I GIVE up. Every time I think progress has been made on the advancement of the Israeli-Palestinian situation, I am wrong.
Along with many of you heard Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus seminal speech to the joint session of Congress. Me? I was truly inspired. It wasnt just the constant swelling applause and over 20 standing ovations by both Democrats and Republicans. That, too, was inspiring. Never in my adult American life do I recall such an intense outpouring of love and support for Israel.
President Obama certainly unleashed a storm May 19 with his caustic, controversial statement regarding Israel and her borders.
It was this feeling the feeling like Netanyahu was actually speaking for a lot of us. In Congress, Netanyahu really was a voice for the people. To me, his speech, his words, the tone in general, seemed devoid of political games, pettiness and emptiness, and rich with history, complexity, emotion and, dare I say it, an expression of genuine good will toward the Palestinians, as well as a willingness to compromise in order to reach transformative realities in the Middle East.
If you ask me, in that historic speech, Netanyahu was no longer a mere politician; a statesman was born.
Netanyahu showed courageous leadership. He said some tough things for him to admit. With a show of full transparency and a touch of heartfelt vulnerability, he acknowledged that it was hard for him. He talked about his acceptance of the reality of the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with the State of Israel.
He spoke about settlements outside final, negotiated borders, giving up land to the Palestinians and being prepared to do so generously.
About painful concessions and unprecedented compromises.
Even more, he went so far as to say Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian state to the UN. It will be the first to do so.
SO, I was feeling all euphoric about it, taking pride as a Jew and as a sort of Israeli, in Netanyahu, representing Israel and the Jewish people with backbone and courageous leadership.
It didnt last long before the deluge of harsh and cynical criticism of the speech, as well as of Netanyahu himself, began pouring from the more liberal side.
Yes, Bibi stated some obvious and natural expectations of the Palestinians in the formation of a future Palestinian state. Such as the measly minimum: Palestinians accepting and recognizing the reality of Israel.
Yes, in the face of a prospective Palestinian state, he spoke of security for Israel of resolving the Palestinian refugee problem outside of the borders of Israel.
Yes, he also addressed the fact that Israel wont negotiate with Hamas.
The Holocaust was mentioned, too.
All of this is being spurned by the left as Bibi using a favorite tactic: succeeding in frightening people to death. You know, fear-mongering, with the goal of torpedoing the possibility of a future Palestinian state.
Frankly, I find it sad that this is what some are choosing to walk away with from Bibis speech.
These are historic times. And Bibi articulated some daring hopes and visions for both peoples, the Israelis and the Palestinians.
But I am beginning to realize that many on the left, driven by their intense dislike of him, and by what seems their desire to see Netanyahu fail. For them, no matter what steps are taken, it will never be enough.
Bibi could declare a Palestinian state, and some would complain and attack him for calling it Palestine and not using the appropriate Arabic term.
EVEN if, so far, Netanyahu has just made verbal commitments to a future peace with the Palestinians, still, considering that he is from the right side of the political spectrum, he has left his comfort zone. He gave Hebron away, he accepted the idea of a Palestinian state.
When have we heard similar concessions if if only verbal ones from the Palestinian camp, which match Netanyahus, in both form and substance? Never, thats when.
For those who want to see peace in the Middle East advance, I fail to understand the lack of support by those who claim to seek it when steps in the right direction are taken even if they are not the leaps they want and expect.
You have got to start somewhere.
But that tempo will not work for a community that is trying to shove an unnegotiated peace deal or a Palestinian state deal by a certain upcoming deadline, due to pressure and demand, as if this were some business acquisition or merger as if the only thing at stake here is money.
Hamas? Fear-mongering? I dont buy for a second the liberals looking the other way regarding Hamas. Come on, we all know their tactics. The systematic targeting of Israeli civilians, booby-trapping buildings, hiding terrorists and weapons among their own Arab civilian populations; and psychologically terrorizing Israeli civilians, who never knowing when a deadly rocket will fall.
Fear? Hamas is genuinely terrifying. And when Netanyahu talks about these fears he is speaking for how a lot of us feel for example, me. To say I am very scared of the sheer evil of Hamas is an understatement.
Actually, for me, it inspires confidence when Bibi acknowledges and validates this fear of mine. I feel more comfortable, not less, moving forward with negotiations for a Palestinian state under a leader who isnt sugar-coating the truth, but who is aware of what the harsh realities are, who is willing to face them, wrestle with them.
AND the Holocaust. You are kidding yourself if you dont think deep down in a lot of our souls, an authentic fear arises when considering the realities of a Palestinian state. Bibi does not need to manufacture fear.
Sixty-six years is not that long, given the enormity of the Holocaust. A generation has barely come and gone. Some of us still have living parents or grandparents who are survivors. Its true, we are scared by it.
Historically, Israel is and always will be the Jewish ancestral homeland. Israel is not an artificial, modern creation in reaction to the Holocaust. But the Holocaust does play a role when were talking about the official borders of a state led by a group of people who make no secret of the fact that they want you dead because you are Jewish.
Bibi is the bad cop here. The fact that he does what he toughly does, and says what he toughly says, enables the liberal left the luxury of waving away minor and annoying concerns, such as Hamas, such as Bibis fear-mongering.
I dont have all the answers. Actually, I have none. One thing, however, seems clear. The Palestinians do not and will not create a Palestinian state, 67 borders or no, through any normal negotiations that anyone else would engage in.
Not in 48, not now, nor in any of the intervening years, were they willing to do so. The Palestinians want Israel back, and they want it back not by the antiseptic process of sealed room discussions and paper signings.
War and bloodshed didnt work so far, so it looks like now the Palestinians take their the drama of rebellion to the UN.
Make no mistake about it: This is just another effective step in the Palestinian paradox of highlighting the invisibility of Israel to them. If they cant actually destroy Israel or make Israel not be there, they can at least pretend like Israel is not there.
If a Palestinian state is declared in September on these terms, then the world will have gone along with them in perpetuating this crime.
We hastily exited Lebanon in the last minute in 2000 and evacuated Gaza unilaterally and hastily in 2005. I fear that an unnegotiated Palestinian state shoving a deal through the UN is a profound mistake. This has proven to be a dangerous and unnerving notion, though, admittedly, there will never be a perfect moment. Regardless of timing, going forward will clearly be a scary risk for Israel.
But there is a difference between setting yourself up for failure, and waiting unrealistically for a perfect moment.
As Bibi said, peace must be anchored in security and peace cannot be imposed. It must be negotiated.
Copyright © 2011 by the Intermountain Jewish News
