Wednesday, November 14, 2007
This is a guest piece written frequent emailer. Good food for thought that I think explains some points quite well. There are a lot of issues here that seem minor, but one really needs to understand why these "minor" issues are so important now, or the seeds of some very bad things will be planted that will flower later.
Most of the Jewish people, even inside Israel, are secular. Internally, within Israel there is and always will be a debate on how many and how many Jewish (this time religious) characteristics the state should adopt (i.e should buses run on Saturdays or not). Such Jewish characteristics are an internal issue and this is not what Annapolis is about.
When Olmert speaks about his condition for recognizing Israel's right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish People he is touching the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict: Many Arabs are willing for Israel to become a bi-national state side by side to a Palestinian state as long that in the course of the time both those countries would become majority Arab.
For Israel to agree to a Palestinian state there must be a similar and symmetrical recognition that the "'Jewish People" -- not the Jewish religion, the PEOPLE -- have the same right for self determination as any other people: The French, the Germans, the Palestinians etc... - the right of a homeland.
Exact borders are not the issue here and DON'T let ISM style academics/lefties or shrude negotiators like Saeb Erekat make you think there is any religious issue (they always claim "no other religions have a country"). It is NOT the religion it is "WE the (Jewish) People."
Why are Palestinians against such a symmetrical definition?
For various reasons. Some are unwilling to give up their demand to live inside Israel, some are following the teachings of Hamas and the Koran which do not permit a non-Muslim people to hold sovereignty over any part of a land once ruled by Muslims (so-called Dar al-Islam). This type especially see Palestine as a secret Muslim land (Wakf) which belongs to the whole Muslim nation (Ummah).
They need to give up their hidden claim to Israel and recognize the right of the Jewish people to their own national homeland in the Middle East. Israel will of course recognize similar right for the Palestinian people.
For instance, Erekat says, "The Palestinians won't accept Israel as a Jewish state.":
...Miri Eisin, declined to comment directly on Erekat's remarks, but said that recognition of Israel's identity was key to any peace process. "This is not something that is up for discussion. It is a basic creed of the State of Israel," she said. "Our country is a Jewish democratic state. We expect to be recognized as such by any country that would expect to have a peace treaty with us."...
It is not just the issue of refugees but of any future character of Israel and the demographic threat from its own Arab population. If the Arabs have national aspirations as Palestinans they must realize them in Palestine, not in Israel.
Palestinian Arab negotiators do not want to recognize Israel as a Jewish State because then they won't have their desired destruction of Israel's demographic character affirmed. If Palestinians do not recognize Israel as a Jewish State from the beginning that means they can progress with their absurd right of return, meaning all Palestinians will flow into Israel proper even after the Palestinian State is created. The Palestinian negotiators know that this will be suicide for Israel which will become majority Arab in a few years because of Arab profligate birthrate compared to that of Jews. After this is achieved, then the majority can decide on the government, on policies and basically on everything internally.
The Palestinians once said that the Arab womb will be the destroyer of Israel. The only solution is this...once the Palestinian State is a reality, all Arabs including the so called refugees, will only be allowed to enter the country they dreamed of for so long -- meaning none on Israeli property and land. Let them live with their brothers in the future Palestinian state.
This only shows you Palestinian intent. Why so difficult to recognize us as a Jewish State? Why? If they have their own country side by side with ours, why does it really matter what they call us Israeli or Jewish State? It matters a lot to them because through this semantic, they intend to institute the law of return of all refugees to flood Israel with a majority Arab population in the future. By that time not only will Israel not be a majority Israeli State, it won't even be Jewish any more.
Wording on agreements is crucial for both Arabs and Israelis. Semantics for Arabs means they can twist any "written agreement" to their advantage. Let the world and Jews in Israel say no! We should be recognized as a JEWISH STATE -- not only a place that happens to have the name "Israel." Otherwise, no go!
Columnist Jeff Jacoby brilliantly addresses this issue in today's Boston Globe.
what olmert said is not a new Idea,
but the recoqnition of israel as a "Jew" only state was an old Idea back to the first days of Israel, is has been known internally and to intellectualls, but not announced publicaly.
what is important is the timing of this concept
forcing arabs to accept Israel as a Jew only country before any peace negotiaiton is another way of delaying any peace procces.
especially before anaapolice peace talks. which will be worthless agian because of this tactic which is not new tactic that israel plays.
why at this crutoal time Olmert declares that arabs should accept Israel as a "JEw only state"
The timing is really significant!!!!!!!
I leave the answer to you.
"but the recoqnition of israel as a "Jew" only state was an old Idea back to the first days of Israel, is has been known internally and to intellectualls, but not announced publical"
First of all, the recognition demanded is for Israel as a Jewish state, not a "Jew"-only state. Since there are Druze, Armenian, Arab and other minorities, Israel cannot be defined as a "Jew-only" state. But it is defined as a Jewish state. REad the post to which you are responding, Arabian, to get the difference.
Secondly, here is a excerpt from Israel's Declaration of Independence, made to the Jewish people and to the entire world. So much for the "secrecy" you imply:
"On the 29th November, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz-Israel; the General Assembly required the inhabitants of Eretz-Israel to take such steps as were necessary on their part for the implementation of that resolution. This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to establish their State is irrevocable.
This right is the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State.
ACCORDINGLY WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAEL AND OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT, ARE HERE ASSEMBLED ON THE DAY OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRITISH MANDATE OVER ERETZ-ISRAEL AND, BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND HISTORIC RIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE STATE OF ISRAEL."
I have to wonder, where do you get your knowledge of history?
But seriously, the first commenter is right. Insisting on the survival of the Jewish people as such is a deal killer with the Arabs. Omert must not really want peace.
ok noga
I was really meaning "Jewish state",
anyways
why does olmert rises this issue now, before annapolis peace talks.
its a pitty that another time america cant settle peace in the middle east, when accomodating the peace talks.
and the reason is clear