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Outside-In Approach, Solution, Stradegy

Reader comment on item: Why Israelis Shy from Victory

Submitted by Robert (United States), Sep 20, 2018 at 10:30

Your emphasis on "Victory" puts the emphasis on Bibi and his government, and what Israel must do in relation to the Palestinians. However, there is another strategic perspective, dubbed the OUTSIDE-IN approach. That means tackling all the OTHER adversaries - except the Palestinians.

In Texas, for example, the state education division, consisting of 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats, has determined that the schools' textbooks contain the assertion that the reason there is no peace in the Middle East around Israel is because the Arabs refuse to accept Israel.

On another outside front, Saudi Arabia, under the young MbS, is recognizing that Shia Islam (of Iran and Lebanon), the Muslim Brotherhood (of Egypt and Gaza), and Al-Qaeda and ISIS (of Iraq and Syria), are bigger threats to Saudi interests and sovereignty, than Israel is.

Clearly, President Trump, from the OUTSIDE of Israel-Palestine has done more than Israel could possibly do for Israel. He has moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and recognized it as Israel's Capitol (while saying NOTHING about its status regarding Palestinians). And there is the complete termination of all American funding for Palestinians, especially the UN-recognized "Refugees" by UNRWA. Obviously none of within Israel's jurisdiction to accomplish.

If your favored term - "VICTORY" - is applicable, it concerns such places as Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. Regarding Iran, there is the Economic Warfare - again waged by President Trump, not PM Bibi - on Iran, which will take its full course on November 4, 2018, when the United States will demand 0 purchasing of Iranian Oil or its derivatives, or rick US sanctions as regards the All Mighty Dollar (though "In God We Trust").

If "Victory" has any literal military meaning, as you use the term, it means taking out Iranian military targets in Syrian, and perhaps Iraq ... which Israel is doing -over 200 occurrences, by Israel's own account,in the last 2 years.

Where Israel is doing "nothing" may be the best Strategic option to be considered.

Hezbollah has, by one estimate, over 150,000 projectiles in Lebanon aimed at Israel. But will Hezbollah collapse on its own if Israel just lets it be, or leaves its fate to be determined by Uncle Sam?

Regarding the remnant of Mandatory Palestine - Gaza and the West Bank - as long as Israel does "nothing" strategically, the Terrorist Hamas in Gaza and the "strongest," and rapidly aging, dictator Abbas under the PA (Palestinian Authority) in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) will further drift apart. This will only produce a potential, De Facto, 3-state (or 2-Entities-1-State-Israel) Solution. So much the better for Israel.

There is this widespread fear among Jews (and certain Christians too) that the viable choices are between a Democratic Israel, or an Apartheid Israel. But this is because of a fundamentally Racist Anti-Semitic prejudice that outside of Israel's Soverign Borders there must be a Palestine which is 100% free of Jews.

However, the reality is that there are about 20% non-Jewish and Arab citizens currently in Israel. The obvious question should be: Why can't there be 20% Jews settling and living outside Israel but in Palestine, whatever its ultimate sovereignty should turn out in the future? And it is this issue which, mistakenly I believe, tends policy advocates to rush Israel - as if Jewish "Settlements" would create an impossibility on the ground. Why do Palestinians, and Liberal Jews unconsciously subscribe to the position that the rest of "Palestine" must be 100% "CLEAN" of Jews? "Ethnic Cleansing" generally means forcibly removing a population, in violation of human right and international law. But in the Russian Empire, Jews were legally restricted to residing in an area known as the PALE OF SETTLEMENT. Wasn't that a form of keeping Russia "clean" of Jews? Why must there be in post-Ottoman Palestine areas where Jews are prohibited from Settling and Living? Is it not primarily because of Palestinian Anti-Semitism and Racism? If anyone can live as a minority among others it is the Jews - as they have done so for over 2,000 years. The fact is that since 1917 the Palestinians,and their other Arab kinsmen in other countries, have gradually proved themselves extremely limited in their capacity to live among Jews as neighbors. Is that not due to Political Islam - more so than the classical religionof the Muslims before the demise of the Ottoman Empire?

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