In any dispute, you look at the facts
In a recent Jerusalem Post op-ed, Jason Greenblatt was correct to assert that – contrary to the stance of mistaken UAE officials – the region of Judea and Samaria is in fact “not Palestinian land […][but, rather,] land that is disputed.”
Unfortunately, Greenblatt – perhaps in playing the role of an optimistic seasoned diplomat – continues to exaggerate the likelihood of the Palestinian Authority “[getting] their house in order.” Until a true reformation of deeply ingrained practices on the part of Palestinian leadership, peace with Israel and with the Western world as a whole remains elusive.
The current hostility embroils the entire system spanning more than a century. As laid out brilliantly in Palestine Betrayed by Efraim Karsh, most of the local Arabs in the early days of the 20th century yearned to live and thrive in peaceful coexistence with the evolving Jewish national enterprise. Sadly, the corrupt and extremist Arab leadership conspired to eliminate the Jewish national revival and protect its own narrow interests, leading to a breakdown in relations between the Jewish and Arab communities.
One of the most notable of the intellectually honest historians and political scientists, Dr. Mordechai Kedar, explains the mind of the Arab elite quite eloquently: “The existence of a living Jewish people in a functioning Jewish state threatens the very raison d’être of Islam, which came into being to render Judaism obsolete. For that reason, the Arab and Muslim leadership will never accept Israel as the Jewish state.”
This hostility to the very idea of Jewish people living in any functioning Jewish state remains the reason the reality on the ground has not changed.
For this reason, the PA continues its sickening “pay-for-slay” program, its horrifically antisemitic educational programs, and its government-condoned hateful clerical sermons to the masses.
The same is true of the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza, which remains preoccupied with building terrorist tunnels and launching rockets into Israeli civilian centers across the border. In the north, Hezbollah prepares to rain hell on Israel; and to the east, Jordan – armed with US weapons systems as a “critical ally to the US in the region” – seems to be on the verge of tearing its “peace” treaty with Israel to shreds.
Greenblatt correctly asserts that a negotiated settlement between all interested parties is the only way to resolve any regional conflict. However, so long as those who control the Arab side of the negotiations persist with the mindset that Israel is a “nakba” and that a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria is just a first step in expunging Jews from “the River to the Sea,” the regional conflict will continue. How can Israel reach an agreement with a party whose ultimate aim remains complete elimination of its negotiating rival?
LOOK AT the facts. No other nation has a stronger case to the Land of Israel than the Jewish people. An objective review of the stack of historical and archaeological evidence declares that Judea and Samaria, the Golan Heights and the entire Land of Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people – with Jerusalem as its capital. The Palestinian claims fail scrutiny, in contrast. The debate over Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is not an issue of disputed territory; rather, it’s a humanitarian crisis forced on the Israeli and local Arabs populace by the greater Arab and international community.
President Donald Trump, in his unique style, broke all conventional wisdom and made significant strides in resolving the conflict. This includes his courageous decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem; recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel; and reexamining the facts on the ground. In so doing, he brilliantly placed the Palestinian leadership, for the first time, in the hot seat.
But that does not mean that the Palestinians are getting the message. In fact, they seem rather content to sit this one out until the next US administration. The State Department and White House officials should not be baffled by Palestinian chutzpah. The Palestinians and regional Arab nations have long taken advantage of US generosity and ignorance. If the United States cares about promoting policies that are based in traditional values, it should refer to an article published by my grandfather in December 1995 (OMTM Are the Arabs Mishpocha?): “Israeli policy should be shaped according to Israel’s genuine security needs and Judaism’s teachings about the significance and centrality of the Land of Israel. Decisions should not be based on historically inaccurate slogans about cousins and sons of Abraham.”
Twenty-five years later, we find ourselves with yet another “Deal of the Century.” Some of our leaders clamor over this latest proposal as “the best deal we’re gonna get.” As Jews, who are indeed the sons of Abraham, we should not be bashful calling things for what they are. The facts buttress the Israel’s claim on Judea and Samaria. Israel’s right to assert sovereignty over the heart of the homeland of the Jewish people is grounded in international law, historical evidence, and present reality. Once we champion the cause of our own extended family, perhaps the world will embrace the justness of our cause as well. If we are not for ourselves, who will be for us?