New Faces, Same Problem

It was reported today (Sharon Cuts Ties With Abbas Over Violence) that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has cut ties with the newly elected Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas until Abbas proves that he is serious about ending Palestinian terror attacks. On Thursday, six Israelis were killed in a terrorist attack committed by members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades which is closely tied with Abbas’ ruling Fatah Party.

Abbas has said that he will not crack down on the militants like Israel wants, but rather he will seek to negotiate with them to end the attacks. Abbas has also said that he is upset that Israel has taken such a drastic move before he has had a chance to work things out. Many Arab leaders are saying that Israel must be more patient with Abbas.

More patient? Israel has suffered these attacks for the last four years. The Palestinian authority has done nothing to stop them. At one point, suicide bombers were killing innocents on a daily basis. The only thing that has stopped the tide of terrorist attacks was the building of the security wall. Israel’s foes say that wall should be torn down, that it is another Berlin Wall. But Israel has no other choice. Israel cannot stand by while her people are being murdered every day. If the Palestinians aren’t going to do anything to stop the violence, then the Israelis will have to do something. While the wall is not the ideal solution, it is the only one available to Israel at the moment.

Let’s also look at this, while the Palestinian militants believe they are fighting for a Palestinian state, real progress toward such a state is being made by none other than Israel. It is Israel that has decided unilaterally to move out of Gaza and the West Bank. The Israeli plan here is to move back to a position that gives the Palestinians some room and then establish borders that Israel can defend. Israel refuses to move completely out of the West Bank. Israeli leaders claim that doing so would leave Israel with “Auschwitz” borders. History has proven them right. Israel must have borders that she can defend. These borders may not be where the Palestinians want them, but they gave up their right to complain when they gave up peace in favor of terror.

Abbas and the Palestinians need to remember one thing. If they really want a Palestinian state along side Israel, they should remember that the closest they ever got to that was when they gave up terror as a tactic to achieve that dream. As long as they continue to employ terror, they will not get what they claim to seek. As soon as they stop the violence, Israel will stop retaliating and they can both sit down at the peace table and work out the details. The major issues have already been worked out. Israel has accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the Palestinians have supposedly accepted Israel’s right to exist. All that is left is to work out the borders. Granted, that’s yet another major hurdle, but it can and must be worked out at the peace table, not on the battlefield. The Israelis have already shown they would rather work the issue out at the peace table. But, if the Palestinians refuse to negotiate then the conflict will only be resolved by the complete and total annihilation of one side or the other. The Palestinians must know that if this is what they choose THEY will be on the losing side, not Israel. The United States will not, and should not, stand by and watch as a new Holocaust is ushered in.

The only way for the Palestinians to achieve their goal is to stop the terror. The ball is in their court. They hold the keys to their dream. They can no longer demand that Israel do something to move the peace process along. The Palestinian militants and leadership are the roadblocks to peace.

Sha-alu Shalom Yerushalayim
Psalm 122:6

–J.E. Heath
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