The AP seems to think that Netanyahu has caved to Obama on a settlement freeze, but I can’t find anything in the Israeli press that confirms this (and the JPost can’t confirm it, either). (Update: Here’s the closest thing I can find to confirmation: a planning committee has not met since Biden’s visit to Israel.) But let’s look at the benefits of Israeli concessions.
Israel made peace with Egypt in 1979. As a result, Israelis can look forward to regular warnings of terrorist attacks and kidnappings when they visit Sinai resorts. The Egyptian foreign minister calls Israel “the enemy.” Egypt boycotted the annual Mediterranean student conference because it was held in Israel. The Sinai is used to regularly smuggle arms to Hamas. A second Israeli was arrested and held by Egypt for accidentally crossing the border. Egypt restored the Maimonides synagogue and then declared that no Jew will ever pray in it (this was the same guy who said he’d burn any Israeli books he found). That’s just a short list of the benefits of peace with Egypt. Of course, Israel hasn’t fought a war with Egypt since 1973. But Egyptians are arming Israel’s enemies.
Israel left Gaza in 2005. In return, Israel got rockets, mortars, and terror attacks, and a war in 2008. Hamas is in control of the Strip and has been for several years. Hamas has thousands of rockets and missiles stored in bunkers, ready for another attack on Israel when they feel strong enough (or when their Iranian masters give the go-ahead). This was one of the Palestinian demands—the eviction of all Jews from Gaza. They got what they wanted. And yet, there is still not peace between the residents of Gaza and Israel.
Israel left Lebanon in 2000. The United Nations certified that Israel left every square inch of Lebanese territory. Hizballah stockpiled tens of thousands of rockets and mortars, crossed into Israeli territory to kill and capture Israeli soldiers, which started a war in 2006. Now, the UN says that the Shebaa Farms is Lebanese—not Syrian—territory, giving Hizballah the excuse they have wanted for years to say that Israel is still holding Lebanese territory and “resistance” must be used. Hizballah has a stockpile of tens of thousand of rockets, and now Syria is supplying them with Scud missiles.
So if this report is true: Well done, Obama. You’ve just joined the long list of presidents who strong-armed Israeli concessions and got nothing but war from the Palestinians. I predict no less of this supposed freeze in building in east Jerusalem.
Update 2: Soccerdad wrote about this a couple of weeks ago.
The 2005 Gaza affair was what clued me in once and for all on the conflict between the Arabs and the Jews. I realized that it has always been a conflict of Jewish self-defense against an arrogant, determined enemy who would never relent. Israel pulled out of Gaza and gave them what they wanted – and got rockets in return.
My eyes were open and will never shut again on this issue.
Can you imagine rockets from Detroit into surrounding areas? Or from certain neighborhoods in Miami? Is this the future of America? Let’s see: Four wives, free housing, schooling, health care and food stamps…
Let’s not forget Egypt barring Israeli doctors from attending an international conference on breast cancer in Cairo last year.
Isn’t this wonderous peace achievement what won Jimmy Peanut the Nobel Prize 30+ years ago? I guess the Nobel has been a complete joke since long before Obama got it for not-being-Bush.