Israel Matzav

The prophet ignores his own prophecy

Soccer Dad sent me a link via Twitter to an op-ed that Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote in the New York Times in 1993, a few days before the infamous handshake on the White House lawn. What's amazing about this article is how much of it is prophetic - and how much of it Netanyahu has ignored during both his terms in office.

Under the guise of the term "autonomy," which most Israelis accept, the Israeli Government has struck a deal leading to the creation of a P.L.O. state on Israel's fragile pre-1967 borders, which most Israelis reject.

It is still true today that most Israelis (or at least most Israeli Jews) reject the concept of a 'Palestinian state' notwithstanding the fact that Netanyahu himself announced two years ago he is in favor of one. Yes, I know, all the polls say that 65-70% of Israelis favor the 'two-state solution.' But when you get down to specifics - what will the borders be, whether Israel will allow 'refugees' into what's left and what will happen to Jerusalem - that consensus melts like ice cream on a hot summer day. Most Israelis may want a 'two-state solution' but the reality that more and more of us recognize is that it's not going to happen. In Hebrew, we say zeh lo metziuti (it's not realistic).

We are told that this is a limited deal involving "Gaza and Jericho first." But the emphasis is on first. Within nine months, Israel is to withdraw from all West Bank cities. Soon after, it will transfer to the Palestine Liberation Organization all remaining land save Jerusalem and the settlements (roughly 5 percent of the territory), although it is obvious these Israeli islands, isolated in a P.L.O. sea, will not last long. The plan effectively establishes P.L.O. control over all the territory up to the pre-1967 border -- 10 miles from Tel Aviv and two miles from downtown Jerusalem.

If this sounds like the little boy who cried wolf, it's not. The only reason this has not happened is that the 'Palestinians' could not control their blood lust long enough to have the territory handed over. And today, given that 'everyone knows' that a 'Palestinian state' would require Israel giving up 'most of the settlements,' the creation of the PLO state would be a direct step to war with little or nothing standing between the Samarian mountains and Israel's heartland.

What will happen when terrorists attack Israelis in Jerusalem and return to nearby P.L.O. land? Or fire rockets from hills above Tel Aviv? The Israeli Army will have no right to enter the territory and root them out. This, believe it or not, is the "internal" responsibility of Yasir Arafat.

And this will still be true if, God forbid, a 'two-state solution' is reached today. We have already seen it with Gaza. There were rumors in 2004-05 that Ariel Sharon was giving the 'Palestinians' Gaza to save Judea and Samaria. The rumors said that Sharon believed that given Gaza, the 'Palestinians' would not be able to control their blood lust, and that would remove the pressure from Israel for further concessions. It was due to those rumors that Sharon also expelled the residents of four small towns in Samaria.

If that was Sharon's intention, he got it half right. The 'Palestinians' in Gaza cannot control their blood lust. But the pressure on Israel has simply continued.

Astonishingly, this bizarre proposal that would result in Lebanese-style terror havens alongside Israel's cities was negotiated without carefully consulting Israel's military command. Deputy Chief of Staff Amnon Shahak was first shown the plan only minutes before it was brought to the Cabinet for approval. Chief of Staff Ehud Barak confesses that it poses "grave security problems" for Israel.

Once Barak and Shahak left the army their opposition changed. You can't oppose the 'peace process' and advance in the Labor party. 'Nuff said.

But the greatest danger of the Rabin-Arafat plan is not terrorism but a full-fledged war that could be launched against Israel from the P.L.O. domain once it is formally recognized as a new Arab state. Indeed, the foundations of such a state are laid by Israel's consent to cede the land and all legislative authority within it to the P.L.O. As Yasir Arafat said on Thursday, "The Palestinian state is at hand and the Palestinian flag will soon fly over Jerusalem."

And indeed, that's what Abu Mazen believes will happen. Except that now, a 'Palestinian state' has become an accepted discussion in Israeli society and around the world. The world forgot that the 'Palestinians' are terrorists because those who have used the 'peace process' to promote their careers needed them to forget. Two years ago, in a speech at Bar Ilan University, Prime Minister Netanyahu officially joined the peace processors.

Now I will speak about our obligation to recognize the 'Palestinians' rights. Our connection to Judea and Samaria is 3500 years old. This is the land of our forefathers - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob [listed several more].

The Jewish people has suffered like no other people, reaching its peak in the Holocaust. If the State of Israel had been timely established there would not have been a Holocaust. Our right to establish our state here in Israel is due to our birthright. This is where the Jewish people was born.

As David Ben Gurion said, [cites declaration of independence].

The truth is that there is a large group of 'Palestinians' that has settled in the heart of Israel, and we don't want to rule over them. We and they should each have our own flag, anthem and government. I came to set out the principles of peace and security that we all agree upon. But we have to recognize the reality that has taken place. The first principle is that the 'Palestinians' must recognize Israel as a Jewish state and the second principle is demilitarization because otherwise we can have rockets like in Gaza. We don't want rockets on Petach Tikva and Ben Gurion Airport. We want peace. So we have to ensure that the 'Palestinians' cannot obtain weapons, raise an army or make treaties with Iran and Hezbullah. Therefore, we ask our friends in the international community, especially the United States for an explicit promise that as part of the permanent arrangement of peace there be absolute demilitarization of the 'Palestinians.' No control over the airways.

In Washington, I told President Obama, if we agree on the essence, the terms will not matter. We are willing to reach a solution of a demilitarized 'Palestinian state' next to the State of Israel.

Jerusalem to remain united under Israeli control. No new 'settlements,' but have to let those who are in 'settlements' live normally.

A strong 'Palestinian' economy will strengthen peace. They have to educate their children for peace and stop the incitement against Israel. They have to choose between the way of peace and the way of Hamas.

Of course, Netanyahu's conditions are long since forgotten....

Eighteen years ago, Netanyahu got it right.

That some Arabs oppose the Phased Plan is a godsend to Yasir Arafat. It lets him appear as "moderate" in contrast to "extremists" such as the Hamas fundamentalists. But as the P.L.O. representative to Saudi Arabia, Rafiq Natshe, recently explained: "Hamas wants to liberate all of Palestine from the Jordan River to the sea in one blow. But the P.L.O. believes that a Phased Plan must be pursued. Both sides agree on the final objective. They differ only on the way to get there."

Earlier in this century, Neville Chamberlain thought he could buy "peace in our time" by handing over the mountain defenses of Czechoslovakia to Hitler, who promised to accept a deal of "land for peace." On his deathbed, Chamberlain said, "Everything would have been all right if Hitler hadn't lied to me."

Sadly, the prophet has forgotten his own prophecy. He is on his way to becoming Chamberlain, even though in his heart of hearts he knows it is wrong.

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Palestinian state, two-state solution

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:29 PM