Commentary;
Voluminous documented cases exist of human experimentation performed during the holocaust. And we read, every so often in recent years, about other such experimentations as well as cases of illegal selling of human organs for experimentation, etc. But the repeated chutzpadik experimentation with Jewish lives; Olso, abandonment of south Lebanon, the expulsion from Gush Katif, etc. by successive Israeli regimes is visible for all with objective, non-brainwashed eyes to see.
Officials will no doubt claim that the process can be stopped at any time if it turns out that our confidence in Palestinian actions has been misplaced.
How many more times will corrupt regimes try to reassure the constituency through the use of such patently false, bogus “reassuring” terms such as “gradual”, or “taking risks” (denoting “decent chance of success”) or “confidence-building” or “stopping the process” if they’re “bad boys?” Any objective student of history not struck with Israeli short-term memory-loss or selective amnesia knows that once a paper is signed it is not reversed or abrogated by Israel, no matter how blatant or brutal the violations of the other party.
It is unacceptable for the Palestinians to demand, let alone for Olmert to offer, that Israel let its guard down first and see what happens. This would amount to experimenting with Israeli lives.
How many more Jews must die or be maimed; be korbonot for the comfortable regime — the Yudenrat who make concessions which endanger Jewish lives instead of doing what a responsible government does; defending it’s people by way of out-and-out defeating the enemy sworn to our destruction?
For related commentary, click: Another Tack: But for Arafat’s Grace, By Sarah Honig (Jerusalem Post) MB
An Experiment in Israeli Lives (Jerusalem Post)
Excerpts;
Yesterday, the cabinet approved a package of measures for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to take to the summit in Egypt today with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King Abdullah. The main item is the gradual release of Palestinian tax revenues held in escrow by Israel, once Abbas’s new government is deemed to have met the Quartet’s three conditions for receiving direct assistance.
Olmert is also expected to arrive at the meeting ready to discuss the lifting of IDF roadblocks in Judea and Samaria. As Olmert said yesterday to the cabinet, “We need to take risks, even though it’s not fun, otherwise we will be in a vicious circle [of no movement]… We’re strong enough to take gradual risks.”
The word “gradual” has a reassuring ring, as if Israeli concessions will be linked to Palestinian behavior. Officials will no doubt claim that the process can be stopped at any time if it turns out that our confidence in Palestinian actions has been misplaced.
“Risk” is really too nice a word for this strategy. It implies that there is a decent chance of success. In fact, the odds are the opposite: We know from years of bitter experience…”
But what does this approach – a road we have traveled down many times before – really mean? It assumes that Israel must risk the lives of its citizens for the dim hope that this time, the risk will pay off, rather than blow up in our faces.
“Risk” is really too nice a word for this strategy. It implies that there is a decent chance of success. In fact, the odds are the opposite: We know from years of bitter experience that lifting roadblocks, let alone reducing IDF actions, will produce the near-certain result of lethal terrorist attacks on Israelis. The IDF is reportedly objecting to these steps. Though it has been reported with some fanfare that Abbas is cracking down on Fatah’s terrorist arm, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades, our information is that so far, any move in this direction has been cosmetic. There is no evidence that Fatah’s battle with Hamas will translate into serious action to prevent terrorism.
Hamas has already shown a penchant for stepping up missile attacks against Israel precisely when it is battling Fatah, in an attempt to distract attention from this infighting. Fatah, for its part, has claimed, among other excuses, that its poor showing against Hamas was a result of being preoccupied with fighting Israel – a claim that does not augur well for the prospects of relying on Fatah to fight terrorism against Israel.
But shouldn’t Israel remain open to the possibility that an important corner has been turned and all this will now change? The answer is yes, but not by risking Israeli lives; rather, by being forthcoming in response to actual changes in Palestinian behavior.
It is unacceptable for the Palestinians to demand, let alone for Olmert to offer, that Israel let its guard down first and see what happens. This would amount to experimenting with Israeli lives.