Get real, Israel

  • Article by: William Saletan , Slate
  • Updated: December 3, 2012 - 6:54 PM


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stpaulisbestDec. 3, 12 7:23 PM

The PLO still has the destruction if Israel in it's charter. The 1993 declaration was just that, a declaration, but the PLO never changed it's charter to remove the part that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel. Furthermore, when Arafat inked the peace deal with Israel that called for the Palestinians to stop attacking Israel he then got on a plane and flew back to Gaza. He got off the plane and on the tarmac gave a speech calling for a new intifada and calling for more suicide bombers. Get real, Israel? Get real yourself. Israelis have been living with wars of aggression against them by their neighbors, artillery attacks by their neighbors, mortar and rocket attacks on their civilians by their neighbors, suicide bombings aimed at civilians by their neighbors for 60 years. Ever since the UN created the legitimate state of Israel. It's not Israel's fault that their neighbors, including Palestine, rejected the UN resolution that called for a two state solution and created the nations of Israel and Palestine. It's not Israel's fault that these neighbors launched 3 illegal wars of aggression against Israel. But, I guess you can say that it's Israel's fault that Israel was successful in defending itself. But I guess this guy would prefer that the Jews should have just walked peacefully into the line of fire like they went to the gas chambers under Hitler. Then we could all mourn the Jews and feel bad about it, but we could still cozy up to the Arabs and their oil.

aarghmebuckoDec. 3, 12 7:54 PM

I knew two kids on the bus back in grade school. Both hated each other. Both were jerks to the other kids, but still, they each tried to get the other kids to rally to their side so they could pound the other kid. The normal kids spent a lot of energy trying to keep these two kids from fighting. Eventually we gave up, they fought, we watched, feeling guilty. A lady drove by and yelled at the bigger kids for letting the fight happen. So the bigger kids pulled kid1 off of the kid2. Kid2 then got up and started wailing on kid1 since we were still restraining him. So we let him go and walked away. Probably not the right thing to do. But they didn't kill each other, and they eventually grew up and became productive adults.

crystalbayDec. 3, 12 9:17 PM

In no way can I support Israel's provocative behavior toward Palestine. Keeping this people living in apartheid conditions, choking off its resources, and encroaching further and further into its territories in no way portrays a desire for peace. Assassinating 9 Hamas leaders, then looping the video of this event over & over on Israeli TV was seeding an escalation of rockets being fired into Israel. Now, the UN votes to give Palestine an "observer" status - a necessary step toward a two-state solution - and Israel retaliates by announcing it's going to build even more settlements. I'm sorry, but this is not how I want my tax dollars to be spent - entitling one nation to bully another. Netanyahu and his right wing ideologues would be no where without US billions and what they're doing with our money is unconscionable. They escalate behavior which incites Arab hatred and when there is retaliation, they scream "We're only defending ourselves!!" They're causing the very actions which require defense and I'm sick of it. Israel is no innocent bystander.

barefootpaulDec. 3, 12 9:35 PM

I like the way the author pointed out some Palestinian faults near the end of the article. Anyone who puts all the blame on only one side of this conflict leaves no chance for a peaceful settlement. Unfortunately that includes far too many of those responsible for the negotians.

gardengurlDec. 4, 12 7:26 AM

The author has framed this very well and in doing so has pointed out the obvious, that Netanyahu has no interest in working toward peace in the region.

owatonnabillDec. 4, 12 7:44 AM

"In no way can I support Israel's provocative behavior toward Palestine." .............. It is not Israel that is raining rockets down on Palestine. Nor are Israeli terrorists strapping bombs to their bodies and blowing up Palestinian buses. Anyone not in love with their own prejudices can see clearly that the "provocation" does not move from Tel Aviv to Gaza but in fact in the other direction. The Palestinians are, and have been ever since the inception of the concept of "Palestine", nothing but shills for the powers in the area that do not have the guts to challenge Israel directly, but instead arm and incite the Palestinians to do it for them. In fighting the Palestinians, Israel is in actuality fighting Teheran, Damascus and Cairo. "Provocative" acts on the part of Palestine? Let's get real. There is definitely provocation but it merely flows through Palestine, it is not generated there. Israel knows who they are fighting, and are acting in the only rational way possible, short of all-out war, to keep the threat at bay.

mcjoe1Dec. 4, 1210:21 AM

I can't build anything in my neighbor's property that crosses our property line. I don't know why Israel doesn't get it. I'm pretty sure all the Pro-Israeli folks would suddenly become furious if Mexico started to build in parts of San Diego and mark it as part of Mexico.

hobie2Dec. 4, 1211:18 AM

A well put article... until the Israeli government stops the parsing, pandering, lying, and theft, they will continue to lose world Jewish support. They are an embarrassment to the Jewish people, and to civilization.

dahutysDec. 4, 1212:13 PM

A few years ago, I read an article by a loyalist official in Northern Ireland. He pointed out the similarities between Catholic/Protestant war there, and Israeli/Palestinian war. He discussed how the British government had negotiated with the IRA, and stuck to the negotiations even when fringe IRA members tried to derail the peace process, and how that had transformed Northern Ireland and eroded almost all public support for the IRA. He then pointed out how Israel is doing exactly the opposite of what Britain did, and said that it leads him to believe the Israeli government does not WANT peace....that they WANT to see Israeli citizens regularly blown up by terrorists because that helps keep them in power. The more I look at the actions of the Israeli government, the more convinced I become that he was right.

gadams500Dec. 4, 12 1:09 PM

I watched the coverage of the recent "war" between these two parties and then watched them both celebrate their "victories". Only thing I could conclude is both sides are idiots and barbarions with isreal probably the bigger idiot.


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