By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | If the Israeli-Palestinian peace was easily obtained, it would have been done long ago. But it’s complicated. There will be no peace until the Palestinians have a reputable, unified governing party and Israel has a moderate government. Neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis are currently ready for peace in that neither side has met these criteria.
Gaza is controlled by Hamas, a radical terrorist group elected by Gaza residents. Since its founding, Hamas has been openly dedicated to killing all Israeli Jews, as shown by the massacre which started this latest war. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put together a fractious right-wing governing coalition, including extremists wanting a single state with inequality for Palestinians.
So, there are major problems on both sides. However, no one should confuse the underlying Israeli Palestinian problem with the bloody, inhumane terrorism by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Hamas attacked peaceful Israeli citizens, murdering 1,200 of them and injuring another 4,600. Children were burned alive. Women were raped and tortured. Elderly men decapitated. This act began the current war.
Still, 15 Democrat House Representatives refused to vote in favor of a resolution supporting Israel and condemning Hamas’s savage unilateral massacre. These pro-Palestinian propagandists included the Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, head of the Progressive Caucus.
All the Democrats not supporting the resolution were all people of color. As someone who started his career in civil rights…and remains a strong DEI advocate, I find this disturbing. These representatives do not understand the history of Israel or the underlying nature of the conflict. They view Israel as a U.S. civil rights issue, white people taking land from people of color, treating them unequally. Although there are some Israeli bigots, this pro-Palestinian is simplistic,
Israel is a Jewish state designed to be a refuge for persecuted Jews. Similarly, Saudi Arabia is a Muslim state.
Yes, European Ashkenazi Jews, fleeing persecution in Europe, were a force in the creation of Israel. But Mizrachi/Sephardic Jews, racially indistinguishable from Arab Muslims, were in the Middle East throughout recorded human history. These Mizrachi/Sephardic Jews were treated as second class citizens by the Muslims controlling Middle Eastern states.
Decades ago, most Israelis believed it was possible to have a peaceful Palestinian state co-existing side by side with Israel. At the 2000 Camp David Summit, President Bill Clinton proposed this to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. Barak accepted, but Arafat refused and started the Second Intifada.
Disturbingly, the number of Israelis believing in a Palestinian state had fallen to 35 percent even before the attack. Because of Hamas inhumanity and Palestinian Authority corruption on the West Bank, 70 percent of Israelis now want sovereignty over Gaza and the West Bank. I believe Israeli public opinion will only change if a path to peace is clear.
When Hamas is removed and the Arab states form a reputable Palestinian government, only then will a moderate Israeli government be elected and a two-state solution be enacted. If Hamas stays in power, there will be no end to bloody conflict.
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