By Matthew M. Hausman
The Oslo Accords have dictated the quest for Arab-Israeli peace since the 1990s, and yet they constitute a profound threat to Israeli sovereignty in the Jewish homeland. Focused on validating Palestinian peoplehood, the Oslo process came to control the dialogue as if it had been the paradigm from the beginning. However, at the time of its inception Oslo was only the latest in a succession of resolutional frameworks after San Remo, the League of Nations Mandate, and U.N. Resolution 242, all of which had presumed the historicity of Jewish claims, not the ascendancy of a Palestinian nationalism that did not yet exist.
Indeed, until the mid- to late-1960s, the Arab-Muslim world had steadfastly refused to impute a separate national identity to Arabs who resided in Mandate lands before 1948, the majority of whom were immigrants or the progeny of immigrants who had no ancestral connection to the land. Palestinian nationality was invented only later as a dissimulative tool for repudiating Jewish historical claims. The Palestinians have never seriously sought peace with Israel, and their push last year for upgraded U.N. status served only to illustrate their cynical contempt for both concept and process.
Article 31 of the Oslo Accords specifically states: “Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.” The Palestinian Authority’s U.N. initiative clearly violated this provision and arguably abrogated the accords. Although this breach was glaring, it was by no means the Palestinians’ first substantive violation. Since the beginning of the Oslo process, the PA has failed to honor its obligations, minimal though they have been compared to the demands placed on Israel. In contrast, Israel has honored her commitments, even when doing so has threatened her security and national integrity.
Israel granted Palestinian autonomy in much of Judea and Samaria, permitted the PA to arm itself, unfroze and transferred funds to the Palestinians, and fueled a territorial economy that provides the highest standard of living in the Arab-Muslim world. She has also tolerated Palestinian military activity, though the PA’s security forces have been linked to terrorism, and has continued to service the electrical and utility needs of the territories. As a recent concession to induce the Palestinians back to the negotiating table, Israel released from her prisons a cohort of jihadists and terrorists responsible for the deaths of many men, women and children.
In contrast, the PA has failed to renounce terrorism, foreswear antisemitic incitement, or truly amend the language of its charter calling for Israel’s destruction, despite ambiguous claims to the contrary. It has also stated repeatedly that it will never recognize a Jewish state. Consequently, no one should have been surprised when the Palestinians walked away from negotiations after Israel took preventive military action against three terrorists in Ramallah who were poised to attack Israeli soldiers and civilians in Bet El.
Ever since the signing of the Interim Agreement of 1995 (“Oslo II”), the PA has been in perpetual breach of Article XVII (1a), which prohibits it from operating in Jerusalem and deciding “issues that will be negotiated in the permanent status negotiations: Jerusalem, settlements, specified military locations, Palestinian refugees, borders, foreign relations and Israelis.” The PA has breached this provision by illegally operating ministries and institutions throughout Jerusalem. The rogues’ gallery of unlawful PA entities includes: the Palestinian Ministry of Education, which disseminates antisemitic and anti-Western educational materials; the Ministry for Jerusalem Affairs, which organizes and sponsors protests against Israel; the Ministry of Information/WAFA, an official Palestinian news agency that routinely publishes antisemitic content; and the Office of the Mufti of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, which prohibits land sales to Jews, denies the historical Jewish connection to the Temple Mount, rejects Israel’s right to exist, and sponsors sermons at the Al-Aksa Mosque calling for jihad and genocide.
The same hypocrites who accuse Israel of obstructing peace routinely ignore the PA’s blanket disregard for a treaty that it endorsed officially, albeit disingenuously. They denounce Israel for violating the accords, although she is the only signatory to have upheld her obligations. The refusal of the Obama Administration and the European Union to condemn PA violations, and their willingness instead to reward the Palestinians for their continuing acts of incitement, violence and terror, only reinforce the need for Israel to reject outside pressure in favor of alternatives that make historical and strategic sense.
The land-for-peace formula presumes that the conflict is about geography and that all the Arabs want is yet another independent state of their own. However, the refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist and the doctrinal prohibition against permanent peace with a subjugated people expose the concept as an exercise in taqiyya – religiously mandated dissimulation for the purpose of deceiving “infidels” and furthering the aims of jihad.
Many people today believe that creating an independent state called Palestine will resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict and bring peace to the Mideast. However, this belief presumes that the Palestinians – not the Jews – were indigenous to the Land of Israel, that they lived there for thousands of years until their displacement in 1948, that the Jews are colonial occupiers, and that the conflict is driven by Palestinian dislocation. In truth, however, the Palestinians are historical latecomers to the former Mandate lands. There never was a country called Palestine or an ancestral, native culture that could be remotely construed as “Palestinian.” Only the Jews have had a continuous presence in and connection to the land since antiquity.
The Arab-Israeli conflict is not a dispute over the rights of the Palestinians. If it were, Jordan and Egypt would have created a Palestinian state when they occupied Judea, Samaria and Gaza from 1948 to 1967. However, there was no outcry for the establishment of a Palestinian state – either from the world community or from the Palestinians themselves – during the nearly 20 years of illegal occupation by Egypt and Jordan.
The ugly truth is that the Arab-Israeli conflict is not about repatriating Palestinians to a land they never owned in the first place, but about destroying the Jewish State. Establishing a Palestinian state will not facilitate peace because the ultimate objective of the conflict is the extermination of Israel and her people, not amicable coexistence. The two-state paradigm is merely a stealth strategy in a war of annihilation that is being waged against Israel in many forms and on many fronts, and the creation of a Palestinian state is intended only as the first step towards achieving this malevolent goal
The Arab-Muslim goal of destroying Israel has never changed, only the method for achieving it. Those who naïvely believe the PA has ever acted in good faith would do well to review its charter, which refuses to recognize a Jewish State, or examine its officially sanctioned educational curricula, which teach genocidal antisemitism and revisionist history to impressionable school children. The purpose of this indoctrination is not to teach truth or morality, but to assure the growth of yet another generation willing to kill and be killed for a cause that is based on hatred, rejectionism and myth.
Israel cannot survive as a secure Jewish homeland by continuing down the Oslo path or by participating in a process imposed by outside powers that respect neither her sovereignty nor her historical validity, regardless of whether that process is being peddled by the Obama Administration, the European Union or the Saudi royal family. Though there are pros and cons to any potential alternatives, Israel can at least take charge of her own destiny by unilaterally pursuing a resolution that makes legal, historical and demographic sense, and which presumes her moral legitimacy and sovereign integrity.
If she continues to proceed under Oslo or some other misguided framework that elevates the revisionist Palestinian narrative over Jewish history, Israel will risk compromising not only her security, but her continuity as the Jewish national homeland. At the end of the day, only Israel has an interest in ensuring the survival of her national character in a manner consistent with her historical rights and cultural values. No foreign intercessor will do it for her.
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dweller Said:
You just confirmed my greatest fear!!!!!!!!!Sugar
@ yamit82:
Of course I understand what he SEEMS to be implying, Yamit.
But unless and until he states it FLATLY, I can’t address it.
Not for HIM anyway.
All in good time.
As for your quote and link, Justin was the very FIRST of the non-Jewish messianic theologians — all the ones BEFORE him were Jewish — and he had an agenda of turning everything Jewish upside-down.
Consequently he had an interest in viewing everything in contemporaneous Jewish history thru that lens.
Makes him quite a lot less reliable than he might otherwise have been.
He was apparently the son of a Roman soldier stationed in Neapolis (later elided in Arabic speech to “Nablus”) — in Jacob’s day, Sh’khem; in first century Judea, “Sychar” (where haNitzri had had the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well).
@ yamit82:
I had humogous watermelon exploded in my landry room. Bits and pieces everywhere and and inch of juice on the floor. Took two days to remove the mess and then I washed a down comfortor. Little did your honeybbee know, but there was a hole in comfortor!!!!!! Feathers everywhere,stuck to undetcted sticky bits The landry room looked as if I had been killing chickens. You have my profond sympathy.
@ CuriousAmerican:
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was one of the great heroes of the Jewish People. He lived at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in approximately the year 70 C.E.. He was a descendant of the House of David and his family has kept alive through the ages the hope of the People of Israel for the arrival of their Anointed King, the Mashiach, may he arrive soon, and in our days.
“Rav Nachman asked Rav Yitzhak, ‘have you heard when Bar Nafli will come? ’Rav Yitzhak asked, ‘who is Bar Nafli’…Rav Yitzhak said, the Messiah [Sanhedrin 96b]
The Messiah will be absolutely mortal, born of a man and a woman [Rambam, Sefer HaVikuah 88]
The king messiah will be like one of us in every aspect, with a mother and a father. He also will be among the people in exile, suffering the afflictions of exile as his brethren.[Abarbanel, Yeshuot Meschicho 3:3]
@ CuriousAmerican:
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was one of the great heroes of the Jewish People. He lived at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in approximately the year 70 C.E.. He was a descendant of the House of David and his family has kept alive through the ages the hope of the People of Israel for the arrival of their Anointed King, the Mashiach, may he arrive soon, and in our days.
“Rav Nachman asked Rav Yitzhak, ‘have you heard when Bar Nafli will come? ’Rav Yitzhak asked, ‘who is Bar Nafli’…Rav Yitzhak said, the Messiah [Sanhedrin 96b]
The Messiah will be absolutely mortal, born of a man and a woman [Rambam, Sefer HaVikuah 88]
The king messiah will be like one of us in every aspect, with a mother and a father. He also will be among the people in exile, suffering the afflictions of exile as his brethren.[Abarbanel, Yeshuot Meschicho 3:3]
Shevet achim gam yachad: “tribes of brothers [living and worshipping] as one, totally united” is the famous refrain of psalm 133, one of the fifteen songs of ascent chanted on the holy days of Sukkot the festival of booths. Hinai mah tov: “it is so good…” In the culminating of the three pilgrim feasts, all Israel unite to re-experience and affirm the teachings in the wilderness and to affirm that they will raise et Sukkat David HaNofelet, “the fallen booth of David” (Amos 9:11). From this verse the Mishnaic sage Rav Nachman derives a nickname of messiah (above). The extensive discussion of his arrival and of the end of days in Talmudic Tractate Sanhedrin emphasizes that the timing of his appearance reflects the status and behavior of all Israel: our actions make a difference, a big difference. So like the lead verse in the famous song, holy writings on the destiny of the Jews emphasize their character as a family that must be whole, intact, complete (shaleim) and in which each person is responsible for the wellbeing of all. The integrity that confronted the sorcerer Balaam turned his curses to blessings (Numbers 22-4).
Today again Israel must change a curse to a blessing” ( Prof. Eugene Narrett)
@ yamit82:
See how quicky a facile mind can cut the Gordian Knot!!!!!!!!
honeybee Said:
Too much schmaltz.
Note: Beware of freeezing carbonated beverages!!!!
My fridge just exploded. Frozen Coke bottle I forgot to remove. 🙁 … Coke over everything. I hate cleaning fridges, especially at midnight.
Roman Emperor Hadrian & Yochanan ben ZakkaiCuriousAmerican Said:
True!!!
@ CuriousAmerican:
YOCHANAN BEN ZAKKAI
The leader of the Pharisees and the head of the Sanhedrin, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, sees that Jerusalem cannot hold out. It’s too late. But the Zealots are bent on continuing their suicidal fight. So he formulates a plan.
At this time the Zealots are not allowing anyone to leave the city (as if anyone wanted to flee to be crucified), except for burials. In a desperate bid to try and salvage something from the impending disaster, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai has himself put in a casket and taken to Vespasian.
He greets Vespasian as if he were the emperor, to which Vespasian replies that he ought to be executed for his remark. Not exactly a friendly welcome. But Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai persists, telling Vespasian that God would allow only a great ruler to take Jerusalem.
Just then, a messenger arrives from Rome with a message for Vespasian: “Rise, because Caesar has died and the prominent men of Rome have decided to seek you as their head. They have made you Caesar.”
Impressed with Rabbi Yochanan’s ability to predict the future, Vespasian asks him to name a wish. He asks Vespasian for three things, but the most important request is: “Give me the city of Yavne and it’s sages.
What Rabbi Yochanan really asks for is to save the Torah.
Vespasian gives Rabbi Yochanan a safe escort for the Torah sages of the day to leave Jerusalem and to convene a Sanhedrin at Yavneh.
See Talmud-Gittin 56a for the exact account of this story 🙂
yamit82 Said:
Gefilte Fish??????????????
@ CuriousAmerican:
And of coarse this is something that you would relish in. It is not up to a gentile to point out sins to Jews – that is very dangerous ground you are walking on. Perhaps you do not understand that G-d does not hold grudges but would rather that we carry on and move on and learn from history. For we are all sinners Jew and Gentile alike. I am not so convinced this Rabbi is correct and it doesn’t matter. This is now – and it is people like you who will try to bait us into sinning so that you can say haha and continue to blame us for the world’s problems.
dweller Said:
You seem to not understand what CA is trying to imply without saying:
Num. 24:7 Bar Kokhba
“Oppenheimer’s argument about the rabbinic perception in this passage of Bar Kokhba’s messianic character and function. He maintains that we should put special stress on the word “king,” rather than“messiah,” which would emphasize the political and worldly expectations R. Akiva allegedly had of Bar Kokhba (1984, 154). In other words, Bar Kokhba should be viewed as a leader embodying earthly, military functions, much like the biblical figure David.Remarkably, the Bar Kokhba letters do not provide any evidence that Shimon ben Kosiva viewed himself as a superhuman or heavenly messiah, the savior of the end of days, one who would raise the dead or perform other similar fantastic miracles. Shimon ben Kosiva’s administration of the revolt, as presented in his own letters, reflects pragmatic concerns and is devoid of mystical elements”.
“It also seems that extensive preparation and organization for the revolt were set in motion before confrontations erupted, with the banner of war being sagaciously raised only after Hadrian had left Palestine. Such indicators do not fit well with an eschatological messianic revolt, which by its very nature is characterized by spontaneous eruption Oppenheimer 1984, 161; Mildenberg 1984,76; Jaffé 2006
Jewish Followers of Jesus and Bar Kokhba in the Christian Sources
” generally the patristic authors blame the Jews for instigating the revolt, claim that the construction of Aelia Capitolina came only in response to the uprising of the Jews, and view the defeat and the ensuing sanctions against the Jews as proof of God’s punishment (1984)”.
Justin Martyr
” Justin also affirms that the Jews are Christians’ foes and enemies, killing and punishing Christians whenever they have the power. He even interprets the defeat of the Jews and their subsequent ban from Jerusalem as fulfillment of scripture. Citing Isaiah 64:10-12, 1:7 as well as Jeremiah 27:3, Justin asserts that it was God’s will that Judea should be laid waste and that Jews should be prohibited from entering Jerusalem—a decree he claims was enforced up to his own day, some twenty-five years or so after the war” (see Skarsaune 1987, 160–62, 288–95)
“The reason for their expulsion, according to Justin, is their alleged slaying of the“Just One” and persecution of his followers (cf.1 Apo48.4;
Dial. 16.4; 108:2; 133;136). This polemical portrayal would fit perfectly with Justin’s wider program of “formal” appeal to the Roman emperors and officials to recognize the legitimacy of Christianity. Let us not forget that Justin’s Apology is nominally addressed to none other than the emperor Antoninus, his son Caesar Verissimus (i.e., Marcus Aurelius), LuciusVerus (also Caesar, an adopted son of Hadrian), and the Roman Senate” ( Apol1.1)
“Justin integrates the Bar Kokhba event into his wider ideological scheme, in which he seeks to highlight Christian abstinence from this anti-Roman affair and to announce the supposed eclipse of Judaism. Thus he transforms the traditional, positive symbolism ascribed by Jews to physical circumcision of the flesh into a sign that separated the Jews from all nations and Christians, so that the former might be singled out to incur their current suffering, that is, their banishment under the decree of Hadrian from going up to Jerusalem (Dial. 16.2).Later in the Dialogue Justin draws again from the motif of circumcision in conjunction with the decrees issued against the Jews, reiterating that circumcision was given to the Jews as a distinguishing sign so that they alone could now suffer what they justly deserve. Because of their defeat, the Jews can no longer lay hands on Christians as they supposedly had in the past”.
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