08/24/2003 Archived Entry: "Enemies of Palestine"

A page from The Palestinian Info Center claims to detail "Israeli violations of the cease-fire"

The site doesn't mention that the cease-fire was an agreement, made with the Palestinian Authority, by Palestinian terrorist groups to stop attacks on Israelis for three months. It was an internal PA matter; it was not an agreement between the PA and Israel. Israel did not agree to stop killing terrorist leaders or to stop taking other defensive actions. Israeli actions can't be 'violations of the cease-fire', because Israel was not a party to a cease-fire.

Mahmoud Abbas wants peace with Israel, and he wants the terrorist groups to stop making peace impossible. This is easily ignored by those in either camp that consider ‘pro-Palestinian' and ‘anti-Zionist' to be inherently synonymous terms. But in reality, Zionism is perfectly compatible with a Palestinian state, so long as the Palestinian state is not trying to destroy Israel or allowing its people to try to destroy Israel. ‘Pro-Palestinian' often means ‘in favor of destroying Israel', but it properly ought to mean ‘in favor of justice and a better life for the Palestinian people'.

Anti-Zionist movements are opposed to Israel first, and sympathetic to Palestinians second, and generally only as they think it relates to opposing Israel. They would rather see Palestinians continue to live in squalor than accept peace and give up the dream of destroying Israel. But this is a dream that should not be realized, and will never be realized. Israel is worth defending, and many people are willing to defend Israel. Palestinians will never succeed at destroying Israel. It can't be done, unless they first destroy ever country in the world that is morally aligned with Israel and will come to her aid.

Encouraging attempts to destroy Israel is not really a very pro-Palestinian choice, because it can't possibly succeed, and it makes the situation worse for everyone. Truly pro-Palestinian choices are those that can actually lead to peace, freedom, and sovereignty. It's not enough to say that Palestinians should have a free, secure, sovereign state. It's necessary to find a solution that makes it possible for this to actually happen.

So long as the dominant Palestinian movements are bent on destroying Israel, the solution is not going to be forthcoming. If the Israelis are faced with a choice between defending their state and surrendering to its would-be destroyers, it's rather obvious what choice they will make. Israel is not ever going to be willing to watch terrorists to murder her people and do nothing to stop the prevent it.

Israeli self-defense is vital and inevitable, but it's not possible to do it without negative consequences to everyone involved. Israelis have to devote time, resources, and creativity to the military that could be used for much more amazing and wonderful things in times of peace. Most young adults have to be in the Army, and most men have to be in the reserves. This is not a situation the Israelis especially want to continue if it can be avoided. As bad as this is, the consequences of the necessity of Israeli self-defense are worse for the Palestinians.

Because Israel must be defended from terrorist aggression, Palestinians have to live with Israeli military presence. This has rather obvious bad effects; and it is also something Israel would prefer to avoid. The problem is that, as it stands now, every time the Israelis withdraw from Palestinian areas, the terrorists take advantage of the decreased security to pull off more attacks. This isn't stopping Israel from trying for peace, and it isn't stopping Israel from attempting to turn Palestinian areas over to the PA. However, Israel isn't about to withdraw completely before a genuine peace is achieved. To do so would be suicidal.

True friends of the future Palestine do not advocate impossible policies that require Israeli suicide or defeat as a precondition for peace. They realize that Palestinians can't defeat Israel, and that Israel won't vanish. They advocate reaching peace with Israel and getting on with the work of building a good nation. Palestinians like these are the ones who can be true leaders and form a state. Presumably, Mahmoud Abbas is one of them. People who persist in trying to destroy the Jewish State are enemies of the just Palestinian cause, and of the Palestinians who want justice and peace. These destroyers will be outlaws in the peaceful Palestine that will eventually form; they will not be rewarded by the existence of the State unless they become good.