Jew-hate prevents peace

Op-ed: Palestinians so consumed with Israel hate that they are willing to give up statehood dream

Dan Calic

Has the world gone upside down? Again and again we hear US President Barack Obama and numerous other leaders call on Israel to make sacrifices to help facilitate a two-state solution with the Palestinians. But aren't these leaders pressuring the wrong side?

For a long time, it seemed most people felt convincing Israel to accept a Palestinian state was the biggest obstacle to the two-state solution. However, Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, against the advice of many conservative thinkers, has stated he is willing to accept a Palestinian state. Problem solved right? Wrong.

Wrong, because the Palestinians, whom many assumed would jump at the chance to have their own state, are the ones preventing it from happening.

Indeed, there is one little detail which they will not accept. It is not the size of their potential state, nor is it an issue of boundaries. The problem is their refusal to recognize the other state - Israel.

For decades the Palestinians have been promoting their dignity, self-determination and statehood. Yet as much as they say they want all this, hatred for the Jewish state overrides having their own state. This was confirmed once again by a recent poll where 61% of Palestinians rejected a two-state solution.

Hatred of Israel and Jews is woven into the very fabric of Palestinian society. The Palestinians are so consumed with it that they are willing to give up having their own state, if it means accepting a Jewish state of Israel. Add in the unity government effort between Abbas' Fatah Party and terrorist group Hamas, and the situation becomes even bleaker.

Tiny Israel rejected

Israel is a tiny country and the only national homeland for the Jewish people. Arabs have 22 countries in the Middle East, covering more than five million square miles with a population of more than 300 million. Yet to allow a country the size of New Jersey to exist, as a home for some 6-7 million Jews, is apparently so repulsive to the Palestinians they are willing to give up their dream of statehood rather than accept a Jewish state as their neighbor.

And so, the time has come to stop mincing words about who is to blame for the lack of peace. When an entire population is willing to sacrifice its dream for no other reason than the desire to destroy its next-door neighbor it should suffer the consequences. Moreover, these consequences should send a strong message that such vitriolic behavior should not be tolerated.

If the Palestinians wish to be included among the civilized nations of the world, they have a responsibility to conduct themselves accordingly, especially when they are receiving massive financial aid and seeking global support for statehood.

Yet as long as world leaders continue to blame Israel for the ongoing stalemate, while turning a blind eye to the hateful agenda of the Palestinians, peace will never be achieved.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4193994,00.html