Symposium: How To Deal With “The Deal of The Century”? – November 2018
Revelation of President Trump’s still under-wraps “Deal of the Century” to resolve the Arab-Jewish conflict over Palestine is around-the-corner. What should Israel and its supporters do now, and when it comes out, for the Jewish homeland of Israel?
by Stephen Crane (November 2018)
Jews require a safe homeland. That is one raison d’être of Israel and a lynchpin of any grand ideas for the region. Some would disagree with that notion. The likes of Iran with its puppets like Hamas; anti-Semites around the world; haters from the left like Farrakhan with Ellison; jihadists; remnants of KKK; Nazis and professional anti-Israel agitators like Abbas (now in the 14th year of a four-year term and very wealthy from the proceeds of his tyranny). This is not a new problem; recall the pharaoh of ancient Egypt, the ancient Assyrian empire, the Inquisition, and all others who have demonized the Jews or attempted to eliminate them and their homeland.
That is precisely why Jews require a homeland. That is precisely why land for peace is a catastrophic illusion. That is precisely why Jews crossed the Jordan River over 3000 years ago to found the State of Israel. That is precisely why all their contributions to world civilization have not protected Jews or Israel. That is precisely why the sacred sites of Judaism and Christianity must be protected by the State of Israel. That is precisely why those gifts to civilization are continually in jeopardy and need preservation in their home Israel.
Jews, their ideals, religion, and homes have been under genocidal attack for millennia.
Some politicians have suggested “a deal of the century” might be in the offing. So what might such a deal look like for Israel? The first thing to recognize is that a deal of the century is a short-term temporary concept for a people founded 4000 years ago at the time of Abraham that has had some of its population continuously living in its homeland, Israel, for 3500 years or more.
The most important sine qua non for delving into the politics of Israel’s neighborhood is the concept of “peace for peace.” A desire for peace from all involved parties together with sincere efforts for peace will surely result in peace. No amounts of land, love, money, celebrity advice, media hype, suicide killings, or school instruction to hate can replace a long history of co-existence and cooperation. A future of co-existence is not currently apparent.
However, addressing the problems preventing peace and working towards a civil society should nevertheless be pursued relentlessly. Let’s look at areas to concentrate on.
Iran constitutes the largest danger to the entire Mideast. Its unbridled sponsorship of terrorism and war seems to indicate the need to restrain the leadership, stop its foreign abuses, and change its course. This is a subject in itself and not a new one.
Though Arab-Israel/Islamic-Judaic relations have blown hot and cold over the centuries, certain Arab countries have vastly improved relations with Israel, thus creating the most positive movement of this century so far and will hopefully continue.
The concept of radical jihad has injected a toxic amount of murder, slavery, and general mayhem not only in the Mideast and Africa but across the globe, and, astonishingly, not been roundly criticized and combated. The periods of harmony between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism should be resurrected.
Oppressive regimes in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria (a.k.a. Gaza and West Bank) constitute the flashpoint of the problem. Their professional warlords take money from numerous sources. Some of these sources mean to help those who live in what are called camps. Others, notably Iran, send money to the warlords to attack both Israel and certain Arabs who dare criticize. Immediate proposals in this situation are premature. We witness children raised to strap suicide bombs to their bodies, death to those who cooperate with non-Muslims, and hysterical war rhetoric daily. Let’s experience cooperation for a few generations and then solutions will be more apparent.
Events in the future should never ever give rise to the following recent headlines:
Palestinian Leader Swears ‘By Allah’ to Keep Paying for Terrorism: ‘Pay to Slay’ Tops Agenda
Palestinians Training Kids to be Suicide Bombers
Your Complete Guide to Hamas’ Network of Terror Tunnels
While Gazans Suffer in Poverty, Leaders of Hamas Live in Luxury
United Nations’ Agency textbooks for “Palestinian” children praise terrorism
EU’s astonishing free pass for Palestinian terrorism
Captured Rioters: Iran Paying Hamas for Violence, Terrorism, at Gaza Border Fence
France gave ‘sensitive’ intel to Palestinians during Second Intifada
Arafat’s Billions
An unfortunate group of Arab people has been shuttled into camps and been designated as refugees. They come from various circumstances including grandchildren of escapees from the 1948 Israel war to defend independence, and also dangerous situations in neighboring Arab states. This problem contrasts with the resettlement of WWII displaced persons and of Jews evicted from Arab countries, all of whom have new homelands. Originally Palestinian Arabs were to have what is now called Jordan, and Palestinian Jews were to have Israel. For all these years, no nation has come forward to accept displaced Arabs, and so the problem festers and the population increases. Instead of receiving help, these people have been and continue to be abused. Their leaders are corrupt multi-millionaire overloads. Enablers like the UN and well-meaning countries donate money that in large part ends up financing weapons, terrorism, schools of hate, and political ambitions of area demagogues. Displaced people can easily be given homes and bright futures if a few dozen countries that profess sympathy would accept them rather than contribute financially to the problems. For starters, the following nations immediately come to mind — Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, France, Greece, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. If these nations stepped up, others would be encouraged to follow.
Stephen Crane began serious writing at the University of Pennsylvania, a craft he continued while pursuing a business career. He has written several books, including Jewish German Revolution: Saving Civilization in 400, and then formed a small publishing company. His memberships and involvements include several Israel organizations, co-founding factsonisrael.com and charter schools.