In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there are facts on the ground and facts in the air.
On the ground, relations between Israel and the Palestinians are better than any time since the first intifada, in 1987. But in this conflict, facts on the ground are never enough.
The facts in the air the fantasies, the thirst for symbolism, the hatreds overrride the facts on the ground. If the Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas isnt careful, hes going to find himself right back in 1987, all the subsequent progress to peace vanishing like a cool spring mist.
Facts on the ground: There is no terror, pronounces Israels Intelligence Minister Dan Meridor. The economic position in Judea and Samara [i.e., the Palestinian areas of the West Bank of the Jordan River] is improving every day. Why? Because the Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation is the best its ever been, he says.
Israel, the Palestinians and the US have worked hard to achieve this. Much more could be achieved if they continued to work at peace. Instead, Mahmoud Abbas demanded that the UN take up the Goldstone Report the one-sided condemnation of Israels war in Gaza 10 months ago.
When the report first came out, Abbas wisely said: shelve it. That enraged Palestinians, both the moderates he represents and Hamas.
They wanted symbolism.
They needed to have Israel condemned for its war crimes.
They needed facts in the air.
Even the well intentioned but naive and obtuse author of the report, Judge Goldstone, described the UNs adoption of his report as selective and one-sided.
As he points out, the UN made no mention of war crimes by Hamas! Not to mention, there was no mention of years and years of Hamas missiles fired at Israeli civilians. No mention of Sderot. No mention of self-defense.
It was beautiful.
Just what the Palestinians love facts in the air.
The regular run of the likes of made-up history, which has the Jews never living in Israel before 1881.
The regular run of feel-good victimhood which demonizes Israel and scores high on the Fantasy and Delusion Indexes, but does not advance peace or reconciliation one whit.
Palestinians have a choice: Turn inward and continue to wallow in suffering, as a distorted world cheers them on. Or turn outward, accept Israel as a Jewish state, accept the historical record, accept the morality of self-defense, accept the consequences of ones actions. If symbolism becomes secondary to facts on the ground, there will be peace.
