PrintSeptember 7, 2010
The Most Disturbing Facet of Yet Another Dreary 'Peace' Conference
America has no business giving its imprimatur to a diplomatic process that countenances, and indeed endorses, ethnic cleansing as a foundation stone -- or that embraces the prospect of an eventual judenrein "Palestinian" state (let alone a judenrein state gouged out of the very cradle that birthed and nourished the Jewish People). Regardless of who is to have sovereignty there, why do the Palestinian Arabs not want Jews living there? Why can't anybody live wherever he damned well pleases?
The Jewish rural, suburban, and urban "settlers" didn't displace anybody in order to live where they do. Nor have they stolen, usurped, harmed, endangered, or devalued anybody else's bona fide property by living where they do.
Making the removal or restriction of Jews' presence a part of (let alone, a precondition to) the negotiations constitutes nothing short of clear-cut, unblushing racism -- yet Mrs. Clinton is presiding over that despicable and dishonorable discussion on behalf of the government of The People of the United States.
And where is the Left in all this? You know, the Left that always hollers "bigotry! racism!" (always good for a quick reshuffle of the deck) whenever it suspects it may be losing the national debate? Yes, that Left. Where are they on this most auspicious occasion? Oh, there they are: Yes, of course -- they're in bed with the bigots.
Yes, our portside-listing friends are just fine with ethnically cleansing the Jews from the eastern sector of Jerusalem and from the unincorporated heartland ("West Bank") provinces of Judea and Samaria. Fancy that.
Yet surely America knows better.
Consider: Twenty percent of Israel's legal, franchised, voting citizenry is of Palestinian Arab extraction. True, that fact hasn't quite constituted a day at the beach in recent decades, but Israelis have been committed to honoring it for 62 years now and counting. The question is: If one in every five Israeli citizens is Arab, why cannot one in every five citizens of a contemplated "Palestinian" state be Jewish? What's wrong with that, as a matter for discussion? What's good for the goose is surely good for the gander, yes?
Not in an Arab state. I defy anybody to find me a substantial number of Jewish citizens in an existing Arab state. And when you do, don't forget to notify the people at the Guinness Book of World Records. There may be a reward for the data, and you'll have earned it. The truth is that Jewish citizens and Jewish property owners in Arab states are rarer than hens' teeth.
Even the Kingdom of Jordan -- which has had a formal treaty with Israel since 1994 -- maintains a policy and practice of prohibiting citizenship and land ownership to Jews. Indeed, under Jordanian law, any Jordanian subject who sells land in Jordan to a Jew -- to any Jew -- is guilty of a capital crime (a hanging offense, boys and girls) [1].
But that's hardly the thrust of my central point here. What the Arab and/or Islamic world does is its own blasted business. But what this country lends its prestige and approval to is Americans' business. This so-called "Peace Process" is unblushingly racist, and our country should not be saying "good" to it.
Yet last November, Mrs. Clinton, in referring to the lawful Jewish communities in the heartland territories and the eastern sector of Jerusalem, was reported to declare, "We would like to see everything ended forever" [2]. Excuse me -- forever? -- ended? That is a flat-out endorsement of ethnic cleansing -- as un-American a proposition as the day is long.
If this country is to preside over these deliberations, our posture toward the Palestinians should be, at a bare minimum:
"We will support and nurture no process that compromises the bedrock, anti-racist aspirations of our own civilization. You want the Jews outta there? -- mazal tov: Do it on your own dime, and in your own time -- Not In Our Name. Diplomatically sanctioned ethnic cleansing is a step backwards for America, not forward. As sweet as peace may be, it's not that sweet.
"Therefore: EITHER the Jewish villages, towns, and housing developments throughout Jerusalem and the heartland provinces get to remain where they are (and where they have every legal right to be), OR you're on your own. Think it over. And until you do, as far as we are concerned, this conference is over."
Michael Zebulon was once the youngest Eagle Scout on the eastern seaboard. Actor, narrator, writer -- he remains an Eagle Scout (there are no "former" ones), but no longer the youngest. Contact: m_zebulon@yahoo.com
[1] Art. 3 (3), Law No. 6 of 1954, Jordanian Nationality Law, Official Gazette No. 1171, 16 Feb 54, 105
