I’m having a great time following the story of Jimmy Carter’s new book – Palestine Peace Not Apartheid. I haven’t read it yet, but I plan to. The part that amuses me is watching a beloved ex-President, Nobel Peace Prize winner, champion of the poor, try to barbecue a sacred cow without first stunning it.
Carter alleges in interviews that no American politician can risk criticizing Israel, and therefore no serious debate has ever occurred about the Middle East. Evidently the book contains pointed criticisms of Israeli policies. Carter claims his analysis is balanced, in the sense that he also finds nice Southern ways of calling the Palestinian leaders death-worshipping morons.
I can’t criticize the book itself because I haven’t read it. But I have been reading the reactions from pro-Israel groups, and they are humorously biased, thus supporting Carter’s view that the Middle East is immune from objective discussion. For example, I have learned from these negative book reviews that when Israel was formed, the Muslims who already lived there left of their own free will. I got the sense that they also taped their keys to their doors and perhaps baked cookies for the new settlers. So there’s no reason to feel bad for the Muslims because they were just doing what they wanted to do.
This got me thinking again about my own opinions on the Palestinian problem. People like to say it’s unsolvable because it’s so “complicated.” But to me it really boils down to one question: If Israel did everything that was asked of it (short eliminating itself), would its enemies stop trying to annihilate it?
As a rational person, you might be tempted to imagine yourself in the shoes of the Palestinians and say “of course!” Unfortunately, you are not in charge of the Palestinians. Hammas is. And their stated policy is the elimination of Israel. As long as that’s their written objective, Israel’s only sensible policy is to keep them so weakened they can’t raise a proper army. And while I feel that collective punishment in disguise is grotesque, how do you ask Israel to stop acting sensibly? And while Israel is at it, they might as well pick up some real estate too. What’s the worst thing that could happen – the Palestinians will get mad?
I do have some issues with American funding of Israel. As some of you readers have noted, American funds for Israel are mostly used to buy American goods. So it amounts to a tax break for some American industries, which I oppose on principle. My view on that topic has nothing to do with Israel per se.
My sympathy in this situation is with the victims on both sides. Most of them happen to be Palestinian. But there’s a strong case to be made that supporting the annihilation of Israel on religious grounds and dying in the process is the functional equivalent of suicide by stupidity. It’s hard to take that side.