Build, Bibi, Build
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Arab terror Bob Carr Israel Build Bibi build settlements Building E1 building in Jerusalem criticize Israel diplomatic tsunami Dovid Efune Dovid Efune Algemeiner General Assembly Israel General Assembly UN Hillary Clinton Saban Israel E1 Israeli building Jerusalem developments Jewish neighborhood Jewish neighborhood Israel Jewish people Pillar of Defense Pillar of Defense Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert prime minister of Israel Saban Forum Tony Blair Israel William Hague Israel
Ma'ale Adumim panorama.
In recent days, Israel has been subjected to what Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot termed a “diplomatic tsunami.”
Frantic efforts to halt Israel’s operation Pillar of Defense were followed by a resounding rejection of Israel’s position at the United Nations, where the General Assembly voted to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority to nonmember observer state.
After the Israeli government announced the approval of new Jerusalem developments less than a week later, European states practically fell over each other in their frenzied efforts to denounce and criticize Israel’s actions.
Even some of the more supportive statements that have been made about “Israel’s right to defend itself” or British Foreign Minister William Hague’s assurance Tuesday that “I don’t think there is enthusiasm around the European Union … about economic sanctions in Europe on Israel,” amount to veiled threats by inference. By stating the obvious, doubt is cast. If America needs to announce that Israel has a right to self-defense, it means that there is in fact an argument to the contrary.
Of course, the position taken by most in the international community is by no means altruistic. It is obvious how little the international community cares about suffering, real or perceived, simply by examining the cases of Syria, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other meccas of brutality. These real trouble spots have not engendered a fraction of the diplomatic output that Israel has.
It is also becoming increasingly apparent that global leaders themselves don’t really believe that Israeli concessions will lead to any sort of peace, or that the Arab nations are interested in living side by side with any form of Jewish state, or community for that matter.
Appearing on MSNBC Tuesday, Quartet Envoy on the Middle East Tony Blair said that “at the moment it’s very hard to say to the Israelis ‘negotiate with them’ in circumstances where they’re firing rockets out of Gaza.”
Hillary Clinton told the Saban forum on Friday that “in the last 20 years, I’ve seen Israeli leaders make an honest, good-faith effort and not be reciprocated in the way that was needed.” At the same venue, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert failed to adequately answer a question posed by an audience member as to why PA President Mahmoud Abbas walked away from his bounteous land for peace offer in 2008.
The true reason why governments around the world are rushing to take the anti-Israel position was acknowledged in a moment of honesty from Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr who, according to the Australian Herald Sun, explained his country’s United Nations vote for “Palestine” by saying, “I don’t apologize for the fact Australia has interests in the Arab world. If we had voted no that would have been a body blow to our interests in over 20 Arab countries. The truth is they all see this is as bedrock issue.”
At its bottom line, the international argument for halting Israeli building in East Jerusalem, upgrading the formal status of the Palestinian Authority and for limiting Israel’s operations against Hamas in Gaza is; because the Arab states want it.
These are the same theocratic and radical Arab states that for the most part, in one way or another propagate vile anti-Semitic material, insist on Israel’s destruction, are guilty of oppressing their own people, are intolerant of religious freedom and have abysmal human rights records.
No wonder Israelis are resistant to their message, no matter if it comes via Europe.
In this regard, Israel is increasingly isolated but not alone. States and citizens of moral conscience have stood by Israel and will continue to do so.
This experience of isolation is not new to the Jewish people, but for the first time in recent history we are sidelined not as individuals, but as a robust unified collective in the form of the state of Israel.
If Israel is being offered up by the international community as an appeasement sacrifice to the Arab states, the Jewish people’s only recourse is to strengthen its position and secure its citizens in every possible way.
And this is why it is imperative for Israel to build and settle Jews in every corner of Jerusalem and the West Bank territories; because a Qassam rocket has never been fired from a Jewish neighborhood.
In Israel, no amount of international pronouncements have the ability to stem Arab terror as the building of one Jewish apartment block. But from the lands controlled by Israel’s enemies have sprung forth hate, terror, intolerance and bigotry.
As such the Prime Minister of Israel has but one prerogative: Build, Bibi, build!
The author is the editor of The Algemeiner and director of the GJCF and can be e-mailed at defune@gjcf.com.
5:06 pm
The short story here is “a Qassam rocket has never been fired from a Jewish neighborhood.”
Israel has a right to crush every armed militant at its doors — walk up to the US border with Canada or Mexico with an unregistered firearm on your person, you will be arrested immediately. Show up to a border with a missile and rocket launcher, yes, you go to jail. Or, worse. Border police will shoot you, no questions asked.
As far as I understand, Israel also won all of the territory under discussion, still, as spoils in a defensive war, 35 years ago. In that time, Israel has built a first-class country; meanwhile, Palestinian leadership has squandered billions of dollars in donations and loans and transferred revenues by corruption, and their cities look no more modern today than they did four decades ago.
Also, all the land we’re talking about is still just desert. When Jews build, the desert blooms, where we don’t, it’s just worthless sand.
12:10 am
Excellent!
Only one (logical) correction: Paragraph 10 at the very end should read “… because the Arab states want it” (not “do not want it”). They want the “halting of Israeli building”, the “upgrading” of the PA, and the “limiting” or Israeli operations in Gaza. Two out of those 3 are double negatives but hopefully most readers can figure it out.
Sorry, couldn’t resist that.
3:42 pm
What’s to lose? The moral recognition by the European Union? What a laugh it is. As it’s mentioned somewhere else, what counts is trade interests, oil, et Cetera. So forget the applause from suspect European left-wing governments, they have nothing to offer but their cheap attitude. – So, Bibi, build, build!
Aside from the impression, that Israel and the Jewish People are utterly alone in all issues vital to Israel, fortunately the reality has another dimension. States, as well as individuals, support Israel’s course in writing, speech, and meetings. They courageous stand up for a moral attitude contrary to main stream media biased in their bigotry, moral degradation and outright cowardice. – So, once again: Bibi, build, build!
12:31 am
Norton, your time is up. You are an old hack (I investigated!), a failed academic, just like the vast majority of your colleagues and radical, extremist soulmates at American/Western “Universities” are. Pure traitors to Israel and noble western civilization in my view. Your whimpish, cowardly stance has been historically catastrophic for Jews. Your advices of debasement, appeasement of Arabs/Muslims are unwanted, you speak rank inanity and breathtaking idiocy. You are strategically blind, unfortunately.
7:18 am
“Build, Bibi, Build” is exactly the wrong advice. Doing so will isolate Israel even more and will increase the obstacles blocking any substantial moves in the future to reconcile conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Increased Jewish settlement building in the West Bank means increased oppression by Israel of Palestinians. Increased oppression is immoral, inhumane and a recipe for more suffering. The advice in this article, if followed, will lead to more disaster for both Palestinians and Jews.
Norton Mezvinsky
10:05 pm
Excellent article. Where it seemed to meander it was actually making a more robust case for its conclusion for Bibi to build.
I would only change one word; in the last sentence, it’s not merely Bibi’s “prerogative” but moral “mandate” or “charge”.
6:04 pm
Build, Bibi, build!
PM says Israel is still committed to 2-state solution;
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=294790
” We’re building in the areas that will remain in a final peace settlement of Israel ”
In spite that ” from the lands controlled by Israel’s enemies has sprung forth hate, terror, intolerance and bigotry. ”
Consequently Israel will not ” build and settle Jews in every corner of Jerusalem and the West Bank territories ” contrary to the editor of The Algemeiner say above.
There are many reasons for Bibi refusal to adopt the Levy Report . The PM say as reported from the JPost link is one of them.