|
Force-fed with tales of glory
THERE is no lack of news on events in the Israeli-Palestinian
confrontation, but certain aspects of that struggle have received
little attention.
It is time the spotlight was turned on them. The few Arab
personalities who raise timorous voices, pointing to the resultant
desperate economic situation of their people, and the overpowering
strength of Israel, are at once hushed up by the prophets
of victory, and even threatened with harm.
The masses follow the lead of their war-mongers. On what
do they base their optimism?
On two factors: the visible physical results of their violence
and what they regard as a spirit of defeatism which appears
to them to be sweeping over Israel.
With regard to the first, Gideon Levi, a pro-Palestinian
columnist in the daily paper Haaretz, has for some time been
serving as a mouthpiece for their point of view.
On the subject of the alleged success of the terrorism, he
has noted that ever since the Yom Kippur War, almost 30 years
ago, everything that the Arabs have gained has come about
as a result of their use of force.
They point to the Yom Kippur War itself, Egypt's surprise
attack, which ended with the surrender of the entire Sinai,
even the last of Israel's holdings, Yamit.
The first intifada gained for them the Oslo agreement, the
safe ensconcing of Arafat in the West Bank, the establishment
and arming (by Israel) of the Palestine Authority, and the
withdrawal of Israel from major West Bank cities and most
of Gaza.
It was the repeated violence of the Hezbollah that brought
about Israel's hasty withdrawal from Lebanon.
More recently, Dr Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas leader, observed
that the bloody and painful terrorist attack on a bus in Jerusalem
was what motivated Amram Mitzna, head of the Labour Party,
to declare thereafter that he was prepared to withdraw unilaterally
from the Gaza Strip.
In other words, it appears to them that everything they have
gained, and Israel's capitulation, has always come about after
intense terrorist violence.
The obvious moral, therefore, is to continue with the violence
until Israel is brought to its knees, and then eliminated
entirely.
The second factor contributing to their optimism, and hence
encouraging them in their determination to continue with the
terror, is the reaction of certain elements in Israel and
among liberal-minded Jews in Britain, the US and elsewhere.
The peace movements in Israel, though they represent only
a very small fraction of public opinion, are regarded by the
Palestinians as an indication of a growing spirit of defeatism.
Jewish street demonstrations and public meetings attacking
government policy are looked upon by most Israelis only as
an expression of a naive and misguided group exercising their
freedom in a democracy.
But to the Arabs, who do not understand democracy, such actions
are taken very seriously and are regarded as indications of
a significant split in Israeli public opinion.
The Palestinians derive encouragement as a result.
Jews in other parts of the world as well, who endorse the
so-called peace movements here are, in effect, bolstering
the Palestinians in their determination to increase their
apparently successful terrorism.
After all, they feel that they have help from unwitting collaborators
within the Israeli ranks.
Further, the publicity given to the relatively few Israelis
who have refused to serve in the army in the West Bank adds
substantially to the belief that Israeli morale is disintegrating.
Unwittingly, these idealistic but short-sighted Jewish humanitarians
who are playing into the hands of Israel's foes, are in large
part responsible for continuation and extension of the terror.
The Arabs also compare the reaction at funerals of the victims
on both sides, as shown here on television.
Arab funerals are marked by excited fury, fist waving and
incitement.
Jewish funerals are distinguished by the tears and subdued
grief of the mourners.
This, too, is regarded as a sign of growing Israeli weakness
and imminent collapse, in contrast to Arab fervour and determination.
But after all this is said, it must be noted that the vast
majority of Israelis remain confident and determined.
They would prefer to reach a peaceful agreement with the
Palestinians but, if the latter persist in resorting to violence,
Israel has no alternative but to respond with force.
A change may come when a new, sane, responsible leadership
emerges on the other side, prepared to teach their people
that good neighbourliness is preferable to hostility.
Email
him at uri@urigeller.com
|
Engage
Uri Geller - Maximise your potential, the world's leading motivational
speaker
