The Rulebook: Almost There?
Reader comment on item: Throwing out the [Arab-Israeli] Rulebook

Submitted by Wally Cook (United States), Jun 17, 2003 at 17:14

Almost there, in my opinion, because of one way of rulebook thinking not thrown away when thinking of nations living side by side. First, Israel, for practical purposes, is a democratic socialist nation. This needs to be spoken of. Under normal circumstances, U.S. support, at least in the magnitude of past and present support for Israel, would go no other socialist government in the same proportion of dollar aid given to a population so small. Rule one: Admit the facts.

Were it not for the facts that Jewish persons are the principals of such largesse, that along with vocal American Jewish voters, Holocaust guilt (which helped to create Israel out of Palestinian cloth), and concentrations of former and present left-leaning persons at the ending of WWII, along with subsequent American economic interests in the Middle East, such disproportional support might today be unlikely. Rule Two: Admit the facts.

I think we need, as the final putting away of past failed rulebook thinking, to admit to the fact that, like much of history, timing and luck-of-the-draw (the world political situation at any time) helped to create Israel. By the same token, we need also to say that given an opportunity, socialist tinged or not, that Israelis, made a success story out of Israel. We also need to say, plainly, that redressing the Balfour agreement and what followed the tragic events of WWII are not about to be reversed today. It is almost impossible to reverse history, and foolish to waste energy trying. Rule three: Admit the facts.

America needs to say directly to the Palestinians that living with half a loaf is all they can, or should, expect--that history cannot be written anew, only modified to make the future more equitable. Justice never comes as a whole loaf. Once that pragmatic point-of-view is also put on the table as the reason why right-of-return with democratic voting rights cannot be given to Palestinian citizens of Israel, then peaceful living side-by-side can take place. Otherwise, where the future is a waiting game only for Palestinian demographics to outnumber and thereby outvote Jewish Israelis, and deny them of the half of the pie to which they are entitled, there is no hope whatsoever. But, that should be said up front. Rule Four: Admit the facts.

It must be plain that there will be a Jewish state, called Israel, one that will never become Palestine--that there will never be enough Palestinian votes, then-- peace has a chance. Otherwise, as they say, "We are whistling Dixie." Rule five: Admit the facts.

Honesty works. George Bush is a good man. Other good men will follow when all the old, failed rules, are boldly put aside.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.