Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Recognizing “Palestine”

The only good thing to come out of Brazil and Argentina’s recognition of “Palestine,” as an independent country, and Uruguay’s plan to do so, is that these absurd government decisions make certain recent Israeli government decisions, and then their reversal, look less stupid. (http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=198279) Recognizing “Palestine,” not only does nothing to bring peace to Israel and the Palestinians, but it pushes the prospect of peace further away. It rewards the Palestinians for decades of violence and terror. It disregards all the Palestinians’ obligations since the November 1947 UN resolution to create a Jewish and an Arab state. It is racist. It lends credence to the Palestinian and other Arab claims that Israel has no legitimacy. It helps give birth to yet another country at war with Israel. And it creates the farce of “Palestine” as one state whereas, in fact, an extremist terrorist group that is at war both with Israel and the PA government controls territory that encompasses almost half of the would be citizens of the state that they are recognizing. Since even before its own statehood, Israel has not known one day of peace. It has been subject to terror and war for more than six decades. Palestinian leaders have ignored international agreements and UN resolutions to try to bring peace to the region as if it were their national pastime. Anytime the Palestinians don’t feel that they are getting a fair shake, they resort to threats of violence and actual terror. Why would any country make such an absurd unilateral gesture as to recognize “Palestine” at all, much less in territory that remains disputed, and absolve the Palestinians of the responsibility to come to an accommodation with Israel and make peace once and for all? What incentive do the Palestinians have to join the world of nations if they get a free pass at shirking their responsibilities and aren’t expected to behave in a manner that is according to international standards? Making the Palestinians any less accountable to live in peace and civility as a member of the nations of the world is racist because it says that we just don’t expect normative civil and peaceful behavior from them. How are the Palestinians expected to rise to the occasion and behave as the rest of the nations of the world when there are those who simply don’t expect that of them? The Palestinians deserve better. Recognizing “Palestine” unilaterally according to the 1949 armistice lines is also racist against Jews and goes against the very nature of the 1947 UN Resolution 181 which calls upon Jews and Arabs to live together in peace and harmony, as residents of one another’s countries but citizens of their own. Is it possible that these nations which recognize “Palestine” now believe that Jews are expected to host an Arab minority (some 20%) in their country, but that Jews are forbidden to reside in a Palestinian Arab state, and that their presence is unjust and an alleged obstacle to peace? Why is the same not said of Israel providing full citizenship and equal rights to its Arab minority? Why the one sided racism and delegitimizing of Israel? As long as there has been a territorial dispute in the Middle East, the Arabs have sought to undermine Israel’s very legitimacy. The Palestinian (and others’) claims that there is no historical or religious connection between the People of Israel and the Land of Israel is not just wrong and offensive, it contradicts the very foundation of Judaism and Christianity, and is yet another lie upon which they are building their society, by discrediting ours, rather than by coming to terms with us as neighbors, and our right to be here. All but two (of 22) Arab countries are still in a state of war with Israel. This does not include other “inspired” Muslim countries like Iran, which also don’t recognize our right to exist, and threaten us with war, terrorism, boycotts, and one sided condemnation. What justification does any country have in serving as the midwife for the birth of another country that will not uphold international standards and that will be (remains) at war with a third? Assuming none of the above are really issues, what I’d love to know is which “Palestine” these esteemed countries are recognizing. Is it what’s often referred to as the West Bank which is still (nominally) ruled by the elected Palestinian Authority, whose president has long out served his term and not called for new elections? Is it Gaza which is ruled by terrorists that overthrew the PA in a bloody coup and now rule with an iron hand over nearly half of the Palestinians? Is their recognition of “Palestine” as a state anything more than a game of international make-believe in the hope that by putting a diplomatic band aid on a problem with global implications it will all just be OK? If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, this road is paved in abject stupidity. This decision, at this time, lends reason to think that Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay are competing to be the leader of the banana republic of nations. Perhaps they would like to adopt the Palestinians as neighbors and see just how friendly their leaders are. Then again, they welcomed any number of Nazi war criminals, so Israel bashing, anti-Semitic terrorists would be right at home. Recognizing “Palestine” without holding the Palestinians accountable to the responsibilities that statehood brings, will not only do nothing to bring peace, but it will push peace further away, laying the foundation for more bloodshed rather than anything resembling a resolution.

No comments:

Post a Comment