The State Dept. is an Alzheimers case. It remembers nothing. It wants Israel to come up with a new framework for Gaza. President Obama will press the point on Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits Washington at the end of June.
What about the old framework? How gung ho Obamas predecessor and the rest of the world the EU, the UN, the FSU and every other country was to get rid of the old framework. The one where Israel had settlements in Gaza, the one where Gazans had employment in those settlements and in Israel proper and where there was no terrorist Hamas rule. How wonderful it was to get rid of that framework, the world cheered in unison.
Israel withdrew from Gaza and took down the old framework unilaterally but dont expect the State Dept. to remember that. It was, after all, five years ago. Nor, apparently, can we expect world leaders to remember what happened after the old framwork ended in August, 2005. Three months later, Israel reached an agreement to allow freedom of movement in and out of Gaza, and to permit the Palestinians to build a seaport and airport inside Gaza.
What happened? That, too, is forgotten. These beautiful Palestinian dreams were spoiled not by an Israeli blockade of Gaza, not by a flotillas attempt to break the blockade, not by a right-wing Israeli government, not by settlers on the West Bank, not by Israeli building projects in East Jerusalem. The dreams were spoiled by the Palestinians themselves, who first burned the greenhouses Israel left behind; second, elected terrorists to lead them (Hamas); and third, launched thousands of rockets against Israel. Even when all that was done, Israel still supplied electricity, fuel and food to Gaza.
But this is all too much of a strain for the leaders in Washington and the protesters in Europe to remember. Simple cause-and-effect simple five-year memory is too tough for Washington and the rest of the world to hold in its head.
If the world doesnt like the Israeli blockade of Gaza, let it feed and support Gaza by itself. Let the world see what its like to motivate a people to build their own life when they prefer to hate Israel. Let the world see what its like to root out the terrorists, the bomb factories, the human shields, the kidnappers, the killers, in Gaza. Egypt failed. Israel failed. The Palestinian Authority failed. Fine: Let the world take it on.
Just one thing. In dancing around Hamas declared intention to destroy Israel and kill Jews everywhere, the world will be reminded of the cause of its failure to redeem a people that doesnt want redemption.
