One of my favorite Hollywood folks of all time, Clint Eastwood, spoke words similar to those above as he dared the bad guys to make a move.
We're increasingly hearing reports that Arabs--seeing that Prime Minister Netanyahu isn't collapsing fast enough under American pressure to cave in to all that they demand--will opt to take their act to the United Nations and elsewhere.
As just one example, Israel National News reported on October 21st that PA /PLO officials are speaking about going to such bodies as the United Nations Security Council for support of a unilateral declaration of independence for "Palestine"--the Arabs' second, not first, state that would emerge on the original April 25, 1920 Mandate of Palestine's territory, and 22nd state in total. Jordan, of course, sits on almost 80% of the original land.
Hey, I say...go for it. And so should Israel's leaders...
Make my day !
What's the alternative? Caving in to Arab and their current good buddy in the White House's demand that Israel remain a super vulnerable, sub-rump state in perpetuity--a mere 9 to 15 miles wide at its strategic waist, where most of its population, industry, and such are located?
Regardless of how many hissy fits Israel's enemies throw--including ones which Washington now actually instigates (again, refer to those above articles)--the same Security Council which Arabs want to endorse their unilateral calls for statehood is the very same body which promised, in its final draft of UNSC Resolution 242 in 1967, that Israel would never again have to return to the imposed, suicidal armistice lines (not borders) of 1949.
242 and its architects held that any future peace deals would have to involve a territorial compromise over disputed (not "purely Arab") territories which Arabs had used repeatedly to attack Israel from and in which Jews themselves have millennial connections to.
So, Arabs want another Security Council resolution on the matter? Not until the first one gets addressed the way it should...
Israel's leaders must gather their strength now...reasonable strength, but strength, nonetheless.
It is unreasonable to force the sole, resurrected state of the Jews to expose its children to Arabs who will, undoubtedly, deliberately target them and other innocents yet again.
A meaningful territorial compromise is a must--as, again, the final draft (not the French, Russian, and Arab version) of 242 understood, along with most American leaders before President Obama. If anyone is to receive the short end of the stick here, it must be that proposed second state for Arabs in Palestine--their twenty-second in total--not the sole, resurrected, miniscule nation of the Jews.
And if Arabs actually go through with their idea of a unilateral move in this direction, then...
Well, they should be making Israel's millennium.
At that point, Israel's leaders must do what probably should have been done quite some time ago but wasn't for the sake of hoping beyond hope that Arab leaders would arise who really wanted true peace instead of playing the usual Arab destruction-in-stages games with Jews.
Israel must draw the absolute minimal lines--similar to what American military leaders and others recommended in the past--in Judea and Samaria (and on the Golan Heights later) which must be retained to give it some semblance of real, defensible borders on the high ground and then, in its own unilateral move, annex them to Israel.
Those Arabs who pledge loyalty will become Israeli citizens. Those who don't will go to Fatahland or Hamastan.
Israel will be rebuked from the international community of hypocrites regardless of what it does...short of committing suicide.
So, it must stop playing soft ball with those playing hard ball.
Most Americans will understand this, as will some other good folks as well.
And there's only two more years to go before the new American elections...
Gerald A. Honigman is a Florida educator who has done extensive doctoral studies in Middle Eastern Affairs. He has created and conducted counter-Arab propaganda programs for college youth, has lectured on numerous campuses and other platforms, and has publicly debated many Arab spokesmen. His articles and op-eds have been published in dozens of newspapers, magazines, academic journals and websites all around the world. Visit his website at http://www.geraldahonigman.com/
