By Rocky Silverman, , Rocky Silverman
Dr. Baskin believes a fair peace between Palestinian Arabs and Israel is best achieved by arguing equality and the two-state solution (“Encountering peace: The bombs bursting in air,” April 15). However, when I read his articles, I notice that he focuses more on what Israel is doing wrong and what it must give up to make peace. The reality is that Palestinians in Gaza have voted Hamas in as their government. Hamas is much less interested in establishing a nation and a state and more interested in its Muslim aspirations to establish a caliphate. Palestinians want nothing to do with those pesky “colonial Jews” occupying their land, such that the present two-state solution is a metaphor for the obliteration of Israel by simply making Israel give up more land until it ceases to exist altogether.
Frankly, if the Palestinians wanted a Palestinian state living next to Israel, they would have agreed to one long ago. They were given that opportunity in 1926 with the British Mandate based on the 1922 League of Nations partition; in 1947 with the UN partition of Palestine; and finally with the Oslo Accord in 1993. They could have recognized Israel and its right to self-determination. And in turn they would have had a Palestine state.
In the latest round of agreements, each side would have to agree to the “Road Map” and the contingent 14 “reservations” sent to the Americans by the Israelis. These are viewed as “red lines beyond which Israel cannot and will not withdraw.” It is beyond this rebuttal to list them all, but needless to say terrorism is not tolerable and terrorist organizations are to be dismantled.
Dr. Baskin’s point of view is best stated as “Israel is the bad guy,” and were it not for its war-mongering and aggression, there would be peace. Never mind the “few scattered occasional rockets and mortars fired into Israel” and in the meantime, until there is peace in Palestinian hearts and minds regarding Jews and Israel, Dr. Baskin’s point of view miserably fails to persuade me that his plans for peace are appropriate, fair and even-handed.