'Palestinian Roulette' - Opinion for Tammy - Who's on First.
Reader comment on item: Two Palestines, Anyone?
in response to reader comment: Would Mr Pipes or readers help me clarify these questions? Thank you!

Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), Jun 20, 2007 at 16:36

The questions posed by reader Tammy are ones that even those who might think they have a clue, and yet none can be answered with any real degree of dogmatic certainty. But here's one reader's opinion:

‘1) Why is Syria an ally of Iran at this time?'

Syria is not an ally from an ideological perspective, but as one has already supposed, the object of an association designed to produce a certain result, after which Syria itself will be subjugated to conform to the Islamic model. Remember Iran is Shia, and the Syrian tyranny is Baathist led, just like Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

‘2) What does Mubarak stand to gain from arming terrorists in Gaza, when they can easily turn on his own regime and destabilize it?'

It has been said that Hamas (and is evidently provable) is a subdivision organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, an entity dedicated to the completion of the overthrow of the Sadat government, of which Mubarak is a successor. What they (Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood) could not accomplish from within Egypt they can certainly try from its border on the north. That they rage against Israel is a definite objective, which if they could, they would do from Cairo.

‘3) What does the US stand to gain from a weaker or defeated Israel, the only democracy in the ME and the United States' only true ally there? Are oil interests such an overriding factor? Is Israel so expendable?'

The truth be told, Israel cannot be considered expendable, for there are consequences that cannot be measured. Yet, even as the political leadership of America speaks of Israel's worth, the bureaucracy runs counter to that according to some beat of a different drum. If Israel goes under, one can certainly understand that many that were greater will have gone tragically under some time before.

‘4) What role is Lebanon playing? Isn't there any will to stop the takeover of the country by Iran/Syria-sponsored fighters?'

Lebanon is a stepping stone which has its fate written in the Hebrew Scriptures.

‘5) The Golan seems next for surrender on Olmert's list. What does Olmert expect to gain from such an unpopular move? Is he so much under the power of the Americans that he can't even demand a referendum as a condition before proceeding ahead with their demands?'

Golan would not be offered for returned except for the threat of the Syrians. To do so, to concede the Golan would be to concede Syrian dominion to the north.

‘6a) Is there any reason why the well-armed and trained Fatah gave up so easily?'

This guess would be that there was no money to Fatah from Iran, Hamas getting its support through the sieve at the Egyptian border.

‘6b) Can we expect another Hamas takeover in the West Bank, followed by a mass exodus of Jews from the area?'

Maybe, but Hamas is isolated in the West Bank and Fatah is more concentrated there. It is here that a conflict is likely to emerge that will bring the forces of the detractors of Israel to bear as reinforcements to Hamas, probably coming from the north. Remember, it is no longer just about ‘Palestine'.

‘7) The most painful question of all I could ask in here: does Israel have the will to survive?'

Survival of Israel will be less and less about the personal will of the people there, and more and more of a reliance on their Savior King Who is promised to arrive and conquer all.

No one has complete answers, and this response is just one reader's understanding.

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