Several years ago, when I lived in Israel, I met Ra'anan Gissin, one of the brightest men I have ever interviewed. At that time, he was the spokesperson for the IDF. In 1993, Ra'anan took me into Lebanon as a journalist during Operation Accountability. Since then, he has assumed the role of spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office. Nowadays, whenever I turn on the television, I see Ra'anan explaining Israel's standpoint.

Many times, I agreed with his thoughts and quite often with the prime minister's actions. That, however, didn't last too long. The prime minister whom Gissin was representing began to change before my very eyes into the lap dog for American and European governments just as everyone preceding him had done. Eventually, I wrote a column about both Ariel Sharon and Shimon Peres requesting that they be tested for dementia. So, it was with great interest that I attended an appearance Gissin made at a Los Angeles synagogue; he had been brought in to explain what is happening in Israel now that Ehud Olmert has taken over.

I came, I listened, but left unimpressed with the policies of the government or with the man, Ehud Olmert, the new Kadima leader. Perhaps, it is the images of black-helmeted soldiers on horseback assaulting Jewish residents of Amona that remain seared in my memory. However, as repugnant as the scenes of Israeli citizens being forcibly ejected from their homes were, under the dubious leadership of Olmert, I fear that the "powers that be" in Israel are aiming for a new low.

I just don't understand the rush to unilaterally withdraw from the West Bank. Why make this the focus of the new government's agenda? I am sure there is a reason, somewhere. And why should Olmert's plan of withdrawal to the so-called "final borders" precede the American presidential election of November 2008? Maybe because the Israeli government thinks there is no one on the American political horizon who will be as good a friend as President George Bush? With friends like Bush, Condoleezza Rice and, let's not forget, Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Dennis Ross and Martin Indyk, among others, Israel will never need enemies.

However, given the new climate he works in, I was encouraged to hear Gissin speak with the old attitude I remembered when it came to ferreting out terrorists. "We make house calls without being in Gaza and leave a message... that terrorism can be dangerous to your health." He continued, "We will continue to pursue terrorists wherever we find them. Jews have to run in order to stay in one place."

Yet now, Israel is governed by a self-serving leaders who react when one of the inept leaders of the US or the EU snaps his or her fingers and says, "Jump!? by asking, "How high?" What really needs to be asked is: How and why did Israel turn into a Banana Republic?

So, we sat there listening while Gissin said, "It's not enough to be right. You have to be smart in your dealings with the Arab world. Everything that can't be dealt with in their culture, in the Arab mind, has to be an Israeli conspiracy." However, I think that while Israel was being 'smart' and giving in to their demands and coddling Yasser Arafat, Arab schoolchildren were being taught to hate Israel and learning the glories of suicide bombings so they could go to meet their 72 virgins.

Israel's children ought to have been learning the need for keeping their country safe, because the rest of the world sure hasn't seemed to care much about protecting Jews or Israel during the past 20 years. That will continue to be true into the distant future, with the likes of Mr. Jimmy Carter perpetuating the world's negative thinking about Jews while disregarding any criticism of their darling PLO and Hamas.

I listened with great interest while Gissin spoke of the disproportionate numbers of Arabs who would be taking over the population in ten years time if they were part of Israel. The philosophy of the new government is that it would be dangerous for the people who were living in the settlements. Okay, I'll go along with that. Therefore, the present government is all for paring down to make secure borders. Their attitude is: "Take the best and leave the rest." Except, they mean cutting out the Jewish settlements.

My belief is that "transfer" is not the dirty word it once was. Particularly since Jews are now applying that principle to other Jews. Dozens of countries have done it to millions of people quite openly, without United Nations emergency meetings or resolutions. One way or another, in many places, but never in Israel. Virtually every Arab country did so to their Jewish populations, many of whom could trace their families back in those lands for thousands of years, well before the Arabs came into the region from Arabia. They left with nothing except one suitcase, without payment for their homes, businesses or possessions, and few raised their voices in protest. That same United Nations was silent. So, the precedent is clearly established in modern times.

The new Israeli government has said, "The fence is only one solution. Most of the successful action is based on intelligence that prevents homicide bombers from getting to the wall. House calls... not threats. The first thing we must do is create the separation of ourselves from the Palestinians. We cannot leave the Trojan Horse inside the fence." Good point, but way too late. My thinking is that the fence ought to include the entire state of Israel, moving the Arabs into any of their 22 nations, where I am sure they will be much happier (except that they have this "thing" about killing Jews and taking over their land).

So, here is what I believe:

Jordan is the real homeland of the so-called Palestinians. Many of them are in Israel because King Hussein expelled them from Jordan in 1971 or because they returned from Tunis when Israel allowed them to come back (another huge mistake!). Jordan is a poor country and an empty country. Why can't consideration be given to making the so-called Palestinians pledge allegiance to the king of Jordan for the next 50 years? Oh, I forgot, the new king wants nothing to do with "them" and refuses outright to extend an open door to the PLO... I mean, the Palestinians. He knows they may be fellow Arabs, but trained to be killing machines, they are not trusted by any Arab state; they tend to attempt a takeover everywhere they go. Don't forget that they now constitute the majority of the Jordanian population, too.

Many years ago, I visited Brazil. Their president was building a new city called Brasilia, literally in the jungle. It was created because Rio had become impossibly overcrowded. El Presidente thought that creating a new capital and forcing the politicians to live and work there would create something beautiful and bring relief to Rio's population challenges. In a sense, he concluded, "If we build it, they will come." It took years of overcoming incredible challenges, but today it is a thriving place. The city of Brasilia, which, despite initial problems, is now a success, sets a precedent and teaches lessons from which we may all learn.

So, I propose a similar Brasilia, this time in Jordan. It can be called "Palestinia" (or "Intifada" for all I care), with funding from the EU, perhaps, and from the Arab world, which, I am certain, would love to chip in, to help their brothers as they have done so charitably in the past. Let it be built with American products and Israeli know-how. And look at all that cheap labor within the Islamic "nation"; they could finally find some meaningful employment building their very own homeland. It might give them something to do other than sitting around smoking that laughing pipe, burning tires and devising new ways to kill innocent people and get their 72 virgins. Yeah, right.

 
Arlene Peck is a syndicated international columnist and talk show hostess. She speaks throughout the USA and Europe about Israeli and Jewish issues. You can read some of her columns on her website, http://www.arlenepeck.com. Or contact her by email at bestredhead@earthlink.net

This essay was published as an Opinion piece in Arutz-Sheva (www.IsraelNN.com) April 17, 2006. It is archived at
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=6168

_________________________End of Story___________________________

HOME

Mar-Apr 2006 Featured Stories

Background Information

News On The Web