Historian Benny Morris (of "Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem" fame) has an excellent op-ed piece in today's New York Times about why Israel feels threatened. He outlines two general sources and four specific causes of Jewish Israelis' anxieties.
The first general source is the fact that the Arab and Muslim world have never accepted Israel and still oppose its existence. Generally, he's right about this, but the Saudi Initiative is a glimmer of hope in this regard. On the other hand, the Arabs don't seem to be willing to give up the right of return, so I'm not very optimistic.
The second general source is the deminishing Western public support for Israel. I think this can be countered at least in part by taking steps toward a peace deal that would end the occupation, but there are many bleeding hearts in Europe, and to a lesser extent in the United States, that will always blame Israel for everything, and as long as the right of return isn't implemented, they'll still see Israel as owing the Palestinians something.
The four specific causes of Israel's sense of threat are Iran's nuclear program coupled with their leaders' desire to see a world without a Zionist state, Hezbullah's large arsenal of long-range weaponry and control of South Lebanon, Hamas's control of Gaza and the radicalisation of the Arab citizens of Israel.
As Morris points out, these are all unconventional threats. The first one is a potentially nuclear armed country, two are radical Islamist terrorist groups who reject the existence of Israel, and the fourth is one fifth of our own citizens.
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Much as I respect Morris (if only my radical friends like Eitan or Madze would recognise his existence!), this is a piece penned clearly with Americans in mind (I clicked though and read the source text).
ReplyDelete"The first general source is the fact that the Arab and Muslim world have never accepted Israel and still oppose its existence."
The non-recognition of Israel is very much a non-issue, IMHO. Tell me, if some newborn state in the world somewhere decided not to recognize the US for some reason, would that keep Americans awake at night? In the I/P context the recognition issue is a bargaining chip and it's used by both sides. Recognition can and will follow a just resolution of the conflict. Arab noises a plenty in that direction.
"the Arabs don't seem to be willing to give up the right of return"
Of course the RoR isn't realistic, I accept that. But can we brush this under the carpet without compensation in some form or another? I propose financial compensation to be paid to a future (?) Palestinian State, paid for jointly by Israel and the IC (as they too carry much of the blame with regards to occupation and dispossession).
"The second general source is the diminishing Western public support for Israel."
Perception and perception only. You (and Morris) should visit CiF comment threads more often: every single piece regarding I/P attracts huge amounts of comment, evenly divided between "pro" and "con". The vast majority of Western critics of Israel support its existence nonetheless. I know only one British blogger (who happens to be Jewish - Mark Elf from Jews sans Frontieres) who is actually opposed to Israel's existence. There must be others, of course, but they are few and very far between.
And since 9/11 Israel can also count on the support from the 'clash-of-civilisations' paladins from the European Far Right. Wannasee them in action? Check out (for example) Melanie Phillips' column in The Spectator and the sort of commenters that hang out there. Fringenutz you say? They're quite numerous, actually...
"but there are many bleeding hearts in Europe, and to a lesser extent in the United States, that will always blame Israel for everything, [...]"
You're deliberately confounding 'blaming Israel for the continued occupation' with 'blaming Israel for everything'. Well, I'm sorry, I guess I'll have to blame the Occupation on de Gamas too... If sympathy for the dispossessed makes one a 'bleeding heart' then count me in.
I'd also like to remind you courteously that basically up to about 1967, support for Israel from the European Left was overwhelming: people like me, my family, my friends and 'socialist' fellow students. We willingly overlooked parts of Israel's creation that weren't so nice. Guess we hadn't read Benny Morris yet... We were the 'bleeding hearts' that understood the need for a Jewish homeland. That momentum continued to slow down until about Sabra/Shatila, which became a second turning point. But none of these people that I know personally became anti-Israel, the 'love affair' was over though...
Morris also writes:
"The Holocaust is increasingly becoming a faint and ineffectual memory and the Arab states are increasingly powerful and assertive."
Dear G-d, two canards for the price of one. Never before have there been more Holocaust Memorial museums in Europe than today. More so than in the US where the main one wasn't finished until 1993 and where ignorance regarding this European crime was absolutely rife until up to the seventies. Several European countries have laws against Holocaust denial, which continent can claim that?
And Benny, where are these 'powerful and assertive Arab states'? The vast majority of Arab states are resigned to Israel's existence, even if it doesn't fill them with glee. Others have lasting peace deals with it.
"and the fourth is one fifth of our own citizens."
And what's your solution to that?
Morris' piece being in large part another advert for American sympathy, he fails to mention other serious dangers that Israel faces:
1. Continued failed policies in dealing with the Palestinian question: another 20 or so years of more of the same will make Israel the pariah of the Middle East and possibly the West. Morris is right in a sense; increasing disapproval will eventually find its democratic channels to the leadership.
2. Increasing radicalisation of Israel on the Far Right: a country in a perennial state of war is prone to slide towards the right and become blinded by its own nationalistic fervour. Since its conception as a decidedly leftish Nation, Israeli mainstream has now moved further to the right than any of its European counterparts. Hell, with Obama, the US might end up more centrist than Israel!
Gert, in general I agree with most of what you wrote. Regarding international support for Israel, there definitely is less support than there used to be. It is not just perception. The number of comments in favor or against Israel is not a good indicator. A better indicator is the number of Europeans saying that Israel is the no. 1 threat to world security in polls. Progress in the peace process can help here.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Arab Israelis, giving them equal rights and developing their towns as much as we develop Jewish-majority areas is the most basic step. Second, moving forward with the peace process will also have a positive effect on the Palestinians who are citizens of Israel. This won't completely solve the problem, since they have several demands that have nothing to do with the (non-Israeli) Palestinians or with equality, such as various kinds of autonomy within Israel and veto power over certain issues that have an impact on the Arab population.
About Israel's move rightward: don't confuse social-economic policy (socialism vs. capitalism) with Israeli-Arab policy (doves vs. hawks). Israel has consistently moved rightward on socio-economic policy, but it has been moving back and forth since the 1990's on the Palestinian issue. We used to be a country of socialist hawks who were unwilling to even say there's a Palestinian people. Now we're a country of capitalists who mostly agree to the creation of a Palestinian state. The center has become much more dovish than it used to be. Having said that, I should note the far right is indeed becoming more radical and I don't deny that's a problem.
What's with the mockery of the way Israelis say "de Gamas"? The de part may be amusing, but they're pronouncing Hamas (Khamas, not Gamas) better than you are, since the Kh sound in Hebrew is close to the Kh sound in Arabic. Most English speakers I know need years of practice to pronounce it even remotely correctly.
"We used to be a country of socialist hawks who were unwilling to even say there's a Palestinian people. Now we're a country of capitalists who mostly agree to the creation of a Palestinian state."
ReplyDeleteAgreed: the "A land without people for a people without land" thingy.
de Gamas: I guess the guttural English with Hebrew accent just sounds a little funny to us. My bad.