Posted on 04/10/2002 2:19:30 PM PDT by Starmaker
Israel has been almost universally condemned for their latest incursion into the occupied territories. Furthermore, many people are acting as if Israel is at fault for the violence in the region. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Israel's position is morally superior to that of the Palestinians and I think that needs to be made clear. There are many reasons why this is the case if you consider the situation in it´s entirety.
First off, the Palestinians lost the land in the occupied territories by participating in a failed attempt at genocide along with some of Israel's other neighboring states. Had Israel lost in 1967, the Palestinians and their allies would have killed every Israeli they could get their hands on and they would have taken all of their land. Despite that fact, the Israelis are willing to allow the Palestinians to have a state if they will stop aiming terrorist attacks at Israel. Not only have the Palestinians refused to stop the terrorist attacks, but their leader Yasser Arafat has said numerous times in Arabic that he doesn't accept the existence of Israel. The fact that Israel is willing to allow the Palestinians to have their own state is a benevolent act in and of itself because the Palestinians would not of done the same had the situation been reversed in 1967 nor are the majority of the Palestinians in the occupied territories willing to accept Israel´s existence today.
We also have to understand that the Palestinian people and their government overwhelmingly believe it's acceptable to deliberately kill as many Israeli civilians as possible. They enthusiastically support suicide bombers blowing themselves up in civilian areas. The Israelis do not have this same attitude. If they did, all the Palestinians would long since be dead since they couldn't hope to stop the Israeli military from eradicating them. The only thing saving the Palestinians from being wiped out to the last man is Israel's refusal to do the same thing the Palestinians would do in their place.
Furthermore, the violence in the occupied territories today and for the last year and a 1/2 is the fault of the Palestinians. The Israelis have made it clear that if Israel is not attacked, that Israel will not respond. The Palestinians cannot claim that they too are just retaliating because even when the Israelis have not reacted to terrorist attacks, the Palestinians have still launched more suicide bombers. What the Palestinians actually seem to want IS NOT peace but to be free to attack Israel without retribution. Had Yasser Arafat done everything in his power to stop the terrorist attacks coming into Israel for the last year and a 1/2 instead of promoting this sort of savagery, the Palestinians would in all likelihood have their own state TODAY. That is something that we should not forget either.
Then there is the culture of Israel and the “occupied territories.” Israel is a Western style Democracy that is technologically, socially, morally well ahead of its neighbors. On the other hand, the occupied territories are run by a terrorist/dictator. Their schools teach suicide bombing, they encourage their children to attack Israeli soldiers, they use ambulances to transport terrorists and their bombs, and killing Israeli women and children makes you a hero in their society, not a criminal. You have to go back to Nazi Germany to find an entire culture that became as murderous and depraved as the Palestinians in the occupied territories are today.
So why are there people treating Israel like moral pariahs for merely defending themselves from what is perhaps the most savage terrorist onslaught in the history of mankind? If Yasser Arafat decides to actually police his own territory in order to stop terrorist attacks on Israel (as he has been promising and failing to do since the Oslo Accords) then Israel would have no need to enter the occupied territories. But since Arafat refuses to meet his obligations, Israel has to do the job Arafat is not willing to do. So until Arafat does his part, Israel is morally justified in continuing it's incursions into the occupied territories.
To comment on this article or express your opinion directly to the author, you are invited to e-mail John at webmaster@rightwingnews.com .
Well said and true.
Not taking sides just like the facts better!
What invasion was that? The Jews were there all along, and the new European ones bought the land they farmed and/or lived on. There weren't many Arabs there pre 1880 or so. It was a pretty desolate place until the influx of industrious Jews created an economy that in turn attracted Arab merchants and workers. The was no Invasion. Not for want of trying by the Arabs in '48, '56, '67 and '73, but I don't think that's what you had in mind.
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