Commentary Magazine Israel’s Haaretz newspaper will tomorrow host the
grandly-named “Israel Conference on Peace” in Tel Aviv. In a crammed
schedule across twelve hours, an intriguing array of speakers–Israelis,
Arabs, Europeans, and Americans, left-wingers and right-wingers–will
address economic development, human rights, access to water, the
prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough, and other critical aspects of
this particular Middle Eastern conflict.
As is often the case with such events, one can tell a great deal about the nature of this conference through what’s not being discussed, as well as who isn’t
in attendance. Despite Israel’s location in one of the most violent and
illiberal regions of the world, the conference does not deem the threat
posed by Iran’s nuclear program, or the conquest of vast swathes of
Syria and Iraq by the Islamists of ISIS, as worthy of a separate
session–evidently, all that is secondary to the fate of the
Palestinians. However, since two prominent Palestinian leaders,
Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat and businessman Munib al
Masri, have already pulled out of the conference,
citing as a reason “respect” for the “feelings of the Palestinian
people” in the light of “the developments of the last few days,” one
might legitimately wonder whether the Palestinians share the conviction
of the Israeli left that in times of crisis, dialogue is of paramount
importance. [...]
What is new and worrying, however, is the revival of this discredited
anti-Judaic discourse by those Jews and Israelis for whom a Jewish state
is, by definition, a racist endeavor. Writing in a tone that is
slightly less contemptuous than that adopted by Kichko, Burg says, in
his Haaretz piece, “The element of distrust of other nations is
woven into the fabric of the way Jews operate. This stems not only from
persecution and hatred, ghettos and bloodshed: It is also an internal
and active choice expressed through our normative system of halakha
(traditional Jewish law), which ensured this mode of thinking.” [...]
Doubtless, Burg’s message will resonate with those who, in another era,
would have warmly endorsed Karl Marx’s maxim that “the emancipation of
the Jews is the emancipation of mankind from Judaism.” The fact that we
are still having this same conversation is precisely what should alarm
us.
Actually, it is Marxism that is the religion of the leftists. They believe in a secular messianism, and think that they will live in peace with the Arab world if they just give up the Western bank of the Jordan river. They delude themselves that iran, Hamas, Jihad, al nusra, ISIS, al qaeda, Hizbolla, Assad, etc etc will suddenly be at peace with these secular left wing Jewish Zionists, living in Tel Aviv and Haifa. The other extreme, at least one of the Satmar rebbes, NK, Munkatch etc have the same delusion.
ReplyDeleteThe other extreme, at least one of the Satmar rebbes, NK, Munkatch etc have the same delusion.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's correct. In the regular, private drasha that the Satmer Rebbe gave recently which got publicized all over, Reb Aaron clearly called it "living among known murderers". He does consider the Arabs as known murderers.
Egypt hated Israel. They still hate us. However, for the past 35 years we have had relative quiet from them. (How long it will hold out for, is a different question.) Before hand the Egyptians behaved like the Arabs in Gaza. If Israel had been wise, they would have made similar deals with the other "occupied territories" (you know, land that they won in a defensive war). If they would have made the deals, they would be much better off now, and would have been much better off for the past 40 years.
30-40 years ago, negotiations would have come from a Israel that was in a position of strength. Now, the Arabs view it as Israel retreating.