Is Israel the victim, just defending itself from aggressive Arab states, and is the Palestinian refugee problem being perpetuated as a weapon in their 60-year war of annihilation against Israel? These seem to me to be the main points of a recent Sunday commentary, of which I find some agreement.I agree that the Palestinians have not been supported strongly enough by Arab rulers, but that is due to many reasons, regional sectarian strife, corrupt rulers compliant to Western interests, etc. Also, many Palestinians are refugees on their own land, occupied by Israel, but Arab armies are no match for the Israel/U.S. forces, so they do nothing.
Do Arab governments want the problem to continue, to use as a photo op against Israel? If Arab states wanted the Palestinian refugee problem they wouldn't have gone to war repeatedly to end it.
On the more important point of whether Israel is the victim, I don't see how anyone can say that a militant, modern, industrial state, with a colonial, expansionist, exclusionary agenda, backed by the world's great imperial powers, and imposed on top of people already living there, could be called a victim. The very idea of a Jewish state, where people of other religions have less rights, and where you have to kick other people out so you have a majority, is undemocratic and unAmerican. Scholars agree Palestinians were ethnically cleansed with intimidation and massacres, and history documents clearly the Zionist intention to transfer the natives.
In recognizing Israel as a state, Truman was motivated by the feeling that Jews, after the Holocaust, deserved a homeland. But as Anna Baltzer, a Jewish American puts it, I can see why some feel they need a Jewish homeland. I just don't want one at the expense of taking someone else's. In this statement lies the problem and solution. The problem being finding a home by stealing someone else's. The solution being considering everyone's needs. It goes beyond taking sides and rooting for your team, right or wrong.
So can both parties' needs be met, or is it true that Arabs won't be content until they annihilate Israel? The Arab League, the PLO, and Hamas have offered peace if Israel abides by the world consensus solution and withdraws to its 1967 borders. This certainly isn't fair to the Palestinians who would have had 78 percent of their land stolen, yet they repeatedly have said they would settle for this if Israel would leave them be in the remaining 22 percent. Israel would have to give up its dream of conquering all of Palestine and stop its slow genocide of Palestinians. The right of return would not be a big problem, as most of the land Palestinians were expelled from is still unoccupied.
A better way to go is a one state solution, where Christians, Muslims and Jews have equal rights and live together as they did before the Israel mistake.
I don't see either solution happening now. Israel's leaders are too greedy and want it all. With U.S. support they can continue the cleansing of Palestinians, resulting in more terrorist attacks against us. Tell your representatives, in spite of monthly meetings and money from Israeli lobbyists, you want fairness for Palestinians.
People ask, “How could a people who suffered such persecution, persecute others?” but if a person is abused it is likely, unless there is healing, he will abuse others.
It comes down to knowing the facts and having compassion. Do we live in a “might makes right” world, or do we follow the way of a particularly wise Palestinian ancestor who advised, “Love your neighbor as yourselfŠ Love your enemy Š Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The survival of the Palestinians, Israelis, and ourselves depends on which road we choose, and act on.
Jim Silva
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