When I ask Artur to speak up now, about the violations by Syria of the agreement under which Israel ended the 2006 Lebanon War, in the Left wing fourms in which he is deeply involved, he respondes: From the standpoint of the Syrian govt, the continued occupation of the Golan by Israel is a continuing provocation, as it would be to the US if China were occupying Hawaii.
We have an opportunity RIGHT NOW for a Middle East peace conference that could conclude a full peace treaty between all Arab states and Israel and a new West Bank/ Gaza/ East Jerusalem Palestinian state. The Taba agreement and the Geneva Initiative could be turned into reality. It is the chance of five Zionist lifetimes. I have been urging negotiations using these proposals as jumping-off place. What are YOU doing to get the Israeli govt to take this with utter seriousness and negotiate with the Arab League?
OK I say: , now let me try and understand this.
You (the Arab world, The Left etc) criticize Israel intensely reject its statements and in effect invalidate its actions, because Israel withdrew unilaterally from Lebanon and Gaza This lack of negotiations is very distubing to you. While you do the opposite with the Arabs, you hold what they say as being important and ignore what they do. This is more than just a double standard, its intellectually dishonest!
NOW after Israel undertakes a withdrawal after negotiations, you are willing to justify the violation of the results of those negotiations, over an issue that was not even part of the negotiations, correct?
So I must ask again, whats the purpose of negotiations?
You are justifying the intrusion of Syria into Lebanese life, allowing/encouraging Syria to fight to the last Lebanese. You seem willing to see Israeli civilians & military personal, living and working inside the borders recognized by the UNSC as delineating a sovereign state be subject to random attempts to kill and maim them, on the basis of an issue that was not a topic of the negotiations that brought Israel out of Lebanon in ‘06, leaving Lebanese citizens to acquire and use rockets against Israel’s civilian population.
Then you complain when Israel hesitates to trust the international community and does not jump at the opportunity to enter into negotiation’s or completely fulfill their negotiated obligations.
A receint item in the press:
“Hizbullah has the ability to launch rockets against any point in Israel, the organization’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah said on Sunday.
He told Al Jazeera that Hizbullah had the capability to strike every part of Israel during last summer’s war, and retains that capability.
“Even in the months of July and August 2006 there was not one place in occupied Palestine that we could not reach, every point and every corner,” Nasrallah was quoted as saying. “I stress that we can do this today as well.”
The full interview is due to be broadcast by the Qatari-based satellite television on Monday.
Meanwhile, Hizbullah guerrillas have moved most of their rockets in south Lebanon among civilians in villages, an apparent attempt to avoid detection by Israel and UN troops,”
AP July 22 ‘07
…and all this is OK because (you seem to be saying) Israel retains control of the Golan?
Nasrallah did not mention the Golan even once in all his years of threatening Israel.
in stead he declares that he is: “virulently opposed to recognizing the legitimacy of Israel, terming the country a “cancerous entity” of “ultimate evil” whose “annihilation … is a definite matter.” NOTICE no mention of the Golan So what is it that you are supporting? According to Nasrallah, Jews anywhere are legitimate targets. In fact, Nasarallah has said:
If they (Jews) all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide. (Daily Star, Oct. 23, 2002)
Now theres a real Zionist sentiment if I ever heard one…
I do not support the Arab League/Saudi initiative because I although I hear plenty of words, I see no actions which would lead me to believe that they have changed their basic opposition to a Jewish state in the middle of their world. In fact what I see are constant changes in their proposal and demands. Then theres the good old system of non-responsibility. And you know of course that Iran is not a part of whatever agreement the Arabs make with Israel. There is no reason to believe that either Hamas or Hizbullah would consider themselves obligated either.
And I now also understand that no matter what, even you will find Israel at fault and condone violence against her, withdrawal or no withdrawal, with or without negations.And believe me, if China or anybody else was attacking the US or even just Philadelphia from anywhere both you and the US would expect some action.
By the Way. The quote of the day: Shiite scholar Amal Saad-Ghorayeb analyzed the anti-Jewish roots of Hezbollah ideology in her book Hezbollah: Politics & Religion. In it, she quotes Hassan Nasrallah describing his antipathy toward Jews:If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli. (New Yorker, Oct. 14, 2002)(Emphasis mine)
