Israeli leaders, weak or strong, inevitably make bad deals with the Arabs
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Submitted by Kenneth S. Besig (United States), Jun 7, 2007 at 10:00

While Ehud Olmert is indeed an unpopular, and thus weak, Israeli leader, these particular characteristics make him no more likely to make a bad deal with the Arabs. Yitzchak Rabin was both a popular and strong leader when he signed off on the Oslo Accords, undoubtedly the worst and most dangerous agreement ever signed by an Israeli leader in the short history of Israel.

When Ehud Barak, undoubtedly the worst and most incompetent Prime Minister in the history of Israel, made his offers to Yassir Arafat to divide Jerusalem, and surrender 95% of Judea and Samaria, as well as render the Gaza Strip Judenrein, he was at the nadir of his popularity, and Israel was under fire at the time as well.

However, when that same Ehud Barak actually made a midnight pullout of Israeli troops from Southern Lebanon, he was at the height of his popularity, and was lauded for his "courageous" move, even though every expert now knows and publicly states that this pullout led directly to the four years of bloody fighting known as the Second Intifida.

Ariel Sharon was enjoying both personal popularity and voter confidence when he put together his now well known and scorned Disengagement Plan, the plan which actually did make the Gaza Strip Judenrein, as well as a large portion of Northern Shomron, as well as later opening Southern Israel to rocket and mortar fire from the evacuated areas of Gaza.

Thus the question is why do so many Israeli leaders make so many bad, and even dangerous deals and agreements with the Arabs? Simply stated, the problem for Israel is that too many of our political leaders take their cues and their financial support from our financial and cultural elites, elites which entirely identify with their Left wing, Socialist, European counterparts in their pro Palestinian and anti Israel attitudes.

Thus even when serious military and security experts explain the very real and immediate dangers that these bad deals pose for Israeli citizens, their comments are either ignored or denigrated, while Left wing news analysts, who may know less than nothing about anything, are given bully pulpits to convince the public to at least give these plans a chance. Of course, the ruling parties in the government will go along with any plan, no matter how ludicrous, if it means they can sit in power just a little longer.

My fear is that the day will come when one of our leaders will make a deal so bad and so dangerous that we will not be able to overcome it.

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