Dear Extremists / Maximalists -
Thanks a frakkin' lot for destroying Peace in the Middle East. Like we don't need anymore problems, you all have to take your positions and stick to them to the point where you guarantee death and destruction for years to come. You are all being offered the best deal you are all EVER going to get by President Obama. He speaks to both sides wants and needs and what does he get in return? Scorn and bullshit maximalist positions from both sides. And what the hell, they are all ready to fight and kill each other to get what they want, what's another couple of hundred years. They don't give a hoot about themselves, their children, their descendents and anyone else who gets in the way. And this not just in a physical sense. They don't care about the mentality that they produce, and they don't care about the long term psychological damage they cause. All they care about is that their selfish ideals get fulfilled.
Thanks a lot.
Let's start with the Palestinians / Arabs (I will be getting to the Israelis in just a second so don't feel singled out). Recognizing a Jewish State is just not within your ability now is it? Whether you agree with the theoretical beginnings of Israel or not.... Guess what, that's completely IRRELEVANT. Israel as a Jewish State exists. It has existed for 63 years, and it's not going away. You don't like that, too bad. The Israelis want it, the Americans want it and the Europeans accept it. Now, you can learn to live with it or not. But if you don't, you are simply setting up a situation that will cause pain, bloodshed and horror (because war really is horrible) for years to come. The Israelis are not going to back down because religious fanatics talk about "liberating" Palestine in 1000 years and they are not going to shrink from the bombings that have killed thousands of innocents in the past. They will fight you until everyone is gone. There simply is no option.
If it wasn't bad enough you all just had to elect Hamas as representatives. The Second intifada should have shown you that all that will come violence is that you lose. Was there a thought that the Israelis would see Hamas and say... "Oh Goodie, here are a bunch of fanatics who want to kill us all so let's make peace with them"? Bad idea. Maybe you didn't realize it but Hamas Covenant reads like something from an anti-Semitic horror movie.
Excerpted from article 7:
....Moreover, if the links have been distant from each other and if obstacles, placed by those who are the lackeys of Zionism in the way of the fighters obstructed the continuation of the struggle, the Islamic Resistance Movement aspires to the realisation of Allah's promise, no matter how long that should take. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said:
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem).
I love the phrase "The Islamic Resistance Movement aspires to this no matter how long it takes" (paraphrased)... Well now, that is sure to get the Israelis to want to deal with anything to do with Hamas. It kind of renders any even hint at peace moot.
But what else does Hamas have to say, well read the charter. They blame the Jews for both World Wars, Communism, the Free Masons and pretty much everything else. They even cite the Protocols of the Elders of Zionas a truthful reference point. And people wonder, given Jewish History why Israel would not see a government run by Hamas or even with Hamas in it as a potential partner for Peace. Gee, I wonder why? Well, actually no... I really don't.
But wait, even though Hamas won the last Palestinian election they seem to be slipping in popularity and right now probably would not win again, although honestly who knows.
The other issue is Palestinian Right of Return. In all honesty, does anyone really think the Israelis are simply going to grant this no matter how much economic or social pressure anyone brings to bear? I mean really. Whether you think it is right or wrong does anyone in their right mind expect the Israelis to say, "Well you know, we want a Jewish State (and Democracy), but, you know, it's much more important to settle refugees and their descendents (a unique to Palestine condition created by the U.N.)from a War that we fought to create the State and one where they opposed us." Seriously?
I mean in all seriousness does anyone think the Israelis would do this? After how many wars, deaths and threats of annhilation, can anyone even imagine this. Israelis laugh at people that propose this or think this is realistic. They know what Palestinian RoR will mean for them as a society. After 2,500 years of oppression,striving, and near annhilation why would the Israelis (and Jewish people) around the world look and say: "You know what, come on down and take our state away - we really didn't want it anyway. I mean you know.. this is the modern world, there are pieces of paper at the U.N. saying no one can hurt us so of course we should trust these theoretical statements. So yeah, we were just kidding with this whole Zionist thingie anyway. But here, we give up. It's all yours."
Not a snowballs chance in hell of that happening and really, demanding it doesn't make negotiations that much easier in fact it's pretty much a non-starter. But again, extremists love to say, well we will fight for 1,000 years if that is what it takes. Well, take it from us Jews, we had to fight for a lot longer than that and it still isn't settled. The romance (if you can call it that) of fighting for a thousand years seems fine but, when you see the burned bodies and the carnage that results the romance fades.
For fuck's sake accept that Israel exists, get rid of the eliminationist / maximalist rhetoric and make peace. Nothing you are doing has worked so far (and will continue to not work), just give it up, settle for half the pie and build for a better future.
NOW FOR THE ISRAELIS......
How stupid do you have to be? What, the wait of 2,500 years was not enough that now you have to imperil the State at a time when a single weapon of mass destruction can kill 10% of the population in one shot? Was exile and war that much fun, that you want to keep on doing it? Really now. I understand fighting for a homeland for the Jewish People. I support that 10000000000%. Heck, I even wanted to join you in that fight. But now.... you have won a State - Mitzuyon ("wonderful" in Hebrew). You have the backing of the most powerful nation in the history of the planet. You have an economy that despite world depression is actually growing. For a while you had support of the world in your venture and what are you doing with it..... Pissing it away, that's what.
You elected a Prime Minister and coalition that is wrecking you economically (there is short term growth but long term some serious questions occur). Socially, you are trending to even oppress other Jews just because they don't see your vision of Israel. You mock American support as you ask us (Jewish Americans) for that support. You lie and distort what our President says even though he is someone who has done more to make you secure than ever before and fundamentally has not changed our support one iota since the Clinton years.
BUT now, you are going for the full hat trick. You know there is a debate with a young Binyamin Netanyahu from many years ago on youtube.com where he states; "Well, Palestinians have a State already, it is called Jordan, Judea and Samaria are our territories" (paraphrased). For all his talk about Two States it seems this is what he really means. What backs this up... well Yesha Leader and Political ally Danny Dayan is meeting in Jerusalem to discuss "The Preferred Option" the annexation of the West Bank. Now what kind of message do you think that sends? One of Peace or the possibility of negotiations for a homeland? No, it doesn't. You just basically told one Arab nation that you are friendly with that their regime is illegitimate, you told the President of the United States (a country that gives you $ 3 billion in aid each year), thanks but no thanks, and you told the entire Arab World that the Palestinians are not getting anything from you.
Well speaking of charters the Likud party platform pretty much strives for a Jewish State from the Jordan to the Mediterranean so I guess this should come as no surprise, but, you realize by doing that you simply guarantee many more years of bloodshed. What is your grand plan for the Palestinians that live there already? I have seen some of the more right wing members of your government say that the Arabs can live there but not be able to vote or be full citizens. Well, now after we (Jews) have been treated that way for millenia we should become like our oppressors. Brilliant strategy there. What, you think the move by the South Africans worked so well? Look at what happened there.
The Palestinians live in this land as well, of all people, we as Jews should understand that they have a legitimate right to self governance. Not in Jordan. Not in Egypt, Syria, or Lebanon. They are Palestinians. They belong in part of Palestine. No one who has an ounce of reason is asking you to give up everything, I certainly wouldn't call a plan by the ex heads of the IDF (the military), Shin bet (like the FBI) and Mossad (like the CIA) a blueprint for surrender. COMPROMISE on your maximalist ideals.
Look, maybe you can fight and win war after war. I don't doubt that. But is that how you want to live your lives? Oh, I am not a pacifist. I don't believe that your giving up territory means you won't have to fight. I am not that foolish, but living as a nation, Isolated from former friends as "Fortress Israel", is that really what you want? Yes, as a people that has been our experience throughout history, but don't we owe it to ourselves to try and better our standing rather than simply let our enemies dictate our existence?
Anyway, annexation of the West Bank means Israel becomes something it was never meant to be - an oppressive State that plays to the worst in us all. Because if that happens, Israel imust be willing to do something horrible like transfer the Arab population out of the West Bank, or rule as a minority run State in the winning tradition of South Africa. Great job there extremists. Way to plan for the future.
So, that's my rant. If you don't like it... too bad. I do think a lot of you feel the same way I do as well as share my frustrations with this conflict. This is not meant to be a scholarly dissertation. Fuck that. Sometimes things have to come from the heart. This does. I am frustrated at both sides here and sometimes I get to the point of saying "Screw you both" but really I am too partisan for Israel to do that.
What I can't understand is how we all let the extremists on either side get this far. Those gleeful little people that don't understand reality and how reality will cause far more death and destruction than they can imagine. It's more sad than anything.
Am Yisrael Chai, but let there be peace between our people - the alternative sucks and so do you all of you extremists and maximalists for pushing that alternative.
Volleyboy1