Partner for Peace? -- Back Talk

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Subject: Partner for Peace?

Author:
Mark7

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Date Posted: 08:20:38 08/07/01 Tue
In reply to: JeffF 's message, "Still misquoting" on 07:22:17 08/07/01 Tue

Israel seem to try to make peace with the wrong guy. It is not Arafat Israel should make peace with. It's the Palestinian nation. Those in the occupied territories, those in Israel, those in Jordan, Lebanon, Siria, Saudi Arabia, the US and worldwide.

And that means Intenational law, the one Israel likes only when it comes to reparations owed to Jews, not when it comes to reparations owed by Jews.

I realize that many of the East European Jews are not going back to Russia, Poland, Hungary or Romania.

But Palestinians who's land has been confiscated are owed reparations under International Law.

Arafat has a house in the West Bank or Gaza, I'm not sure where, but million others have lost theirs. Israel owes them reparations, so their 12 year olds have enough hope to chose other things than throwing rocks at tanks.

I didn't see that offer.

I don't see why Clinton, America or I should have anything to do with all this.

I am not arguing with you hoping to change your views. I hope enough people may hear the alternative story that a different pressure would be brought to the US government.

I think the alliance the US has with Israel is a sham, where US has nothing to gain. I would hope that we would withdraw all support to ALL sides of this conflict - Israel, Palestine, Egipt, Jordan and all others and let them kill each other with rocks if they want to.

I believe Israel is bent on conquest by force and on ethnic clensing, with no respect for International Law, and no desire to be part of an international community and I do not want their blood on my hands as an American citizen.

Just because Jewish groups in the US lobby hard and bribe greedy politicians, we, American citizens have no right to use our power to rob a nation, Palestine, of it's future and it's way of life.

More so, it is sad that most Americans are dennied the truth about the Middle East and are fed a constant bombardment of historic and political junk that sooner or later will give them indigestion.

Americans wonder why they are targets of Palestinian terrorism, without being told the terror our military and financial aid has brought upon the Palestinians.

I wish we would stop the aid and I am convinced that when the casualties would be balanced, the combatants will make peace. Why make peace when you are winning at war?

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Author:
JeffF
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Date Posted: 10:19:22 08/07/01 Tue

You can only make peace with the leadership of a nation negotiating with the leadership of another nation, unless you seriously know a way you can negotiate with a whole people. Arafat and the rest of the Palestinian leadership are what we have available to negotiate with.

The fact is Israel has continuously shown that it wants peace at almost any price. Let's not forget that the peace treaty with Egypt gave them back virtually all captured land in exchange for nothing but a promise of peace. The peace with Egypt has been cold, but it has been peace and it was worth giving back every inch of land to have safety and security.

As for a different kind of pressure being brought on the US government, don't forget that I work a block away from the White House and the demonstrations on behalf of the Palestinians since the situation started have been increasing in both volume and number. Obviously, the Palestinians and their sympathizers have the same rights to make their views known as Jews and they have the same right to lobby.

"Why make peace when you are winning at war?"
For one reason, becuase the demographics are not on Isreals side. Even accounting for the Russian Jews, Arabs will outnumber Jews in Israel if she keeps all of the occupied territories. For another, constant war and adminsitration of the territories are economically draining. Israel's inflation is still incredibly high and a lot of this is from the constant need for a war economy. There's also a lot to gain in relations with Europe by making the West Bank an independant political nation, but as Golda Meir said years ago "The Palestinians have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity."
Where is the Sadat on the Palestinian side who understands that they can win only through negotiations? Egypt never got back any territory by fighting with a militarily stronger Israel but got back almost all of Egyptian territory after serious negotiations. There's a lesson for the Palestinians here.