Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Letter to the Jewish Journal‏- a response

Avi Zirler

Under the beaten “Peace Process” cliché, JJ Editor Mr. Eshman rebukes MK Danny Danon for suggesting an Arab Israeli pact which does not contains a two states solution (“No State Solution”, JJ 4/8/10).

Mr. Eshman must be aware that the Palestinians have already been familiar ad nauseum with the notion of peace process whereby an agreed and recognized border would be determined. In theory, this would be the best solution to the conflict, but the PLO and the PA show no great interest in peace, nor are they interested in a compromise for a permanent borders solution that, in their view, would be intolerable. Let’s look at the situation from the Palestinian leader’s perspective: What exactly he is going to get out of such a peace deal? Let's assume that Israel pulls back to the 1967 lines, and now he is left with Gaza strip’s nearly 2.5 million Palestinians in one corner; in the other corner there is a patch of land in Hebron area, isolated from the main region of the Samaria Mountain; and these three regions are to be connected with some odd corridors cutting through Jewish areas. This is Israel’s best offer. However, if chooses to do nothing, greater Israel will fall into his hands effortlessly in just one decade, due to the demographic changes. The Palestinian leader is in no rush; finding a solution to the suffering of mothers and children has never been any Palestinian leader’s top priority.

But for Eshman and his ilk such realities are way too banal to consider, so they continue to assume that Israel needs to talk with the partner on the other side, that she needs to withdraw to the 1967 lines, and remove all the settlements – and then the Arabs will give her a break and let the Jews live peacefully.

There is only one problem. There is no partner to talk to on the other side. All the signatures on past pacts and accords like Oslo, Geneva, Wye, or Madrid will not change the geopolitical realities of the region.

Put aside for a moment the demographic aspect; is there any Muslim leadership that could agree to a Jewish sovereignty on what they consider to be a Waqf land? Has anyone considered the implications of the huge economic disparity of 1:17 between Kfar Sava and Kalkilya which are less than one mile apart (for comparison, it is only 1:4 between the USA and Mexico)? Could this disparity be eliminated if millions of Palestinian refugees are allowed back into Israel, and be given full Israeli citizenship? And what about the cultural gap between the Israeli and the Muslim cultures that separate the two societies on each and every issue?

Even if we remain very optimistic and believe that sometime in the future there will be a keen willingness on the other side to negotiate solutions to all these problems, how long will it take until the day comes? We can surely wait 20-30 years for the next generation, but this generation has already been brainwashed and ruined by a systematic incitement and deep hate.

While the Left persists on harping on its virtual “peace process”, the Arabs keep repeating their call for Jihad, the Palestinian Charter fails to mention any 1967 borders, and their school books do not even attempt to hide their true intentions.

Israel may have to have a pact that separate the people without a peace agreement. Only those who do not understand the depth and the foundation of the conflict can run away from the facts and continue to talk about the illusionary “peace”.

Avi Zirler
California

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