Self-evident truths

Submitted by Rena Cohen (United States), Dec 14, 2005 at 09:42

Dr. Pipes - I sincerely wish that you were wrong. I very much fear, however, in respect to Israel, that you are right. And certainly in respect to Kofi Annan, one need not fear anything - the truth is much too obvious to bother being afraid it is there.

Israel, and Jews, have simply got to, got to, get over this egregious, demoralizing, self-destructive mindset that the nations and peoples of the world are supposed to tolerate us/be nice to us/accept us because we have been victimized. It is absolute poison. It is leading Israel into a pattern of behavior that is extremely dangerous. It is leading the American Jewish community into a pattern of behavior that is basically, in some cases, the path of ultimate self-betrayal through betrayal of one's people, one's roots, one's identity.

The nations and peoples of the world need to be sent one very clear message - the Jews, and Israel, must be tolerated and allowed to live and be Jews and Israel because we have the absolute right to exist on this planet, not less than any other nation or people, and will not accept anything else or anything less. Not because we are victims, or because we have been victims. Because we, very simply, are and intend to continue being, a living part of this world and we will not allow our rights to be withdrawn or compromised.

The Holocaust was NOT the reason why to reconstitute the State of Israel. Historic justice was, and is, and will be. If we had this straight in our own brains, in our own spirits, in our own spines, we would not tolerate hints at the elimination of Israel, no matter how politely put. The message, rather than the tone or its conveyance, would be the point, and we would fight when we needed to, and talk when we needed to, from a much more rational and less propitiating position.

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