Struggle isn’t about Israel’s existence

By RON ESTES

In an Aug. 1 column in The Record, Henry Hirschman presented an interesting point of view: the perspective of Israel and its diaspora supporters of the root cause of the struggle in the Middle East. That point of view is important to help put dissenting views in sharper focus.

Hirschman notes the oft-repeated Israeli claim that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East: an important issue to some U.S. lawmakers on whom Israel depends for U.S aid. Overlooked are Lebanon and Turkey, both secular democracies, and Jordan, a constitutional monarchy, modeled after that of Britain.

Hirschman also makes the case that Israel is hard put to spend resources on infrastructure, education and other pursuits, when it must defend itself against those who threaten its very existence, and proclaim the destruction of Israel as their life’s mission. In fact, the crux of his column is that the struggle in Palestine is not about land: It is about Israel’s existence.

One might ask, who threatens that existence?

In March 2002, the Arab League offered a comprehensive peace plan to recognize the State of Israel, establish full relations between Israel and all 22 Arab states, including Palestine, in return for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Arab territories, a just and agreed upon solution to the Palestinian refugee question, and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The offer was repeated in April 2007, and included all 57 states of the entire Muslim world. Israel didn’t respond.

In August 1993, in an exchange of letters with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin insisted on changes to the Palestinian Charter. Arafat responded declaring the PLO recognized the State of Israel, is committed to the peace process, and said the PLO renounces terrorism and other acts of violence, and will discipline violators. On April 24 1996, the Palestinian National Council voted 504 to 54, with 14 abstentions, to change the articles in their charter to conform with the letters exchanged between the P.L.O. and the Government of Israel in 1993.

Another Israeli enemy, Hamas, in Gaza, is also described as determined to destroy Israel. But In February this year, Hamas leader Khaled Mesha’al acknowledged Israel as a reality, adding, “formal recognition will only be considered when a Palestinian state has been created.” In 2006, Mesha’al stated Jews have a covenant with God that is to be respected and protected. In 2009, Mesha’al, said Hamas would accept the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders of Israel.

Israel has not faced an Arab nation’s armed forces in 37 years. The PLO hasn’t endorsed a terrorist act since 1993. The Lebanese Shia militant organization, Hezbollah, attacked Israel in Lebanon in 1996, and again in 2006 to resist Israeli occupations. There has only been one suicide bomber from Gaza since Hamas took over in 2007.

One could speculate whether this constitutes an effective campaign to drive Israel into the sea.

It is true that Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but put in place a blockade considered by UN human rights organizations as the worst violation of human rights in the world. Israel contends the blockade is essential for its national security. In retaliation, Hamas sporadically fires rockets into Israel. Best estimates are that there are approximately 1,000 members in the Hamas military wing. That represents .0006 percent of the Gaza population: hardly a threat to the existence of Israel, with the fourth or fifth most powerful armed forces in the world.

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St. Augustine resident Ron Estes served 25 years as an operations officer in the CIA Clandestine Service. Six of those years were spent in Middle East operations.

https://www.staugustine.com/story/opinion/2010/08/29/guest-column-struggle-isnt-about-israels-existence/16224558007/, August 29, 2010