AS I SEE IT: PEACE IS DANDY BUT SUICIDE IS PERMANENT…RUTH KING
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When Binyamin Netanyahu arrives in America on Thursday, will he once again be expected to put the needs of intransigent Arab and Muslim supremacists before and above Israel’s security?
Israel: Peace Is Dandy But Suicide Is Permanent Ruth King
Israel’s Prime Minister is due in the United States on September 2 where he will be peace processed by George Mitchell, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and an entity called the “Quartet†a chummy foursome comprised of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia, joined by Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan.
The group, all accompanied by special envoys, and “observers†and the honorable Tony Blair, reminds one of the joke: “A flight attendant asks a jazz group: ‘How many of you are there in the quartet?’ â€
George Mitchell, the midwife to the summit, declared at a recent press conference after the usual blather about the conflict placing blame equally on Israel and its enemies:
“We don’t expect all of those differences to disappear when talks begin. Indeed, we expect that they will be presented, debated, discussed, and that differences are not going to be resolved immediately.â€
Gee thanks George. And then he added:
“I do want to take a moment to acknowledge and recognize the enormous support and assistance we have received from many of our friends and allies: Egypt, under President Mubarak; Jordan, under King Abdullah; many of the other Arab states; the other members of the Quartet; the United Nations under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who has been extremely helpful in this process; the European Union, with Lady Ashton as the foreign minister; and the – Russia, with Foreign Minister Lavrov, have all been active and very helpful along with other European states.â€
By George, George…you left Israel out of your obsequious and oily gratitude.
For good measure Secretary of State Clinton chimed in with a deadline of one year to complete negotiations. It reminded one of a hanging judge who gives the convicted a year on death row.
There is a lot of writing and hand wringing even from those quarters that prodded or bullied Israel into the two state dissolution. What now? What can Netanyahu do?
Here is one suggestion: A letter from Prime Minister Netanyahu to President Obama.
I know it’s wishful thinking, but……
Dear President Obama:
Greetings! I deeply and respectfully regret to inform you that I must cancel my forthcoming visit to the United States for the purpose of commencing negotiations. I recognize and share your sense of urgency in resolving the current impasse, but grave international events which threaten Israel as well as the United States make the regional war of Arabs against Israel less pressing and an item for another time and another venue.
Please let me explain.
Your State Department has tried to reassure us that Iran will not complete nuclear arms for one year. However, one of the “Quartet†members, namely Russia, helped finish building the Bushehr Iranian Nuclear project which is well on its way to becoming weaponized. Reliable sources are convinced that the reactor will be fully operational since military action against it could lead to widespread contamination in the entire Middle East.
There is an old saw, Mr. President: “If you want to know what a man is thinking, listen to him.â€
Iran’s ruthless tyrant has issued genocidal threats to destroy Israel, and has repeated them virtually every day. I would be remiss not to heed him and I would be equally remiss in trusting any dialogue on the future survival of my country with any nation that continues to enable and encourage Iran.
Furthermore, I cannot accept the participation of entities such as the United Nations and the European Union who continually indulge in the most anti-Semitic and anti- Israel harangues, as participants in any discussion of my nation’s security and destiny. They share the conviction that Israel, of all the world’s nations has a negotiable “right to exist†and may not make its own decisions on what constitutes secure and defensible borders. While they maintain a studious silence on massacres, famines, civil wars elsewhere they join their own enemies in denouncing Israel. This “quartet†would not play Brahms, but would gladly perform a funeral dirge for Israel.
Furthermore, Mr. President, what constructive input can come from nations such as Egypt and Jordan whose bias against Israel and Jews is evidenced daily by their media, their schoolbooks, their sermons and their national rules forbidding Jewish ownership of land and citizenship?
In fact, President Obama, the Arab League recently announced a summit, where Jordan and Egypt will convene with Syria, “Palestine†Saudi Arabia, Libya and Algeria next February in Qatar in a conference to discuss the status of Jerusalem.
Would you countenance discussion of the status of Washington D.C. by any foreign powers, let alone enemies?
Finally, Mr. President, there is no need to travel so far for meaningful discussions. Our land is small and enjoys a fine highway system. Mr. Abbas can take a car to Jerusalem or I can take one to Ramallah. We would both be home in time for dinner.
And, speaking of Mr. Abbas, it certainly did not enhance our confidence when he and other members of his governing committee recently attended the funeral of Amin Al-Hindi, the mastermind of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics, and praised him in the most lavish terms as a martyr and leader.
Mr. President, you and I are both democratically elected leaders with a fractious body politic. We both face serious security threats which must continually be balanced with utmost respect for the civil liberties of our citizens.
The media reports of daily threats to the United States from North Korea, from China and from the drug cartel war on your southern border which has already claimed thousands of lives and threatens to infiltrate your cities. On your northern border there is increasing activity of terrorists plotting attacks on the United States. Your economy is still in precarious condition.
How could the disposition of approximately two thousand square miles of West Bank alter any of these crises?
Mr. President, your nation and mine are beacons of freedom and democracy. Our destinies are intertwined and Israel is the greatest supporter and ally of the United States in the world. We are bipartisan in our respect for America. Since President Harry Truman rose in the middle of the night and against the wishes of his State Department gave de jure recognition to our independence, we have enjoyed the support of thousands of legislators from both parties.
July fourth is a national holiday for America and a day of national pride for Israel because on that day in 1976 when the United States was celebrating the Bicentennial, Israel conducted the most dazzling rescue of hostages in Entebbe. My brother Lt. Col. Jonathan Netanyahu was killed on that day in that operation. He is a hero in that long line of Israelis and Americans who have died in defense of freedom.
Mr. President, on September 8th Jews throughout the world commence observance of a new year marking 5,771 years of Jewish existence. The holiday Rosh Ha Shana culminates on Yom Kippur a day of atonement, fasting and renewal.
Among my prayers, I will include a prayer for peace and prosperity for both our nations.
What I will not do, Mr. President, is come to Yom Kippur atoning for having endangered Israel by attending the September 2 meetings.
God bless our nations.
Respectfully yours,
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Ruth S. King is a freelance writer who writes a monthly column in OUTPOST, the publication of Americans for a Safe Israel.
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