Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 14:15:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Cathy Green <dalek_cag at yahoo.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Political Inventions
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

Ted,

given that it's coupled with a right of return that
would effectively end the existence of the Jewish
State, it's not really offering anything new.  Plus,
Barak offered Arafat a pretty good deal and put East
Jerusalem on the table for the first time and Arafat's
response was to launch Intifadah part 2 which
basically brought down the Barak govt. and left Arafat
hoist on his petard in that he now has to deal with
Sharon.

Also, it was hardly a naked landgrab.  Israel was not
the aggressor in that war and an argument can be made
that the naked landgrab was done by the surrounding
arab countires in 1948.  also I would point out the
the territory now in dispute was in arab hands from
48-67 and they were in no hurry to give their
palestinian brethren a homeland either.  And I don't
recall anyone objecting then, or kicking up a fuss
when the jordanians and the Egyptians were busy
detroying jewish cemetaries and religious sites while
they had control of the sinai, West Bank and East
Jerusalem.

I would also point out thta if the Israelis actually
believed that the palestinians were really willing to
live in peace they probably would get back to the
negotiation table.  They were willing to give back the
Sinai because they believed Sadat was a man of his
word and they have had what for that region were
amicable relations with jordan for quite some time,
public posturing to the contrary.  In fact, under the
previous king, the Mossad even had an office in Amman.
--- Ted White <tedwhite at compusnet.com> wrote:
>
> "Strong, Lee" wrote:
>
> > Candy,
> >         I must respectively disagree with you on
> this one at least in part.
> > Israel, while certainly not always perfect, is a
> moral nation that is
> > fighting for its life against a bloodthirsty,
> hateful and immoral enemy.
> > The Israelis have made many specific, sincere
> attempts to make peace with
> > all their neighbors and lived up to its
> commitments when made.  Specific
> > examples include Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
> However, many Arabs, including
> > the Palestinean Authority, want bloody spoils of
> victory rather than peace
> > and prefer to continue fighting.  As a
> constitutional republic, Israel has a
> > right to live in peace and a right to defend
> itself from hostile neighbors.
> > I'm only sorry that other nations including the
> United States have been as
> > accomodating to unjust Arab demands for as long as
> we have been.  But it's
> > always easy to be free with other people's lives.
>
> What a Pollyannish view.  It ignores the Nazi-like
> invasion of surrounding
> territories by the (right wing, fundamentalist)
> "settlers."   These
> "settlements" are naked land-grabs and have caused
> great misery.  They are also
> the main sticking point in any peace efforts.   They
> *should* be razed to the
> ground and wholly abandoned, but since it was Sharon
> who initially established
> them, that appears unlikely.
>
> In the meantime, the leaders of the Arab states have
> offered normal relations to
> Israel if it returns the lands it seized in 1967.
> This is a Major Breakthrough
> -- and one Israel has turned its back on.
>
> --Ted White
>

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