Ted Belman. This Haaretz editorial correctly identifies Netanyahu’s position on the conflict and notes that it is supported by a majority of Israelis. It concludes with this:
The regime described in Netanyahu’s vision has a name – it’s called apartheid. There is no other term for two populations living in the same area, one with political rights and the other under perennial military occupation. No security argument or warnings about the effects of Islam can whitewash the implications of this vision. Netanyahu’s words should shock anyone who is concerned about the justice of Israel’s cause and the country’s future. Concerned people should unite and form a national salvation front that will work to replace this government.
If Israel’s choice is between an “apartheid state” and a neighbour state dedicated to its destruction, I choose the former.
If I am holding a tiger by the tail and that is the only thing preventing it from eating me, I would never let go even if I was not being fair to the tiger.
To the contrary, I believe that “the justice of Israel’s cause and her country’s future” depend on Israel claiming sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria.
If the Palestinian Nazis wanted to end the “occupation” they could always abandon the maximalist demands and settle for less. But they won’t. They won’t give up on their desire to eradicate Israel.
In the real world, outside the realm of speechmaking, Netanyahu is only ready to hold empty and aimless talks with the Palestinians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his current political vision to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee this week. While saying that that he does not want a binational state, Netanyahu stressed that Israel “must control the entire area for the foreseeable future.” He explained that he was prepared to divide the land but “the other side is unwilling,” and that the Middle East is subject to Islamic religious influences that preclude any possibility for peace.
On the face of it, this position does not seem extremist. It’s accepted by most Israeli Jews, according to multiple surveys that have been conducted over the last 15 years, ever since the Camp David summit. Most people support the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, but believe that it is not practical since there is “no partner” on the other side. The same majority, including Netanyahu, opposes the notion of a binational state with equal rights for all its citizens, Jews and Palestinians alike.
Netanyahu has cleaved to this line for his entire tenure: Verbal consent to dividing the land – which distinguishes him from the extreme right and from settler leaders – while in practice adopting policies that thwart the realization of such partitioning. He has consistently refused to talk about future borders with the Palestinians, demanding that they recognize Israel as “a Jewish state,” developing and expanding settlements across the West Bank and presenting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as an enemy and instigator to violence.
In the real world, outside the realm of speechmaking, Netanyahu is only ready to hold empty and aimless talks with the Palestinians, or to discuss “small steps to reduce tension,” without relinquishing any control on the ground.
His words this week acknowledged Israel’s total domination over the territories, discarding the dual pretense of a “temporary war-like situation,” which the state has regularly presented to the High Court of Justice for decades, and the pretense of a Palestinian Authority supposedly enjoying autonomy in managing Palestinian affairs, as Israel likes to present things.
Netanyahu’s opposition to a binational state leads to a clear conclusion: As long as “Israel’s control of the area” continues, millions of Palestinians in the territories will remain in the inferior status of subjects devoid of civil rights. Their settler neighbors, meanwhile, enjoy such rights unhampered.
The regime described in Netanyahu’s vision has a name – it’s called apartheid. There is no other term for two populations living in the same area, one with political rights and the other under perennial military occupation. No security argument or warnings about the effects of Islam can whitewash the implications of this vision. Netanyahu’s words should shock anyone who is concerned about the justice of Israel’s cause and the country’s future. Concerned people should unite and form a national salvation front that will work to replace this government.
Haaretz reminds me of Edgar G. Robinson’s Dathan in the Ten Commandments, always carping about Moses (Bibi’s) leadership. If only Bibi was Moses.
OK, good editorial to publish on Israpundit. So Haaretz thinks Netanyahu is a “liar” too. Interesting! The editorial expresses the view that Netanyahu’s position is a nuanced version of the position of the right wing view of there can not be a Palestinian State. Netanyahu’s conditional acceptance of a “Palestinian State”, in theory, since according to this editorial it will never occur in reality, contain specific demands which will cut a theoretical “Palestine” down, from a fully independant state to something else. Whatever words you use “Statelet”, “Bantustans”, whatever. It will a neutered entity and one which will never be approved by the terrorists who could care less about “palestine” so much as using the territory as a launching pad to mass murder Jews and demolish, destroy all of those activities in which they excel. Ted’s points are perfectly in place and any Israeli living in the land who does not concur has to be either suicidal, very gullible, extremely stupid or a terrorist supporter, I suppose they could also be a very “mildly funny” comedian if they were being sarcastic, not funny in my book, sick, depraved, worthy of contempt; repugnant.
This is a war like situation. The Palestinians in the territories want to kill Jews and destroy Israel. Yes the conflict has gone on for a long time. The naive among the Israeli left want to pretend you can put up a really big wall close down some Jewish Towns and leave the Palestinians on the side and all will be okay. I say to these people kindly wake up drink some Nes ( Israeli instant coffee) have you already forgotten that we have had three wars with Gaza and walls can be shot over by rockets, tunneled under and blown up.
The only logical solution is stomp out any hope of a PA State.
1. Remove by either killing, jailing or deporting any and all terrorists and their supporters.
2. Arab who demonstrate clearly their loyalty to Israel (such as the Druze) can stay and have full civil rights.
3. Help those Arabs who can not or do not want to demonstrate loyalty to Israel to emigrate. Including financial help. Buy their property. If you do not get rid of the terrorists these people will be afraid to come forth and say they want to sell their property, from fear of the terrorists.
4. Israel needs to explain the justice of this new paradigm and why Oslo failed, namely that the Palestinians do not agree to a Jewish State and compromise over borders is not a solution. The Jews have one country and I believe are one half of one percent of the middle east. The Arabs have most of the rest of the middle east. Jordan is 2/3rds of mandatory Palestine. The solution for Palestinians not loyal to the Jewish State of Israel must be found elsewhere.