69 million page views

Risky endeavor not necessary

Reader comment on item: Achieving Peace Through Israeli Victory

Submitted by Sam (United States), Jan 3, 2018 at 15:13

The concept of winning a war against a non-state population made up of a culture that only "submits" to supreme leaders or war mongers is too risky, IMO. If there were actually two states with agreed borders where one side committed acts of aggression against the other, then the idea of a defensive war, and victory as we know it, might work.

Buy why declare a war against Palestinians anyway, which wrongly implies that Palestine was never a land where Christians or Jews had lived? Palestine had always been made up of people of all religions and from most neighboring countries. Before 1948 there were Palestinian Jews and Christians. Since then the goal for Muslims has been to keep the Arab population of Palestinian stateless in order to use them as a pretext to fight non-Muslims.

Rather than declare Arafat's fake smile and handshake in 1993 a type of surrender, I'd consider the U.N. creating Israel in 1948 the real point of victory. That moment was equivalent to posting the flag on Iwo Jima. It gave Israel more legitimacy than probably any other country has today. Which means that the state of Israel has an absolute primary right of self-defense, while the stateless and still borderless Palestine region does not. And by refusing to officially acknowledge and act as if Israel exists, it defines itself as a rebel and war culture without a legitimate cause.

If, and only if, Palestinian Arabs accepted the full legitimacy of Israel, which means tearing up its war Charter of 1968, then the concept of a Palestinian state would be possible. But as it is, their existing Charter is a full-scale declaration of war of liberation for all of Palestine for the benefit of Arabs only. Abbas said during an interview in July 2010, "I will never allow a single Israeli to live among us on Palestine's land."

The Geneva Convention, which defines the purpose of and the rights and obligations occupiers during a time of war, is not relevant to the Palestinians. Only nationals of a state, not rebels in an undefined region, can rightfully call anyone occupiers. And if and when Palestinians ever agree to two states, the Israelis would still have a right to occupy land, build walls, or set up protected border-crossings in self defense, if the Palestinians remained at war against it.

The Geneva Convention explains that Israel's rights to occupy another state's land in self defense "shall cease one year after the general close of military operations." No state means no defined occupation by law. And if after 70 years of Arab Palestinians choosing statelessness and denying the existence of a UN declared state, occupation of some areas might need to be permanent to protect Israel's population.

Choosing statelessness and aggression means the Arabs of Palestine willingly forfeit the rights that nationals of a state would have. It means that Israel wins by default.

Dislike
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (29) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Agree! [4 words]MehmetOct 15, 2019 01:51255431
Israel victory [53 words]Simms PearlJul 5, 2018 20:46243612
2What will happen after Israeli victory? [298 words]PrashantJul 21, 2018 22:11243612
No substitute for victory. [323 words]Reynald de ChatillonMar 19, 2018 02:15242513
Fatah apparently doesn't like the idea of Israel victory [53 words]PezDispenserFeb 1, 2018 16:00242038
1The Last Samurai, Palestinian Style [106 words]PezDispenserJan 27, 2018 12:58242001
One way train! [56 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
BenJan 24, 2018 10:48241969
1Self Selection [99 words]DajjalJan 28, 2018 19:12241969
3Train Wrecks Can Be Fun, Too! [42 words]UNCLE VLADDIJan 31, 2018 18:14241969
1Not MESA Nostra! [22 words]DajjalFeb 1, 2018 21:00241969
3Peace in Palestine [100 words]MarkJan 13, 2018 16:12241843
So... [37 words]LeslieJan 4, 2018 17:55241761
2The River Of Blood [115 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DajjalJan 4, 2018 05:32241760
1666, Jerusalem and Ludicrous Speed [950 words]Michael SJan 14, 2018 14:23241760
1Confusion! [63 words]DajjalJan 15, 2018 02:23241760
1Eternity [82 words]DajjalJan 15, 2018 02:32241760
Islam will come crumbling down. [208 words]Michael SJan 24, 2018 04:27241760
1A Difficult Boat To Row [213 words]DajjalJan 26, 2018 17:26241760
Teach, teach and educate the White House, Cogress [191 words]NuritGJan 3, 2018 20:06241759
1Risky endeavor not necessary [485 words]SamJan 3, 2018 15:13241754
Appeasement and negotiation has never won a war. [6 words]Darlene CasellaJan 3, 2018 13:02241753
1Muslim Religious War, Arab Nationalist/Racist War, and Palestinian Civil War [351 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
LudvikusJan 1, 2018 12:18241726
Saeb Erakat (the "clown", in your words) was this week described on Israei tv as representing the Palestinian 'peace-now' movement [3 words]AnonDec 28, 2017 18:23241697
If we think about Jordan we must ask whay she was created? [11 words]Orly Benny DavisDec 16, 2017 03:03241576
2Jews as Citizens of Disputed Palestine [250 words]RobertDec 13, 2017 10:36241555
3Robert has a nice suggestion [209 words]PrashantDec 31, 2017 10:19241555
1Israel is on solid legal and historical ground as far as its' territorial boundaries [476 words]YJ DraimanJan 3, 2018 16:28241555
Victory and the Weapons of Hasbara [1060 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
RobertDec 12, 2017 09:59241545
11922 League of Nations - Mandate for Palestine - a British Bloody Mary Uncivil War [396 words]LudvikusDec 23, 2017 13:01241545

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)