The Palestinian Two Step And Their Two Left Footed Partners

As the Israelis pull out of Gaza and portions of the West Bank, pundits across the political spectrum are examining and calling for a continued 'even handedness' as the process continues. What that really means is that demands on Israel and further concessions can be expected, while demands of even the most rudimentary civil order and behavior from the Palestinians will be swept aside.

Let's examine that.

Israel is the only free country in a region where tyranny and violence are a way of life. Honor killings, FGM and other horrors take a back seat to the terror imposed by despots of dressed up in every possible stripe- religious, monarchical and that of the good old fashioned tyrant.

Neither the Palestinians or Arabs of other countries are moral equals to the Israelis.

Every Israeli, Muslim, Jewish and Christian, gets a vote. There are political parties of all kinds, based on all sorts of political and religious ideologies. Israelis are free to criticize their government- without fear of getting shot and they have a free press that is second to none.

There are Arabs of every political persuasion, attempting to legitimize an untenable position. Those very notions cross from humorous to the obscene. If they were really concerned about human rights and justice, they would be well advised to clean up their own house- and adopt the type of free society that characterizes the free and democratic state of Israel.

Israel has been at war since the day of her inception as a free and independent state- sanctioned and partitioned by the United Nations, by way of a vote taken in the General Assembly. Israel is as legitimate a state as any other on the face of the planet. In fact, one might argue she is more legitimate, because she did not come as the result of direct conflict- as are most countries on the planet, but rather, because her status as a state was voted upon and secured by the majority of nations.

In fact, as we have noted, since 1948, Israel has fought 5 wars, all brought to her doorstep. There are 22 Arab dictatorships, that in one form or another, have promised to bring Israel to her destruction.

Israel is not fighting wars predicated on political differences, territorial expansion or anything else. Israel is fighting wars predicated on the truth that most Arab countries want to see her destruction. If it were about politics, the Saudi preachers, for example, would not be claiming the Islamic 'right' to rape the women and children.

Israel has every right, the duty even, to protect herself and her citizens. She has every right to secure the borders she sees fit in fulfilling her obligations to her citizens. She is in no way morally obligated to return to borders that she deems as dangerous- more so when those demanding territorial concessions are also calling for her destruction. For her to give in to those pressures would be immoral. In fact, a strong argument can be made that Israel is morally obligated to react with more force, if that would ensure the safety of her citizens. Expecting Israel to be restrained because of potential civilian causalities would be like saying the Allies had no business bombing Germany because of civilian causalities- a ridiculous notion.

Israel has been subject to terror attacks for decades. School children and school buses have been blown up, restaurants and places of worship have been attacked. There have been suicide bombers, car bombers, plane hijackings and wheelchair bound Americans thrown off of cruise ships. While the Arab world celebrated with joy, the sanctity of the Olympics was violated in Germany, of all places, as Israeli athletes were murdered.

If that weren't enough, since Israel's inception, hundreds of thousands of Arabs have been killed in Lebanon, Jordan and elsewhere, having fought amongst themselves over who would oversee the murder of Jews.

It is about the murder of Jews, and nothing else. As we have noted:

To be sure, Israel, as a nation, is not above reproach. There are policies that deserve renunciation and reconsideration. Nevertheless, to single Israel out from the body of world nations that have for decades and longer have been far more repressive than Israel has ever been as an expression of 'anti-Zionism' is patently anti-Semitic. Indeed, it is incumbent upon free nations to criticize those policies they find offensive. Criticism is one thing. demonization is quite another...

Again, criticism of Israel is one thing- that is, a free exchange of ideas, a back and forth. There is none of that. There is simply a closing of doors and a cessation of communications. SC&A wonder why Israel is singled out for such treatment. What is it about Israel that is so special? Why is Israel treated so differently? Simply put, it is antisemitism. To point to Israel as the worst human rights offender in the world is laughable. There are tens of millions of women that have suffered FGM- and the world, for the most part, remains silent (SC&A wonder how quiet the world community would be if Jews were committing these atrocities).

We would be most impressed if the loudest voices criticizing Israel were to manage to find a way to discuss far more egregious outrages in the Muslim world. They are about as credible as two left footed dancers.

Here's another bit of pesky reality.

The Arab/Israeli dispute is about freedom- and nothing else. 'It is about peace- peace on our terms,' as one Johnny Taliban recently declared.

The Arab side is comprised of a philosophy that embodies dictatorships, terror and tribal wars and the subjugation of women.

The Israelis are defending a different philosophy. Their beliefs encompass free expression, the forces of reason, intellectual pursuits, commitments to equality and all those things that are synonymous with civilization.

It is that simple.

This battle is being fought in religious camouflage, hiding those truths. In fact, the Arab Israeli conflict is a moral battle between those who value the individual's right to be free and those who don't.

And that is why they hate America.