By William Markiewicz
Whoever wants to impede the peace process between the Palestinians and Israel will kill an Israeli, soldier or civilian, personality or commoner. Israel will take revenge, provoking another revenge, and so on. The provocateurs know that time works against Israel so they will keep the infernal mill turning, a trap into which Israelis readily fall.
Israel's influence in the States is not all to its advantage because it has engendered a false sense of self confidence. If not for this, Israel would certainly follow a rule that applies to all small countries: if you want to survive make yourself useful or inconspicuous. Until now Israel has been anything but useful and invisible as it became the focus of attention for international terrorism. The cold war was, as we know now, a 50 year period of peace; now is wartime. Terrorists from both sides will continue to kill, and kill the perspective for peace. This situation favors only the Arab side, which the majority of Israelis refuse to see. So much for Jewish wisdom. Who will save Israel from itself? Israel's security is still based essentially on the USA which has been tiring of its burdensome ally for a longtime and sticks with Israel thanks to the Jewish lobby. Israel no longer enjoys support of international public opinion. If it hasn't yet turned violently against Israel as it turned against Yugoslavia, it's because Nato and its PR media trumpeters haven't yet worked on it. Potentially America is ready to sell Israel to the Arab-Muslim world, as she sold her traditional Serbian ally to former American foes, as the Serbs in their turn sold Milosevic... Everybody is ready to sell everybody. Could Israel save itself from the abyss? As in medicine, when it's too late for remedies, there's surgery. Israel is still not ready to follow the only paths remaining: 1. Abandon quickly all the Palestinian territories (and the Golan heights too, it will help) without asking anything in exchange. Occupied territories are not bargaining items. 2. Isolate itself as with steel armour from all Arab territories, which the local topography allows. It's not the Balkans nor Afghanistan territory. 3. Resist any provocations, no matter how bloody. Let's not forget that the present situation has enormously degenerated since Rabin's time when the terrorist organizations had practically no influence on the Palestinian population. All they wanted then was peace and the peace process developed beautifully until the Israeli equivalent of Hamas killed Rabin. Peace or no peace, hatred will boil for a long time. Will Israel have the guts and wisdom "to bite its lips 'til the blood runs"? (phrase I read somewhere). Only then may time again start to run in Israel's favor.
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William Markiewicz