's heart and capital.
And as for Fatah, there is no room for manoeuvring, or negotiations about any of their demands. This is the starting point. Accept withdrawal to 1967 borders, give up the Old City of Jerusalem, eagerly absorb six million Palestinians into a more meagre territory which will, once the Jewish population has been overrun by the returnees, just naturally be re-absorbed into one re-aligned geography to be renamed excluding the State of Israel.
Problem solved.
Labels: Israel, Justice, Traditions, Troublespots
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, August 04, 2009
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