2 posts tagged “israel”

Ralph Peters is a guy who not only knows whereof he speaks, and he can put it in words like nobody else as well. Each new column seems better than the last.

Today, he puts the Middle East in proper perspective, and in the process, he conveys a dire warning about an Obama Presidency - without ever mentioning his name. And he doesn't think much of current leadership either. But who does?

Dear Master Lenny,

I'm afraid I've done you a disservice because I have been largely responsible for creating a belief that you and other liberals seem to now have that I'm interested in entertaining your nonsense. So please allow me to correct that misconception right now and spare you any further wasted effort.

I don't want liberals to get the idea that this is like every other place they go... I am not, repeat, NOT willing to read the assorted disjointed ramblings that constitute liberal thought, those streams of consciousness you people think are so profound, none of which has ever solved anything in the history of the world.

So how much less am I not interested in debating them with you? And since you're liberal, I want to to be sure to emphasize that was a rhetorical question.

Now I'd like to be more specific and tailor my answer to your profundity in my Bush in Middle East thread, which is different from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by the way . I was left wondering if your comment was owing to your deep fundamental ignorance of the history of the Jewish State, or whether it was a polite manifestation of anti-Semitism? I suspect it was a little of both and probably more of the latter.

Now before you protest, I want to explain where I'm coming from: it's that the Palestinians have, long ago, forfeited their right to exist, and so they do solely at the mercy of Israel - which is not only considerable, it is absurd, but more on that in a mo.

And lest you think I am also displaying anti-Semitic tendencies, mine are simply a matter of fairness as opposed to the "fairness" you advocated. I mean, would we be "fair" to Mexicans if they bombarded us with rockets on a daily basis? I don't know about you, but I sure hope not. But then I live near the border, and not in some some East Coast ivory tower, much less a trailer park in Fantasyland, not that I'm saying you reside there, and if you do, it was just a lucky guess.

Anyway, I have never found a better approach than the one detailed by Klaatu, now and forever after to be known as The Day The Earth Stood Still Doctrine, or TDTESSD if you'd prefer an easy to remember acronym, and it goes something like this, and feel free to sing along if you know the words, or just join in at the chorus...

Simply stated, it's that if you (the Palestinians in this case) want to fight amongst yourselves, feel free, but, of course, do be "fair." However, if you threaten to export your violence, you face...

What?

Sanctions?

Violence in return?

Do you know, Lenny?

Well wait no longer, it's -obliteration-.

Say it again to make sure you have it...

See, that's been the trouble with every war since '44, we simply don't destroy people into submission. I have long advocated that Israel reduce the number of Palestinians to a more manageable number, say 25, although I'd be open to a somewhat larger figue to avoid inbreeding, like maybe 50, but that's tops!

I think the entire world would quickly come to understand that the idea of them having their own state would be absurd. Then Israel could give them a nice plot of land with an abandoned gas station and a gaming license. They could call it (to pull a term out of thin air) a "reservation," and everyone would be happy. And if they built a hotel, I'm sure you'd be willing to make your own reservation?!?

Unless you think that reservations are prisons too?

And I think you might, because you think that Palestinians are people too, right? And I concede that some probably are, though we'd likely disagree on the ones who were dancing in the street after 9/11.

But this whole problem has gotten as big as it is, I believe, because because Israel's approach has been based on the old Jewish slogan of "An eye for an eye." I'm sure someone as astute as you sees the problem with that because you're smarter than the average Jew, but it's simply that it requires that you be attacked before responding and then you retaliate only to the point of parity.

Even as a young man (and I'm sure you'll realize this too when you get to that point), I realized that to be an effective slogan, it required a slight modification to: "Two eyes for an eye." Now I'd be the first to admit that wouldn't necessarily solve the problem, and it may even increase Palestinian hatred, but they would realize there's a big price to pay for their terrorism, and eventually, that terrorism wouldapproach zero because they'd all be blind!. Then maybe Israel could give them their state, and they could put the boundaries in Braille? Which, if you think about it, isn't that what the fence is now?

So I'd like you to take what I've said in the spirit in which it was given, and if you feel a need to respond, I suggest you give it very careful consideration as I have here, and if you come up with something you think makes sense, don't post it, because it doesn't, and I'm not going to listen to any more of your ideas of "fairness."

Now this:

JERUSALEM - Israel sealed all border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Friday, cutting off the flow of vital supplies to the besieged territory in an attempt to stop Palestinian rocket barrages on Israeli border towns.

The killing stops when the Palestinians stop killing.

Warmest regards,

Ted