Showing posts with label genocide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genocide. Show all posts

Monday, January 26, 2009

Why a One State Solution would Fail

Nahum Barnea calls the appeal of Muammar Gaddafi's call for a single state of "Isratine" a "mirage." He is correct. This is a fantasy, and a deadly one.
A one-state solution would result in a horrific civil war of unimaginable savagery, leading in the end to either the destruction of Israel by the neighboring countries and the subsequent slaughter of the Jews, or a very violent separation into two states and a flight by some Palestinians similar to 1948.

HAMAS and other Islamic supremacist and Arab supremacist groups are fundamentally unwilling to share even a centimeter of the land of Israel. They believe that it is "Muslim land" and that the Jews living there must be slaughtered. A one-state solution would bring these genocidal terrorists not just inside Israeli security lines but inside Israeli towns. The Jews would face constant and rapidly escalating terrorism. A one-state "solution" would thrust these groups together with Jews who are quite willing (unlike Palestinian Christians) to defend themselves, knowing the consequences of failing to do so. Escalating terrorism would require escalating responses. Violence would spiral out of control.

In addition, along with HAMAS terrorists, Israel would suddenly contain millions of Palestinians, many (though not all) brainwashed from birth to hate Jews. Add the fact that many Palestinians have been raised on a delusional vision: they expect to get a house back. But populations in the region have exploded. The house has been replaced by apartment blocks housing the descendants of Israelis who fled or were expelled from the Arab world, and who cannot, should not and will not move aside. There is no going back to 1920. When Palestinians who have been lied to systematically for decades encounter reality, the disillusion and anger will add to the explosive mixture of hatred and violence.

And let's face it: this is the middle east. Who actually thinks that the usual bunch of dictators, demagogues and terrorists will refrain from fomenting violence for their own gain?

A one-state "solution" would lead to a savage civil war which, on the Jewish side, would be a war for survival against the most horrific terrorists operating in the Muslim world today. It would make Black September look like a picnic. And it would (count on it) facilitate the invasion of "Isratine" by Syria and/or other regional powers, bent on dominating the territory (as Syria did in Lebanon and tried to do in Jordan in 1970) and on slaughtering as many Jews as possible. Arab propaganda would continue to blame the whole violent mess on the Jews, never on fellow Arabs, and would justify any level of violence against Jews.

In such circumstances, the only survivable outcome for the Jewish people would be that the Jews would win the civil war and fight off invading Arab armies. In such a scenario, it is inevitable that some Palestinians would have fled the violence. They would not be allowed to return. In other words, a one-state "solution" is a recipe for a reprise of 1948, this time with much more vicious weapons and much higher populations. Which means that the one-state "solution" is not a solution at all.

A two-state solution is the only way forward. It is time for dictators and demagogues, and the idiots who follow them, to accept reality.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Claim: "Genocide" update

Islamic fundamentalists murdered far more Arab Muslim civilians this week in Iraq than the 15 or so who have died in Gaza at Israel's hands during the course of this retaliation. Yesterday alone 20 people were killed in Baghdad by a bomb.

Kind of puts this in perspective.

Claim: "Israel is committing genocide in Gaza"

This claim is not only FALSE; it is absurd.

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic  murder of an ethnic, national, racial or religious group.

Gaza has a population of 1.5 million people. 200-250 of these have been killed by the Israeli air raids. HAMAS itself has said that 80% or more of the casualties are HAMAS military operatives. Gaza authorities have said that only about 15 of the dead are civilians. While my heart bleeds for the 15 and their families, and for others who were wounded, 15 people out of 1.5 million is not genocide. 

Did the Israelis indiscriminately nuke Gazan cities, indicating an intent to commit genocide? No. According to HAMAS, Israel precision-bombed every HAMAS military base and [militarized under HAMAS] police station, as well as ammunition dumps and the offices of HAMAS leaders. These stations and offices had been deliberately placed by HAMAS in civilian areas - in some cases beside schools or mosques - in the hope that Israeli bombs would lead to casualties that would embarrass Israel. The schools and other facilities had not been relocated, nor had they been protected in any way from the risk that the military facilities might be bombed. 


Bottom line: 

Let's dispense with the mad rhetoric and face reality. Calling this "genocide" is a tactic to mislead ignorant people around the world. I'll accept fair and sane criticism of Israel. Gross distortions and lies like this claim do not contribute to rational debate; they only incite the naive to support delusional, violent approaches to dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.