Handing Over Israel Piece by Piece for Peace

There is this little secular, democratic nation in the Middle East, seemingly taunting the surrounding Mullahs and dictators, while providing safe heaven for oppressed Jews from around the world. And Muslims can’t sand it. Neither, apparently, can the United Nations.

Almost every member of the United Nations backs the Palestinians, a non-state in the middle of the state of Israel. Why, because the Palestinians are poor, uneducated, oppressed and “occupied” by Israelis who throw rockets at them everyday? That’s the lie. Meanwhile, not one of their Arab neighbors offers any meaningful assistance to Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. No Arab nation has tried to assimilate refugees from the U.N.’s new “non-member observer state.” Jordan was supposed to be the homeland for Palestinians, yet it’s practically impossible for Palestinians to even travel to Jordan, Egypt, or anywhere else in the Muslim world, much less move there. Occasionally, the border with Egypt opens for a few hours, but usually, only guns, bullets and missiles cross into Gaza. Poor Palestinians; they should give peace a chance.

A note to President Obama, who seems somewhat ambivalent concerning the path to follow:

Mr. President,

 I am not Jewish, but I am a devout Zionist. I had the good fortune to travel in Israel, had breakfast with Ezer Weizman at his home in Caesarea, lunch with Menachem Begin in Jerusalem, and dinner with Moshe Dayan and his wife at their home near Tel Aviv – Moshe Dayan loved his Arab friends. I also met with the Commander of Air Base Etzion, which was handed over to Egypt along with the rest of the Sinai in order to make peace. I was extremely fortunate to meet these Israeli heroes; our conversations were enlightening, and for me, life changing. We visited Masada, a symbol of Jewish resolve, waded in the Dead Sea, walked in the Hassidic section of Jerusalem where I bought a Jewish Bible and read from its English translation, spent an eye-opening week in the Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv – modern, multicultural, friendly and safe – it felt like home. In the ancient port of Jaffa, we climbed down excavations into the past – when Jews and Arabs were all “Palestinians” living with their Roman conquerors. I discussed the Israeli dilemma with average citizens, Israeli soldiers, and heads of state. And no one could explain, adequately, reasonably, why any nation on earth would make it a goal to eradicate the Jewish people, or how anyone could legitimately conclude that the Jewish state is an occupying force in the area.

Mr. President, you have a difficult, but logical path to follow. Respectfully, I hope you have the courage and conviction to follow it by unequivocally supporting the state of Israel.

Israel is surrounded by Muslim countries that are ruled by despots and dictators, and overrun by renegade gangs of religious fanatics that hate America as much as they hate Israel. What are they afraid of – Israel’s success, determination, secularism, their Democracy, their formidable army? What, exactly? And why? Israel doesn’t proselytize or threaten anyone? Fortunately, it carries a big stick!

In 1967, at the conclusion of the Six Day War, Israeli forces had taken control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The Arab plan is to take it all back piece by piece, and get rid of the Jews.

For now, Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank want to establish a state-within-a-state and share Israel's capital city. This is while Hamas, the Palestinian Sunni Islamic organization that governs the Gaza Strip lobs missiles into Israel – and the world complains when Israel retaliates. Two Muslim factions are fighting for control of their yet-to-be-established state of Palestine, and these self-declared enemies of Israel want to dictate the terms of Israel's capitulation – without recognizing Israel's right to exist! The United Nations sees nothing unusual about this, and many countries in Europe applaud their efforts.

Jordan wants peace, but still hasn’t declared an end to its decades old non-shooting war with Israel. Syria has been an implacable enemy of Israel forever. Lebanon is Syria’s dummy. And Iran has vowed to remove Israel from the face of the earth. Saudi Arabia – we’re not sure of their intentions – wouldn't let me into their country because of the Israeli stamp on my passport and the Tel Aviv Sheraton Hotel sticker on my luggage! The anti-Semites in the United Nations need someone to blame for their prejudice, ignorance and national failures. They can’t admit it, but they all need something to keep their “street” quiet, something other than their citizens’ missing freedoms.

Just a word about the “occupation” – It Isn’t! What if Mexico starts lobbing missiles into San Diego and starts calling us “occupiers?” Should we annex Southern California and give it back? Should we ask the United Nations what they think?

You may not agree with Benjamin Netanyahu – no matter, you don’t get to vote in Israeli elections. You do get to ask and work for world peace, justice, and democracy. As an American, that means you are pro-Israel, whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, agnostic or atheist.

Happy Hanukkah!