ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL--CUT THE GORDIAN'S KNOT

Submitted by martin kessler (United States), Apr 5, 2006 at 20:34

FINALLY, SOMEONE HAS COME TO THEIR SENSES.

I DO NOT MEAN TO BE SO VOLUMINOUS BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR READING THIS ENTIRE EMAIL.

I recently replied to an email sent to me by a friend which contained a review of the recent election. He wrote, as follows:

Your email and Ottolenghi's dissection of the Israeli body politic left me with a long reflective pause. How to respond? What to say? What would be sensible, reasonable, even, if possible, intelligent?

."...........that there really is no end to this Arab hatred, and that there is no end to the state of siege that Israel has been forced to endure since its inception."

If that excerpt is indeed true, or at least an assumption one must believe to be true to derive any recommendation of meaningful consequence, then I feel the only course open to Israel is--as I have long believed to be necessary because hopelessly unavoidable---a war of unambiguous finality.

Of all undesirable alternatives open to Israel one can enumerate "the least worst of these terrible alternatives" is not I feel the alternative that should be chosen. In this moment of time, I do not feel Israel ought to select an alternative that promises to provide a minimum of regret but execute a plan of action that promises a maximum of satisfaction.

There is only one alternative open at this time, if we believe "there really is no end to this Arab hatred" The Arab Conflict, the essence of which is formulated and defined in Arab terms acceptable to the Arabs--the unequivocal elimination of Israel--has positioned Israel as the humble supplicant, imploring for national recognition which is demeaning and cowardly.

I know my friends will be displeased with me when I say what I fear lurking in the background is a reduction to type as an explanation of Israel's supplicant posture. To be more specific, it troubles me to say I fear, once again, the Jew is "running to the cellar at the first sound of conflict." That is, a tendency to retreat in the face of personal, physical confrontation. The is the Jew of pogrom experiences and while considerably submerged during time of war may be reverting itself in the population as it strives for a "solution" and peace, almost at any price, even, if you can believe this, self amputation.

Of course, it may be unfair to call this characteristic, a type. Most men, I believe, would tend to back off and not physically engage a surly foul drunkard at a bar, and consider that the best way to handle the situation, unless, that is, if he is sufficiently and directly provoked. So if I am wrong about the Israeli Jew I will apologize but it still gives me pause to wonder.Perhaps a DNA gene for cowardice ensures survival "of the fittest". Who knows?

If this unpleasant thought explains Israel's current position it would not be the explanation after the Six-Day war. Then the "Sabra"Jew was emboldened and found pleasure in fancying himself a 'fierce and proud warrior." He was invincible and his enemies sued for peace. No coward he.

So I feel to recapture this spirit of national elan and redefine the conflict in his terms, war is the only viable solution. Any other alternative that requires Israel to "wait and see" is stupid. Wait for what? Wait for Israel's promised extermination?

There is no better time than now for a preemptive war. What better justification for a preemptive war than one in which your adversary is planning your demise, if you just kindly give him sufficient time to carry it out.

What Israel needs now is a Jabotinsky. He early on clearly envisioned the perpetual confrontation to be expected of the Arabs. He wrote in his "Iron Wall":

All this does not mean that any kind of agreement is impossible, only a voluntary agreement is impossible. As long as there is a spark of hope that they can get rid of us, they will not sell these hopes, not for any kind of sweet words or tasty morsels, because they are not a rabble but a nation, perhaps somewhat tattered, but still living. A living people makes such enormous concessions on such fateful questions only when there is no hope left. Only when not a single breach is visible in the iron wall, only then do extreme groups lose their sway, and influence transfers to moderate groups. Only then would these moderate groups come to us with proposals for mutual concessions. And only then will moderates offer suggestions for compromise on practical questions like a guarantee against expulsion, or equality and national autonomy.

There is one and only one "Iron Wall" existing which if employed with an "Iron Fist" would unravel the apparent Gordion's Knot--The Israeli Defense Forces.

Retreat, "disengagement," "convergence" if to only to one area, say, Tel Aviv, even that does not and will not satisfy the Arab position. There is no reason why they should agree and be satisfied.

Either give the Arabs all or nothing. There is no other alternative.

Martin Kessler
mdk4130@aol.com

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