By Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort
CARLSBAD, California — In the late 1970’s I sat in my classroom in the local Jewish day school watching as Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat warmly shook hands with President Jimmy Carter smiling broadly behind them. I was overjoyed. Peace was at hand, finally! When I noticed the long faces around me I asked the Rabbi what was wrong? He said something to the effect that, “This is not peace. This is dangerous and will probably lead to another war between the Arab world and Israel because this leaves Israel in a weakened position because she has relinquished an important buffer zone.” At that time I couldn’t understand my teacher’s words. Over the years I have come to understand my teacher’s words.
I remember the joyous response from the vast majority of Jewish media and local Jewish leaders when the Oslo Accords were signed in the ‘90’s. By that time I had learned my lesson. I spoke out loudly that the Oslo Accords were a disaster for Israel and could only lead to increased suffering for both Jews and Arabs in Israel, including in Yehudah, and Shomron. I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. The Oslo Accords have not only cost thousands and thousands of Jewish and Arab lives, it has put Israel on the defensive as ‘occupiers’ and ‘oppressors’ and has given untold traction to the deceitful Palestinian narrative; a narrative that is now being openly embraced in Western capitals.
Why have these well-intentioned (at least from the Israeli side) peace initiatives failed? The answer is simple and obvious. The answer must be embraced if true peace is ever to be realized. The truth is that the Arabs do not want peace with Israel.
Every Israeli peace treaty has been entered into with totalitarian regimes. In my book a totalitarian regime is by definition illegitimate. The dictators who made the deals with Israel were all paid off in one way or another by the West to do so. None of them made ‘peace’ with Israe lbecause they agree that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state. Not one. Zero. Zilch.
What the dictators did do by signing treaties with Israelis was put their lives on the line, but all of them have (or think they have) an iron grip on their populations. Anwar Sadat paid the ultimate price for his ‘betrayal’ of the perceived interests of the Arab world. He was gunned down (while celebrating the Egyptian ‘victory’ of the Yom Kippur War). His successor, Hosni Mubarak, maintained the coldest type of ‘peace,’ but did so for two reasons: to keep Western dollars flowing into the dead Egyptian economy and because he knew that his army would be quickly destroyed by the IDF should he attempt another adventure at Israel’s expense. King Hussein in Jordan may seem more ‘moderate,’ but he is, at the end of the day, a dictator, and a minority dictator at that. Remember, nearly 70% of Jordanians are actually Palestinians while King Hussein is Hashemite. As far as the late Yasser Arafat and his tie-wearing, Holocaust-denying accomplice/lackey, Abbas go, both are non repentant terrorists who have never been made to pay for their crimes against the Jewish people and humanity. They have been quick to take the billions sent their way but have never (and will never) admit to the Jewish right of a state of our own.
Not one of the above-mentioned despots is head of a representative government and each is therefore illegitimate. The saddest part of this narrative is that if any one of them was a legitimate leader of his people, he would not have cut any sort of ‘peace’ deal with Israel. Know why? I do.
The vast majority of the Arab people do not want peace with Israel.
Believe it or not peace with Israel is considered against their religion. See, once a Muslim controls a land, from Pakistan to Spain, they can never countenance another people controlling that land. It doesn’t matter that they have more freedoms in Israe lthan any other country in the Middle East; Jews and Christians are not Dhimmis (second class citizens) in Israel, and Muslims are not considered superior, therefore they must reject Israel’s existence. If they don’t, they are considered apostates and a fatwa (religious decree) will be issued against those who do try to achieve peace.
It is past time to wake up. The Arab Spring is an interesting exercise in revealing the mindset of the Arab masses. Part of that mindset is the destruction of Israel and another Holocaust of the Jewish people, G-d forbid. In other words, there is nothing to work with. The Emperor is naked. Land for Peace is a flawed ideology that cannot work in this construct. It is based upon a false assumption; that ultimately everyone wants peace. It is simply not true.
What is therefore the correct approach for Israe l(alas, we cannot change the Arab attitudes as only they can do that)? I’m afraid a cold peace is the best we can hope for, but it must be a peace built upon Israel maintaining the strongest posture possible. No land deals.Israel is not for sale; not one inch. Peace for peace, period.
I want to laugh when I read what the J-Streeters claim; that the settlements are the main obstacle to peace. It would be funny if it wasn’t so dangerous to our people. The hatred the Arabs have harbored against the Jewish people and Israel predated the settlements by centuries. It is in the Quran (read it if you don’t believe me). It is a codified part of their religion that not one of their religious authorities will dispute. Only the reformers amongst them may embrace the concept of peace with Israel, but alas the reformers are not considered authoritative nor are they in power.
So we have our choice; despotic dictators, or populist bloodthirsty Islamists.
As for me I think the best thing to do is to do our best insuring freedom for all in Israel while maintaining the peace through strength. We should put a stop to any and all activities that in any way weaken the Jewish position (like fighting for another hostile Arab state, but this one in the heart of Israel). When the peace is broken, like currently with hundreds of missiles falling in southern Israel, an overpowering, crushing reprisal must take place immediately. We must make the warmongers realize the price is too high to start up with Israel.
This present process will not lead to peace and it’s past time to stop pretending it will. The Arabs don’t want peace. Sad but true. Get used to the idea. Until they decide to accept Israel we have no choice but to remain prepared to fight for our rights and our lives. Our desire to live and be free must be stronger than their desire to annihilate us. Those who are too tired or scared to fight need to move out of the way of those who are willing.
Israel is the home of the Jewish people. The Arabs can have the rest of the Middle East.
*
Rabbi Eilfort is Director of Chabad at La Costa. He may be contacted at yeruchem.eilfort@sdjewishworld.com