In the next few days, we will be witnesses again to another round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians -- but what is the point of this discussion, any discussion, if negotiators at the table cannot deliver on their commitment? Is this not the situation with the Arabs?
I wrote about this in my latest Jewish Tribune column, on line at:
http://www.jewishtribune.ca/TribuneV2/index.php/201008313410/What-is-the-value-of-a-pact-without-any-commitment.html
Rabbi Ben Hecht
2 comments:
One of Hitler's henchman was alarmed when he signed the Munich Pact with Chamberlain
Hitler said: "Don't worry! It's a mere piece of paper.."
KT
RRW
This is a misundestanding based on a superficial assessment of the situation.
The peace talks are not meant to accomplish anything. They are meant to allow prime ministers, presidents and chief thugs to mingle, enjoy appetizers in different locales and hob nob for the press. And they know it even if onlookers don't.
Fact is that the Arabs in Yesh have it very well right now. Israel handles the really big security issues, they handle the local ones and they also have an environment in which their natural entrepaneurship, honed from living amongst Jews for so many decades, can be put to good use. The Yesh Arab economy is booming, buildings are going up, wealth is accumulating. The establishment of a state and the need to finally take responsibilty for themselves would ruin all this just as it did in 'Aza.
Therefore there will be the usual back and forth, demands for Israel to give everything for nothing and blame heaped on Israel when the talks fail. Same as the last time, and the time before, and the time before that. But since no one benefits from the situation changing on the ground, everyone wins.
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