“We know from our experience that building a state takes time,” said Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, on his attitude towards George Mitchell, who wants a permanent arrangement within two years. A two year timeframe, simple and prosaic as it may sound, is a frightening idea to all true Zionists.
Israel is not settling because it has no choice. Rather, it is choosing to build a state for its enemies. Enemies, not “neighbors”, because Palestinian nationalism not only seeks to build a state, but it also renounces Israeli nationalism, Zionism. The Palestinian enemy state can not claim any historical or cultural tradition. Neither can the Palestinians be separated from their Syrian, Lebanese or Jordanian Arab origins. The “Palestinian state” is not a unique essence of Palestinian identity.
Indeed, the single, most uniquely identifiable factor of the various people groups that came together to make up what the world now refers to as “Palestinian refugees,” is their opposition to the existence of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel. This is also a drive they have in common with all surrounding Arab nations.
The Palestinians demand all of what they consider “Palestine” – today’s Israeli borders – because, as clearly stated in both Palestinian National 1968 Charter (Fatah) and the Hamas Charter of 1988, they seek nullification of Israel’s sovereignty. The actual borders make no difference to their ultimate aim; the end goal is plainly the annihilation of the Jewish people… “driving the Jews into the sea.”
We cannot have stable peace with a group that rejects us. We can reach peace with the Arabs who live with us and around us, but we cannot have peace with the Palestinian national movement.
The Palestinians have never made a statement that the conflict with Israel will end with a peace agreement. If they wanted the conflict to end, they would have taken advantage of multiple generous offers for statehood many years ago.
Prime Minister Netanyahu may say that he will only allow our enemies to have a state if they recognize Israel as the Jewish State, end the conflict, and give up their claims to Israel. Anyone who has observed the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict knows full well that a Palestinian state, once acknowledged, may come into being, but those conditions necessary for Israel’s safety and security will never be met.
Anyone who values the State of Israel needs to shout a warning from the rooftops that this old/new plan, in which Israel builds a Palestinian state, is a step that will drench us in blood and tears.
Yoav Sorek is manager of The Israeli Initiative. Find out more: www.israelinitiative.com