Wishful Thinking Will Not End the Violence
Alright, here's the conundrum; how do you trust a faction of people who have made your eventual elimination the very foundation of their existence for 5 decades, when they tell you that "Now!" "This time, we really, really mean it?"
For decades, the Palestinian people and the surrounding Arab states have sought by both diplomatic and military means to bring about the demise of the nation of Israel. Over that same period, there have been numerous attempts by the Israeli Government to enter into an agreement with those hostile factions which would above all else guarantee their right to exist as a nation and a people.
Numerous times those same agreements have been broken or rejected by those same people who look on Israel with bad intent.
After a thorough drubbing through 3 wars, Egypt and Jordan finally recognized the futility of their aims, and entered into an initially uneasy, but increasingly strong accord with Israel, which has brought about a more peaceful and economically profitable existence for all three parties.
The problem, however remains the same. The Palestinian people have yet to adhere to any proferred agreement or treaty guaranteeing Israel's right to exist. Now we are once more told by one of the most radical and violent groups in the conflict..."Trust us, we only want peace."
What if the offer is genuine? If you refuse it, then you lose a chance for a lasting and stable peace. If you accept the offer, you run the risk of being betrayed once again.
We in the West are prone to expect the best from others because we ourselves are generally motivated by goodness and honesty. We want to trust them because we want to be trusted. We want to be well thought of.
Our enemies know this about us and they use it to their advantage. So trust becomes a very big problem in these negotiations.
I suspect that the best we can do is to follow the admonishment of Ronald Reagan in dealing with the Soviet Union..."Trust, but verify."
Long Live the American Republic!!
For decades, the Palestinian people and the surrounding Arab states have sought by both diplomatic and military means to bring about the demise of the nation of Israel. Over that same period, there have been numerous attempts by the Israeli Government to enter into an agreement with those hostile factions which would above all else guarantee their right to exist as a nation and a people.
Numerous times those same agreements have been broken or rejected by those same people who look on Israel with bad intent.
After a thorough drubbing through 3 wars, Egypt and Jordan finally recognized the futility of their aims, and entered into an initially uneasy, but increasingly strong accord with Israel, which has brought about a more peaceful and economically profitable existence for all three parties.
The problem, however remains the same. The Palestinian people have yet to adhere to any proferred agreement or treaty guaranteeing Israel's right to exist. Now we are once more told by one of the most radical and violent groups in the conflict..."Trust us, we only want peace."
What if the offer is genuine? If you refuse it, then you lose a chance for a lasting and stable peace. If you accept the offer, you run the risk of being betrayed once again.
Olive Branch From HamasI don't know if Novak has just gone soft, or if he is on to something here. I have my suspicions, that like most in the West, his desire for a final settlement has betrayed his better judgment.
By Robert D. Novak
Monday, April 16, 2007; Page A17
On April 7, ending a seven-day visit to Israel, I finally got an interview I had sought for a year. I sat down in a Palestinian Authority office in Ramallah with a leader of Hamas, the extremist organization that won last year's elections. This leader pushed a two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution and deplored suicide bombers. But officials in Washington seem not to want to hear Hamas calling for peace.
No fringe character, this was Naser al-Shaer: education minister and deputy prime minister in the new coalition government. Shaer signaled that the regime recognizes Israel's right to exist and forgoes violence -- conditions essential for talks about a viable Palestinian state adjoining Israel -- even if Hamas does not. "We hope that it is going to be a matter of time," Shaer told me. "But there is a big chance now."
When I returned to Washington last week, I sought the reaction of Bush administration officials (who refuse to have any contact with Hamas). I asked to talk to Elliott Abrams, the deputy national security adviser who is most influential in policy on Israel. Abrams was once a fellow Cold Warrior and friend whom I have defended, but an aide let me know on Thursday that Abrams would not talk to me about Hamas. A senior State Department official also showed no interest in what Shaer said.
U.S. policy is not just adherence to the economic boycott that has devastated the Palestinian Authority since Hamas won elections in January 2006. U.S. government officials and contract workers in the Israeli-occupied territories must leave when someone from Hamas enters a room. Because the State Department lists Hamas as a terrorist organization, Americans not employed by the government fear that contacting a Hamas member of the Palestinian government would violate the USA Patriot Act.
We in the West are prone to expect the best from others because we ourselves are generally motivated by goodness and honesty. We want to trust them because we want to be trusted. We want to be well thought of.
Our enemies know this about us and they use it to their advantage. So trust becomes a very big problem in these negotiations.
I suspect that the best we can do is to follow the admonishment of Ronald Reagan in dealing with the Soviet Union..."Trust, but verify."
Long Live the American Republic!!
What do you think?
To leave your opinion click on the word "COMMENT(S)" below
posted by Will Malven at 7:05 AM
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