The Real Obstacle to Middle East Peace? Let’s Check the Record
In recent years the American and European media have been obsessed with the theme that “Jewish settlements in the West Bank are the obstacles to peace.”
President Obama has made this the focal point of his discussions with Israeli leaders, having invoked the “settlement” issue in his Cairo speech. In essence, he put the onus on Israel for the failure of the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. This poor excuse has also been used by Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority: “Netanyahu’s government is a real problem and there is no common ground for negotiations.”
The mantra of “settlements” has been similarly repeated by large portions of the Western press, which is only comfortable with Palestinian victimhood and has been doing all it can to label Israel as the culprit.
At the second Camp David summit convened by President Clinton in July 2000, Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered Yasser Arafat a package most thought he could not refuse: 94 percent of the West Bank and Gaza, with the remaining 6 percent to be taken from Israel’s territory; giving East Jerusalem to the Palestinians; and incorporating some flexibility on refugees. Clinton enthusiastically backed the Israeli concessions and used all of his charm to point out to Arafat the unique opportunity being made available to the Palestinians.
Arafat declined. He refused to sign an agreement calling for the “end of conflict” between Israel and the Palestinians. He hastily departed Camp David and less than a month later launched the second intifada.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert picked up in September 2008 where Barak had left off: proposing to hand over 94 percent of the West Bank to the Palestinians, compensating for the remaining 6 percent in a land swap. Olmert also promised the Palestinians a land corridor that would connect the West Bank to Gaza. As part of the discussed plan, Israel (Olmert) offered to admit about 2,000 Palestinian refugees a year for 10 years and give the Palestinians control over Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
Mahmoud Abbas was supposed to respond to Olmert’s proposals within a few days. He never did.
In August 2005, Israel under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip — destroying all the Jewish communities (“settlements”) in Gush Katif (Gaza Strip) and causing 9,000 Jews to become homeless. Instead of signaling Palestinian satisfaction and accommodation with Israel, the Hamas leaders of Gaza considered the Israeli withdrawal a sign of weakness and launched an unprecedented number of rocket attacks on southern Israeli communities, placing towns like Sderot under perpetual fear and stress.
According to the provisions of the Oslo Accords, Israel was to withdraw from parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank; the Palestinian Authority would come into existence with control of its population. Following a five-year interim period during which the Palestinians would hold elections, the tough issues of Jerusalem, refugees, borders, settlements, etc., were to be negotiated. In addition, the signing ceremony at the White House on September 13, 1993, called for mutual recognition. The Oslo Accords placed responsibilities on the Palestinians to renounce terrorism and any other violence against Israel and Israelis and to put an end to all forms of incitement against Israel and Jews.
Israel fulfilled the provisions by immediately withdrawing from parts of Gaza and the West Bank. The Palestinians, led by Arafat, made a mockery out of the Oslo Accords. On a visit to South Africa following the Washington signing, Arafat called the Oslo Accords a “Trojan horse.” Within a year the suicide bombings had begun again. Arafat cleverly designated the role of “bad cop” to Hamas, thus giving the Islamist party a green light for terrorism. Almost immediately upon reaching Gaza, Arafat’s incitement against Israel began. He broke all of the provisions of the Oslo Accords, but neither Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin nor President Bill Clinton called him to task on it.
“He could not be more ill-informed.”
Your point? Can you name an issue that Obama is not ill-informed? Chances of clinching the 2016 Game? Things included in the Obamcare bill? To where did the stimulus money go? Whose and which oinkers are the taxpayers fattening? How the heck not to turn Afghanistan into another Vietnam? How to listen to the generals instead of that military expert, Vice Plagiarizer Biden?
To say Obama is ill-informed is to say the sun rises in the East.
The real obstacle is the money and shielding against retaliation we give to the Palestinians. Had they had to work in order to feed themselves (remember when tyhey burnt the Isreali-built greenhouses?) they would have little time and energy to plot attacks against their neigbors. Had every Kassam meant to tight another notch in their belts qnd three more for rebuilding what the Israelis would have destroyed in retaliation, Palestinians would be less enthousiastic at firing them.
Not to mention that the money we give to teh Palestinians allows Arab countries and Arab populations to purseu their goal of destroying Israel for free (cf how they restric access to jobs and nationality by their “brother” and how silent is the volatile Arab street when an Arab country expels or discrimanates them).
Not tio mention we are expending bil;lions of our dollars on well-fed Palestinins when peole are starving and being killed by the thousands in Darfur.
Gee, I thought for the longest time that the obstacle was the Israeli occupation of Gaza. It’s all I kept hearing about. And we all know what happened when the Israelis moved out. If they leave the West Bank and it’s turned into a cesspool in a matter of days like Gaza was, what wil it be next? The mere existence of Israel?
Oh wait….
Some misconceptions are more comforting than others, and cowards need more comforting than the courageous, so we should not be too surprised if those who are professing superior morality from a safe distance stubbornely persist in the cultivation of particularly obscene misconceptions.
The matter is in fact quite simple: Israel is a vibrant success, whereas its Arab neighbors from all quadrants of the compass are miserable failures, in spite of the blessing (or the curse?) of their vast oil resources.
Denial of the mere existence of Israel is the common denominator of all those who need to deny their own failures, which would not be so embarrassing if Israel was not there to demonstrate so brilliantly how a desert can be made prosperous if you are serious about it. No peace is possible until the Arabs elevate themselves to a standard of of responsibility in governance still beyond their horizon, with the possible exception of Iraq.
Alcoholics anonymous already exists, and welcomes those who want to prosecute their declaration of chemical independence. There has been for a long time a haters anonymous institution, known as Christianity. We should realize how difficult and perilous it is for one to prosecute a personal declaration of independence from Islam. This unsettling reality is what we should be looking at, not the settlements.
The biggest obstacle to peace, Thomas-Jefferson and John-Sobieski style that is (for there is no other way to obtain peace from those that only understand the language of the barrel of a gun, or a real hard punch in the face), is Buraq Hussein Obama’s big mouth. While that part of Hussein’s body doesn’t seem to be able to stop blabbing words of surrender, appeasement and apologies to the followers of pseudo-prophet mahound (eternal torment be upon his crab-ridden rear end) and its (not his) imaginary alter-ego allah, the last thing his displays of weakness will obtain is peace. As for what those words can actually produce in practical terms, the contempt and derision that has been heaped upon him by those he’s seeking to befriend (such as Ahmadinahandjob, Khamenei and the black-people-hating “Arab street”) through his surrender and appeasement talk speak for themselves…
Since I have learned to “consider the source, I have discovered Mr Puder is the founder of an organization that attempts to discredit Arabs and in particular Palestinians by falsely claiming interfaith Jewish and Christian bonds.
Any “concessions” Israel has appeared to have offered is a wolf in sheep’s clothing- while one settlement is dismantled to show “good faith”, dozens more are being promoted. While land is “given back” to the Palestinians, the water is cut off!
The Europeans punished Palestinians and Arabs and “gave” land that was not theirs to give to Israel. This Arab revolt is a revolt against occupation so very similar to the Irish rebellion. Israel could never be successful without the full cooperation and tens of millions of dollars in aid and in military weapons from western Europe and dramatically so from the U. S.
There has never been a “generous” offer given in good faith by the Israelis. They put on the show of appearing to be open to negotiation as they continue to grab more land and illegally, immorally and brutally destroy Palestinian homes and lives. Israel has been cited for so many human rights violations, including from Israelis. It is appalling.
This is a matter of the “might makes right” philosophy that can never succeed. There will never be peace until the Israeli’s go back to the 1967 borders and learn to respect the dignity of human lives.
Mrs Bassil
That land Euriopeans (there were Euroepans around in 1948?) “gave” to Israel had been bought and paid by the Jews but Arabs denied them the right not to bow in front of Muslims (cd the pogroms in the 30s). Also if we have to consider the source (what is next denying that Sun rises East becausde a Joooooo said it) would you mind if we apply thatg to you. tell us how much of your rtime you have sent on Grek Cyporiots, on Tamuls, on Black Soudanese or on any other people whohpo haven’t set as their goal finishing Hitker’s work? Nothing pêrsonal we are just considering the source.
Natalie Bassil (#6)
Your Kool-aid is certainly world-class, and your logic olympian, but the very same Arabs who claim that jews are apes and pigs come to Israel for the best medical care in the area, and they receive it.
Please consider your sources as well.
The settlements are a problem in my view as many of them are created by radical Israelis who consider all of “Palestine” to be theirs. This view is reflected in a small movement in Israel to dis-enfranchise Israeli Arabs.
In general, I agree with Mr. Puder. The large obstacle to Mideast peace are the self-proclaimed Palestinians. He is right that in 2000, the Palestinians had a chance to get virtually everything they wanted. Arafat wouldn’t agree as he would have lost his reason for existence, and continuation of his power. Fast forward to today, Fatah seems a bit more moderate. But only in comparison to Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, for whom total destruction of the Jewish state is the ultimate goal.
Yes, JPM, there were Europeans around there in 1948. The British had a League of Nations mandate over Palestine and Jordan from 1918-1948. Prior to World War I, those areas, plus Lebanon & Syria, were part of the Ottoman Empire.
The President is of one mind with former President Carter on the subject of Israel. In the case of the former President it may be simply put as “prejudice” against the Jewish people, which is form of “racism” the former President condemns, but only when applied to those who criticize the President Obama. President Obama is playing the same game. Israel is at fault because it is Jewish state.
The idea of the author decrying anyone else’s lack of information is laughable. Did you know that Israel blockaded Gaza for years? And that Israel is still considered the occupying power of Gaza because it controls the sea and air around it? I bet you do know that…but you’re hoping your readership is too stupid to pick up a paper and find out for themselves. And you’re probably right. Thankfully, its a rapidly dwindling number.
It’s good to be a Jew in our “changed” world, I knew it would get better, that’s why I voted against it.
Mr. Puder obviously doesn’t understand the dynamic of peacemaking in the Middle East. If Israeli concessions have not prompted the Arabs to a position of sweet reasonableness, the obvious answer is that the Israelis need to offer more concessions.
I’m not sure how much attention should be paid to Ms.Bassil’s comments. She refers to Israelis blockade–actually restrictions that were sometimes imposed and sometimes not–without mentioning that Gaza has a port and a land border with Egypt. Certainly Israel has no control whatsoever over what comes across the Gaza-Egyptian border.
But apologists for the Palestinians never talk about this and the reason they don’t is because the issue is not the well-being of the Palestinians but their existence as a political stick with which to beat the Israelis.
When the Palestinians start thinking about why the Sudeten Germans, Karelian Finns, eastern Poles, Ionian Greeks, Salonikan Turks…and for that matter Jewish refugees from Arab lands…are not in refugee camps but the Palestinians still are, they might begin to be able to deal with their problems.
But self-reflection is not a key point of their culture and the world’s feeding their resentments isn’t likely to prompt the development of such an idea.
Moho, I’m so glad your ‘intelligence’ is always present. Your *ouche bag, moron etc., type comments are always so insightful, progressive. Your public high school-only education has ascended you to great heights. Good on ya!
I remember slick Willy getting involved in this mess too. The following paragraph from an article states it well.
“December 2000 Clinton presented “bridging proposals” suggesting the parameters for a final compromise, including a Palestinian state on all of the Gaza Strip and about 97% of the West Bank, division of Jerusalem and no right of return to Israel for Palestinian refugees. While Israel in principle accepted this proposal, no clear answer came from the Palestinian side. In last minute negotiations at Taba in January 2001, under European and Egyptian patronage, the sides failed to reach a settlement despite further Israeli concessions. Both sides agreed to a joint communiqué saying they had never been so close to an agreement, but substantive disagreements remained about i.a. the refugee issue”.
Following up on this last sentence, the occupiers have incorporated the same modus operandi as their Lebanese counterparts. Attempt to obtain hundreds of Gaza occupiers being held by Israeli forces in exchange for 1-2 Israelis, usually bodies/ remains held by Gaza occupiers. Classy!
It’s too bad Arafat, you know, the ultimate evil-capitalist of Gaza occupied history. The billionaire wasn’t at all serious about peace but moreso in lining his pockets..
When you use the word Palestinian you are wrong. No such people have ever existed. They are Jordanians or Egyptians. Really you have to wonder why people don’t do real research instead of coughing up the same old lies propagated by the Arabs and our so-called western academia. Arabs do not want peace. Britain in 1923 divided the Palestine portion of the Ottoman Empire into two districts, one for the Jews (west of the Jordan River) and one for the Arabs in the area (east of the Jordan River). Jordan took over Trans-Jordan and later gave it to Saudi Arabia. Britain finally gave the matter over to the UN in 1947. The UN under the Resolution 181 partition plan divided the remaining 25% of the land, the Jews accepted, the Arabs declined. On May 14, 1948 Israel was created by the Jews. On May 15, 1948 war was declared against Israel by six Arab states, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen. Israel won. Arab existence hinges on their hate of the Jews. Their only reason to exist, to kill Jews. From 1948-1967 Egypt ruled Gaza, Syria ruled the Golan heights and Jordan ruled the West Bank. They could have at any time gave the Arabs in the area a homeland since they would not take them into their own countries. In 1967 the Arabs launched a war from the Golan Heights, Gaza and the West Bank but again Israel won and they kept those hard fought for lands which I don’t know, but me thinks that most nations that go to war with neighbors who are trying to destroy them would also keep land used to launch attacks on them. Peace is not in the Arab vocabulary. Here is a link to an excellent website.
http://www.masada2000.org/historical.html
Israel is a country only 60 years old, a landmass of a mere 8,000 sq miles, a population of about 7 million, chronic water shortages, and no natural energy or other resources. It is near universally hated. Because it is under constant attack or threat of attack it must expend a staggering percent of its budget and human resources on defence. A level unthinkable to Americans.
And yet…
Today Israelis were pleased to hear that another of its citizens has been awarded the Nobel prize, this one in chemistry. Ada Yonath of the Weizman Institute shared the award with 2 Americans for her work in the function of cellular ribosomes. That is nine total Israeli nobels and another Israeli (Oz) may yet recieve the prize for literature this year.
Of course the Palestinians are quite innovative as well. Who else would have thought of soaking the shrapnel in suicide vests in rat poisen so the wounded would bleed more? Clever.
Spindok
Mr. Puder, thank you for an excellent article. The Jewish people have every right to build new settlements. No one people, country or combination should be able to dictate to the Jewish people what they can or cannot do on their own homeland. Stupidity unfortunately is rampant worldwide. Lies if said often enough begin to take root unfortunately. God bless Israel and God bless the Jewish people.