JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

05/12/09 03:55 PM

You think that anyone who wants out of the West Bank thinks it will bring peace? How naive of you to think so, sir! That’s why you’re so confused--you ascribe beliefs to people that they don’t possess.

No, I don’t think pulling the settlements out of the West Bank will bring peace. None of us do anymore. It won’t stop the rockets, that’s for sure. And I, for one, think keeping troops there for a while is probably necessary.

That’s not the point. The point is the residential settlements, which you conflate with the military occupation. The point is that ruling over millions of angry and resentful Arabs is draining Israel dry, and is not a long-term sustainable situation, especially now that they represent 47% of the population west of the Jordan river. I want Israel out of there for Israel’s interests, not anyone else’s.

As for the settlers of Gaza, give me a break. Perhaps you’ve forgotten the horrifying photos of settlers refusing Israel’s orders to evacuate, calling Israeli soldiers Nazis, and throwing chemicals on the faces of Israeli troops, but I have not. When people attack Israel’s troops, they’re being disloyal. Sorry, but that’s just the facts.

And so that leaves us with the question again: Should Israel, by a democratic process, decide to pull out of the West Bank settlements, which side will the settlers take? And how do you know?

05/12/09 08:46 PM

Matt -

1) You have bought into the Arab narrative of Israel being an “occupier.” Legally you can ONLY occupy a country. The last time the West Bank was part of an officially recognized country was when it was part of the Ottoman Empire. The land has been and continues to be disputed territory since 1948. Even the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel & Jordan specifically states so. So while Israel is in control of the land, it is not an “occupier.” By the way, the League of Nations gave then entire land that made up the British Mandate for Palestine to the Jewish people. So we have a firm international legal claim on the land as well. (Google -San Remo Conference)

2) The 47% figure that you mention included ALL of the Arabs west of the Jordan including about 1.5 million in Gaza. The vast majority of all Arabs west of the Jordan River who are not currently Israeli citizens are under their own autonomous government. They are hardy “occupied” by Israel. The number of Arabs not living within the autonomous Arab areas is relatively small. So your 47% is a red herring.

3) You have bought into Yasir Arafat’s greatest accomplishment, making the world (and even his “own people” - actually he was born in Egypt) believe that there is such a thing as a ‘Palestinian” people. Please tell me the name who the last leader of an country called Palestine.

I agree with you that IF, in fact, people threw chemicals at the IDF soldiers it is to be strongly condemned. However, I believe that the the initial report may have been proven to be untrue. However, even if true, you are pointing to an isolated act of a few people, if that, and applying it to thousands and people and their supporters who did no such thing. Your assertion of treason is worthy of a propaganda posting and monumentally distorts the truth. That isolated act (if it actually happened) hardly qualifies you to paint everyone as being treasonous.  (You still haven’t answered about the leftist who illegally met with the PLO which eventually resulted in 1,000+ Jewish deaths and counting!)

So you admit that giving away land will not bring peace. Would you agree that it would worsen the security situation, allowing all of central Israel and the international airport to be within missile range from the east? (Don’t worry, about give away the land in the east (ie. West Bank). Israel’s enemies have everything covered. The PA/Hamas/Iran in the east, Hamas/Iran has the west and south covered and Hizbollah/Iran has the north covered. ( No problem. In the next week or two Israel is scheduled to have another round of national air raid practice drills for the civilians.) Isn’t the 1967 armistice line referred to as the ‘Aushwitz borders.” But going back to it makes sense to you!

Didn’t the Gaza handover make security matters much worse? Did leaving Lebanon without an agreement make thing safer? So why would you propose to give away land that would only make it easier for Israel’s enemies to kill Israelis? Perhaps your visceral hate of religious Jewish settlers that come through so powerfully in your posts is obfuscating rational thought !  That’s right. Put the entire state and its people at risk, as long we get those dangerous treasonous religious Jews out!

Bottom line, the vast majority of Arabs do not recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel and would destroy it if they could. Until that sentiment changes, there will be no peace. Giving way land will only whette their appetities for more land (i.e. the whole state) and demonstrate weakness, which, in the Middle East, can easily be fatal.

(Let me know when you hear another Arab leader talk openly about making peace with Israel like Sadat. We all know what happened to him. Wait till Mubarak dies and the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas’ parent organization) takes over Egypt. Let me know when the PLO & Hamas changes their charters. I’m not holding my breathe.)

Thank God (Matt - sorry to have to mention him), for the Jews in Hebron and their brethren!! THEY are protecting Israel and us.