GET THE FACTS

What Are the Common Arab Arguments?

1. They are under "Israeli Occupation"
2. They are being unjustly oppressed and terrorized by Israel
3. They are 'peace loving' innocent victims of Israeli aggression
4. Israel should withdraw to the pre-1967 borders
        · All 'settlements' are illegal and should be dismantled
        · Jerusalem should revert back to the Arabs
5. All 1947/48 war Arab refugees should return.

It Seems That to Succeed in a Logical Dialog with Arabs They have to:

1. Accept Jewish history and heritage for this land.
2. Accept some responsibility for the present conflict
3. Don't label the Arab inhabitants as a 'Palestinian Nation' from day one.
4. Don't completely disregard the legal basis for the Israeli claims.

So the starting point for any such dialog should be an agreement by the Arab side to recognize Jewish history and assume responsibility for their past deeds.

The following points should be stressed in any discussion:

Israeli Occupation

True, it is troublesome, repulsive and disgusting to be ruled by a foreign force. But:

1. Most Palestinians live under Arafat rule in Areas A and B
2. 1 million Arabs are Israeli citizens. Most don't want to live under Arafat rule.
3. For Arab extremist, the term 'occupation' includes the entire Palestine.
4. Regarding settlements on 'occupied land':
        · Many settlements were established before the 47/48 war on purchased land:
             · Kfar Darom near Gaza in 1944
             · Gush Etzion near Bethlehem in 1946
             · Jewish quarter in Hebron about 500 years ago, till the 1929 bloody riots.
5. The Arabs have rejected the 1947 UN partition resolution. Their starting point was that the land was theirs and it was unjustly taken from them.
        · The declared war has thus nullified the UN resolution
             · Gaza and the West Bank were under Egyptian and Jordanian rule
             · There was no Palestinian identity under their rule.
             · Israel has conquered the area back from them
             · The Palestinian liberation goal prior to 1967 was to destroy the Israeli state.
             · It has changed to the establishment of a Palestinian state on the entire area.
        · The famous post 1967 war Security Council resolution 242 calls on Israel to:
             · "Withdraw from territories occupied in recent conflict", not "all territories"
             · "Provide just settlement for the refugee problem" either Jews or Arabs
             · The word 'Palestinians' is not mentioned
             · Israel has been willing to do so and the Oslo agreement was part of it

Why There is an Israeli Aggression

The Israeli continuously blockade, invade, restrict movement and shoot at targets. But:

1. Israel is acting in self-defense.
2. Israel has continuously offered to return to the negotiation table, once there is a week without terrorist activity.
3. The Arabs had rejected the Barak offer for a state and have refused to negotiate
4. The Israelis never target innocent civilians like the Palestinian do:
        · Only known terrorists and their infrastructure
        · Unfortunate civilian casualties are inevitable in such war
5. The Israelis never pack their bombs with nails, for maximum civilian carnage.
6. The Mitchell report (5/15/01) and Tent report (6/14/01) have called on the Palestinians to:
        · Stop terrorist acts
        · Eliminate the terrorist infrastructure
        · Confiscate illegal weapons
        · Despite token support for implementation, Arafat has not followed up.
        · Implementing these recommendation means stopping the Intifada without results.

Are the Palestinians Really Seeking Peace with Israel?

Except for the fanatics and terrorists, most Palestinians support 'peace' with Israel. The question is under what conditions:

1. Oslo was apparently a "smoke screen". Arafat has never intended to sign a peace treaty
        · Otherwise, why did he agree to delay the "settlements" issue to the final stage,
             · Not even insisting of stopping new settlements!!
             · Since his ultimate goal was the destruction of Israel, it did not matter.
        · Instead he wanted to get the maximum that he could in a peaceful way.
             · Freedom for several hundreds imprisoned terrorists (under Clinton's pressure!)
             · The right to establish his police force and government
             · The right to bear arms, and ability to smuggle a lot more
             · The legitimacy for his autonomy
             · The ability for uncontrolled incitement in schools, media and mosques.
2. The present Intifada was years in the making.
        · It was not created overnight after Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount
        · The arms and ammunition were slowly smuggled.
        · The training camps were established long time ago
3. Arafat has refused to negotiate at Camp David and subsequently in Taba
4. The Palestinian school textbooks do not mention Israel on their maps
        · Israel is presented as the enemy
        · No Jewish heritage is recognized.
        · No Israeli rights (like purchased land for most Israeli cities and settlements)
        · The Palestinian identity is stretched back to many generations
5. Apparently, Arafat was, is and will always think like a terrorist
        · Because he can't come back and offer less then the promised Israeli destruction
        · He can't suddenly switch from hate and 'holy war' to peaceful coexistence.
        · He can't admit that all of the suffering were for nothing and that he was wrong
6. The matter is further complicated by the Koran, which labels Jews as 2nd class citizens that should not rule Muslims.
        · For 1000 years the Jews have lived at the mercy of the mighty Islam
        · Suddenly they are more successful, rich and powerful
        · Now they have the audacity to rule over the Muslim Temple Mount!!!
   

The Refugee Problem

It is a human tragedy that these people have been kept in refugee camps for 54 years. But:

1. The local Palestinian had rioted against the Jews in 1929, 1936 and 1947
        · They were continuously incited by their leaders
        · The Jews in Hevron were massacred in 1929
        · The first 1947 casualty was on the night of the UN resolution!!)
        · This has created a deep distrust in the Palestinian as 'good neighbors'
2. The many sniper attacks necessitated the creation of safe buffer zones
        · For example; Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were under sniper attacks
        · Shielding walls were erected
        · The road to Jerusalem was blocked. New bypass had to be built"
        · Still, Arabs in Ohm El Facham have not attacked the Jews and stayed behind.
3. Once there was a war, all bets were off:
        · Sad consequence of the Arab incitement and attacks
        · It was a "Life or Death Survival War"
        · 472-650K Arabs were encouraged to leave or they ran away in fear of reprisals.
4. The refugee problem is the responsibility of the Arab leadership
        · They have created it with their incitement and attacks
        · Everywhere else in the world, war refugees were absorbed and resettled
        · Germans from Prussia, Poland and the Czech Republic
        · Serbs and Muslims in Yugoslavia
        · 590K Jews have fled Arab countries and settled in Israel
        · Most settled in homes vacated by the fleeing Arabs.
5. The return of Arab refugees will destroy the Jewish nature of Israel.
        · Israel already house 1.2 million Muslim citizens

The Saudi Proposal: Return to the Pre-1967 Borders

For the first time ever, the Saudis are talking peace with Israel, probably to counter criticism about their role in the 911 attack and the Karina boat arm smuggling

1. Arab nations have declared war in 48, 67 and 73.
        · Two (Egypt and Jordan) have signed peace treaties.
        · Syria and Lebanon have signed ceasefire agreement
        · Iraq and Saudi Arabia are still at war.
        · Economic boycott was declared in 1948 against companies that sell to Israel
        · Only in 1977 the US declare it to be illegal for US companies to consent
        · The boycott against companies has been weakened since the Oslo accord.
        · Had the Saudis offered it before 1967, it would have probably been accepted
2. But currently, with all the incitement and bloodshed history, it is vague:
        · It was not formally offered. If accepted as a wish, it will allow blackmail
             · It will only be discussed at the Arab league meeting
        · It does not mention the refugees at all
        · It is only for the Arab states. It may not oblige the Hamash, Jihad, etc.
3. It is dangerous for the Israeli security that have faced decades of incitement.
        · The pre-1967 borders are indefensible. Israel is too narrow.
        · What if the rulers of Egypt and/or Jordan are replaced by extremist anti Israeli group?
        · Based on past precedent of wars and arm smuggling, Israel needs security belts
             · Along the Jordan river
             · Along all borders
             · Around Jerusalem
4. Israel will never relinquish Jerusalem to Arab rule
        · Bitter experience after the 47 war, when the city was to be international.

More Than 1050 Palestinians Have Died Since the Beginning of This Intifada

True, the Intifada has inflicted a lot of suffering on the innocent Palestinian. But:

1. The Intifada was started by the Palestinians who have refused to stop it.
2. Only 312 Israelis have died-because of better Israeli security
        · Lot more would have died had there not been:
             · Road blocks to stop suicide bombers
             · Elimination of known terrorists, their leaders and infrastructure
3. 100 Israelis were murdered and 1689 were wounded between 1993 and 1999
        · This is while the Oslo agreement was progressing!!
4. The 1050 number includes a lot of suicide bombers, snipers and killers
        · The unintended death of few civilians was inevitable
        · When NATO (the US) bombed Belgrade there also were civilian casualties
        · When the US bombed Afghanistan there also were civilian casualties
        · Nobody has complained

In Conclusion, It is a War of Survival for Israel.

References

1. Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict, by Mitchell Bard
2. http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa: The web site of the Israeli Foreign Ministry