By Ted Belman
About a month ago, I wrote Annapolis is about wiping Israel off the map. A devotee of Israpundit wrote to say that I went too far in accusing the US of that. Since I believe that accepting the Saudi Peace Plan would place Israel in mortal danger, I advised him that in criminal law, when one proceeds in reckless disregard of the consequences, one is deemed to have intended them. That is not to say that there are not many in the State Department who do in fact want to see the end of Israel.
Recently I advised Why I hate Annapolis and this article was widely distributed. One lawyer wrote to say in effect “Hogwash”. I wrote him back with a few facts and he backed off and said there were two ways to look at things. I agree. The right way and the wrong way, but I am sure he didn’t mean it in that sense.
Other leftists wrote that we must pursue Annapolis if we desire peace. That’s the holy grail but none of them questions whether it will in fact lead to peace. For them it is an axiom. I want peace and that’s why I reject it.
Today I posted an article by Prof Barry Rubin, Annapolis, in which he explains why peace is not obtainable,
- The reason the issue persists is twofold. First, the Palestinians and a very large portion of their fellow Arabs still want and expect total victory. They don’t seek compromise because they don’t really want a two-state solution, at least not as more than a temporary stage leading to Israel’s disappearance from the map. Thus, while there is endless talk about Israeli concessions and commitments but virtually nothing about what is required by the other side. Why? Because they won’t give anything and pointing that out too explicitly shows there is no chance of real progress.
Second, Arab politics needs the conflict’s continuation. Incumbent regimes require it to provide a scapegoat so they can mobilize support for themselves and as an excuse letting them explain away their own multiple failures. The Islamist oppositions need it as a slogan in their pursuit of power. Fatah is in the first category; Hamas in the second.
And there you have it.
