"Recognition" vs "Acceptance"

Submitted by joshua sandler (United States), Jan 2, 2008 at 12:58

Nusseibeh's comments above about "recognition of Israel" must be put into the context of his other recent demand:

"The Israelis now living in the territories of the future Palestinian state should return to living within the borders of the state of Israel. No Jew in the world, now or in the future, as a result of this document, will have the right to return, to live, or to demand to live in Hebron, in East Jerusalem, or anywhere in the Palestinian state." (http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1630.htm)

Nusseibeh knows that control of the West Bank and Gaza has been disputed since 1922 and that the force of historical, moral and political arguments favor Jewish control rather than Arab. Therefore, he wants to settle the dispute by the current "facts on the ground" given the relative position of regard Arabs currently enjoy within the international community – before the issue gets re-evaluated in its details. In other words, Nusseibeh's comments simply continue the war against the Jewish state by other means.

Arab intellectuals have become very careful in the way they use words. Olmert's use of words is sloppy and self-delusional.

Olmert's comments focus on "acceptance", but Abbas' and Nusseibeh's never use that term and instead focus on "recognition". "Acceptance" is a much stronger word. It denotes an inner change within Arabs' hearts that would come only from the Arabs' giving up their struggle to destroy the Jewish character of Israel. Recognition is merely an legal term.

Olmert "thinks" that Abbas "accepts Israel, as Israel defines itself" and this, for Olmert, "is not insignificant". However, by Olmert's own words "it is perhaps not enough". In fact, it is Olmerts latter observation that is extremely significant.

Olmert's delusional thinking is borne of weakness, but he is not deluding the majority of Israelis who know that the Jewish state of Israel will have to persevere without either recognition nor acceptance by the Arabs. Ultimately, the Arabs will either accept Israel in the hearts for their own reasons or no longer be the Arabs that they are today.

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