18 Jan 2004 @ 18:19, by Bruce Kodish
Thomas Friedman's NY Times Opinion Piece "War of Ideas, Part 4" (Sun. Jan. 18, 2004) where he calls for Israeli withdrawal from the disputed territories demonstrates this Middle East expert's ideologically-based ineptitude in understanding the basis of Arab animosity toward Israel and the Jews.
Jewish residents of the disputed territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (collectively known as Yesha) remain for him "fanatical Jews" for their insistence on their legal right to live in the heart of the historic Jewish homeland. The ease with which Friedman equates these Jews and their supporters with the Palestinian Authority's suicide bombers indicates an appalling moral blindness.
Where does Friedman's demonization of the Jews of Yesha come from?
It results, I believe from Friedman's unfailing support for a failed premise that he shares with most leftists and many liberals: Israeli concessions to Arabs will lead to peace.
A fact-based examination of even just the last decade will indicate that Israeli concessions (including acceptance of the P.L.O. and Arafat as representatives of Yesha Arabs and handing over the governance of Yesha Arabs to the P.L.O.) have led to the worst siege of terrorism in the history of the Jewish state. And to the worst oppression of Yesha Arabs (by Arafat's thugs) since the 1967 war. To anyone who knows the history of the P.L.O. as part of the general Arab war against the existence of Israel--this was not a complete surprise.
Arab-Muslim culture does not promote respect for concessions made by those they consider "mortal enemies" (that is, non-Arab, non-Muslims who challenge Arab-Muslim hegemony). It is the very existence of Israel, a state with a Jewish majority, which the vast majority of Arab-Muslims object to. As has happened many times before, any concessions will most likely encourage further attempts to destroy Israel.
Israeli retreat in the face of what even Friedman himself calls Palestinian "collective madness" will do nothing other than reward Arafat and his fellow terrorists by legitimizing his Palestinian Arab kleptocracy (government by thieves).
Read IsraPundits Analysis of Friedman's Blatant Disregard of Facts
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