The two-state solution was the invention of the Israeli left in the 1960s and worked its way into the Knesset via the Labour Party and Shimon Peres. The idea went on to capture Ariel Sharon and the Israeli academy. Everything you wrote it bang on, which is why the only end to this mess is Israeli conquest of Gaza and then the extension of Israeli sovereignty to Gaza, Judea and Samaria. But Jews have to internalize the idea that Israel belongs to Jews and no one else. By the way, Herzl responded to European antisemitism, but Zionism itself is as old as the Jews. Great piece of writing.
The analysis is excellent and solution is correct. The question that arises from annexing Gaza and the West Bank is what to do with the people there who have been inculcated and committed to destroying Israel?
The easy thing in practice is deporting but the most difficult to the altruistic morality. The hardest is assimilating that will probably take decades of unwidening the hatred of Israel but much easier to the morality.
I'd argue that Israel's safety *might* improve assimilating those who wish to live a peaceful coexistence as Israeli Arabs (and I know that Yonatan will hate me for allowing them to call themselves "Palestinians" :D) but I'm not sure about this.
20years of Hamas rule will have created 20year olds with Hamas' worldview in their heads. It's hard to unwind this.
Also who should carry out this integration process? Israel? With Israeli tax money? Seems unfair.
I wish I had finished all of Ayaan's books already bc I've heard she has some ideas how to integrate islamists into liberal democracies - or at least come to a rational immigration policy.
I'd say I wished the current resurgence of the Gaza offensive would allow for Gazans to choose between assimilation or deportation but my impression is that only deportation or death is offered as alternatives (and murderers deserve death).
I didn't know the part of how Israel aided Arafat and that's horrendous, particularly since we appear to be doing that again with one of the Gazan gang leaders.
I've been thinking for months about the story of the spies that went to see the land of Canaan and came back with stories that it was filled with giants, how after that G-d forced the Israelites to wander 40 years until the slave generation died off and the generation that was worthy of the land came of age. I was thinking how long were we slaves in Egypt? 400 years? And how long were we second class citizens in the shtetls and dhimmis in the Levant? 2000 years? Five times the one generation at Sinai? The sins of the country of Israel you itemize are the sins of a Diaspora mentality. They are the sins of a people habituated to powerlessness and very uncomfortable with the ethics associated with power. That judgment is a bit façile of me; trade matters, and the ability to import materials you can't grow or mine or manufacture yourself matters, and if you're a pariah state you have access to neither. Nonetheless, Israel has never fully accepted the notion of sovereignty. Other countries, when they get attacked and they win the war, they don't appeal to their attackers for peace, as if they had lost. They take land and populate it and kick out inhabitants who prove themselves unmanageable. And they do this without apology. Israel wants to be the nice guy. It wants to be magnanimous in victory. But an enemy who only respects an iron fist sees magnanimity as weakness.
Did we finally get the memo?
There's also the issue that in the Middle East, you have two audiences. You have to talk tough for the Arabs and you have to be pathetic and weak for the West. The Arabs have perfected this double-talk but the Jews are way too straightforward to get this right. Also, we Jews are talking to very hostile audiences, supercessionist Christians who think like St. Augustine that all Jews should be killed, and supercessionist Muslims who think like Mohammed that all Jews should be killed, and neither of whom are willing to believe anything at all we say in our favor. There are exceptions of course, many Christians for instance who are routing for us, but they are a minority.
You are right that hasbara is not going to cut it. No one is listening.
Truly, we just have to get comfortable with power, in a hurry. We've had about four generations since the founding of the state. This new crop of kids coming up, that sparkling golden generation that has amazed and delighted the Israelis, the fifth generation, they might be the ones the good Lord has been waiting for.
Why did Arafat return from Tunis and why Israel talked peace with him? International pressure, the wounds of terrorism and the assassination of Arafat’s wingmen in Tunis: Sabri al Banna and Khalil alWazir.
Has Israel ever laid out its land borders? I'm asking because Id like to know whether the Westbank and Gaza are already part of Israel in the average Israelian world view?
Only, I do not agree that the “security of our people”, the Jews is the sole moral justification of the state Israel. That is the fact that it is a state that respects individual rights, has an objective justice system, etc.
Israel was founded to be the protector of the Jewish people, not to be "just another" rights respecting state, but to be the rights respecting state that will never fail the Jews, as was done in Europe.
If you protect the rights of Israeli Jews, you can also protect the rights of Israeli Arabs. There is no contradiction between these two objectives, or where am I mistaken?
Not yet, I'd argue 😉 In my eyes there shouldn't be a distinction between Palestinians and Israeli Arabs; that is to say: Israeli Arabs are Palestinians in my eyes
The two-state solution was the invention of the Israeli left in the 1960s and worked its way into the Knesset via the Labour Party and Shimon Peres. The idea went on to capture Ariel Sharon and the Israeli academy. Everything you wrote it bang on, which is why the only end to this mess is Israeli conquest of Gaza and then the extension of Israeli sovereignty to Gaza, Judea and Samaria. But Jews have to internalize the idea that Israel belongs to Jews and no one else. By the way, Herzl responded to European antisemitism, but Zionism itself is as old as the Jews. Great piece of writing.
Thank you Stephen!
The analysis is excellent and solution is correct. The question that arises from annexing Gaza and the West Bank is what to do with the people there who have been inculcated and committed to destroying Israel?
Thanks Enric. They have to be either deported or assimilated .
Surely the UK, France, Norway, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will welcome them with open arms. They are already part of the Caliphate.
The easy thing in practice is deporting but the most difficult to the altruistic morality. The hardest is assimilating that will probably take decades of unwidening the hatred of Israel but much easier to the morality.
I'd argue that Israel's safety *might* improve assimilating those who wish to live a peaceful coexistence as Israeli Arabs (and I know that Yonatan will hate me for allowing them to call themselves "Palestinians" :D) but I'm not sure about this.
20years of Hamas rule will have created 20year olds with Hamas' worldview in their heads. It's hard to unwind this.
Also who should carry out this integration process? Israel? With Israeli tax money? Seems unfair.
I wish I had finished all of Ayaan's books already bc I've heard she has some ideas how to integrate islamists into liberal democracies - or at least come to a rational immigration policy.
I'd say I wished the current resurgence of the Gaza offensive would allow for Gazans to choose between assimilation or deportation but my impression is that only deportation or death is offered as alternatives (and murderers deserve death).
I didn't know the part of how Israel aided Arafat and that's horrendous, particularly since we appear to be doing that again with one of the Gazan gang leaders.
I've been thinking for months about the story of the spies that went to see the land of Canaan and came back with stories that it was filled with giants, how after that G-d forced the Israelites to wander 40 years until the slave generation died off and the generation that was worthy of the land came of age. I was thinking how long were we slaves in Egypt? 400 years? And how long were we second class citizens in the shtetls and dhimmis in the Levant? 2000 years? Five times the one generation at Sinai? The sins of the country of Israel you itemize are the sins of a Diaspora mentality. They are the sins of a people habituated to powerlessness and very uncomfortable with the ethics associated with power. That judgment is a bit façile of me; trade matters, and the ability to import materials you can't grow or mine or manufacture yourself matters, and if you're a pariah state you have access to neither. Nonetheless, Israel has never fully accepted the notion of sovereignty. Other countries, when they get attacked and they win the war, they don't appeal to their attackers for peace, as if they had lost. They take land and populate it and kick out inhabitants who prove themselves unmanageable. And they do this without apology. Israel wants to be the nice guy. It wants to be magnanimous in victory. But an enemy who only respects an iron fist sees magnanimity as weakness.
Did we finally get the memo?
There's also the issue that in the Middle East, you have two audiences. You have to talk tough for the Arabs and you have to be pathetic and weak for the West. The Arabs have perfected this double-talk but the Jews are way too straightforward to get this right. Also, we Jews are talking to very hostile audiences, supercessionist Christians who think like St. Augustine that all Jews should be killed, and supercessionist Muslims who think like Mohammed that all Jews should be killed, and neither of whom are willing to believe anything at all we say in our favor. There are exceptions of course, many Christians for instance who are routing for us, but they are a minority.
You are right that hasbara is not going to cut it. No one is listening.
Truly, we just have to get comfortable with power, in a hurry. We've had about four generations since the founding of the state. This new crop of kids coming up, that sparkling golden generation that has amazed and delighted the Israelis, the fifth generation, they might be the ones the good Lord has been waiting for.
Thank you for your work , Yonatan,
Thank you for your support George!
Thank you Yonathan, another great piece/analyses…
Thanks Robert!
Why did Arafat return from Tunis and why Israel talked peace with him? International pressure, the wounds of terrorism and the assassination of Arafat’s wingmen in Tunis: Sabri al Banna and Khalil alWazir.
Thank you
Has Israel ever laid out its land borders? I'm asking because Id like to know whether the Westbank and Gaza are already part of Israel in the average Israelian world view?
Only, I do not agree that the “security of our people”, the Jews is the sole moral justification of the state Israel. That is the fact that it is a state that respects individual rights, has an objective justice system, etc.
Israel was founded to be the protector of the Jewish people, not to be "just another" rights respecting state, but to be the rights respecting state that will never fail the Jews, as was done in Europe.
If you protect the rights of Israeli Jews, you can also protect the rights of Israeli Arabs. There is no contradiction between these two objectives, or where am I mistaken?
The Arabs who live in Palestine are not Israelis.
Not yet, I'd argue 😉 In my eyes there shouldn't be a distinction between Palestinians and Israeli Arabs; that is to say: Israeli Arabs are Palestinians in my eyes
Too bad they think there should be a distinction.
I agree that this is true for the vast majority currently and it's sad as you say
What a view ! It is from above.
Beautifully written ☺️
So you are in favor of annexing Judea, Samaria and Gaza?
Of course.