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Dec. 27, 2006 21:48 | Updated Dec. 27, 2006 22:25
“Drop this cherished illusion,” by YOSEF (TOMMY) LAPID, www.opinion.JPost.com

Does anyone really think it is possible to reach a settlement with the Palestinians that will guarantee peace between us?

I can understand that there are those who believe it may be possible to reach a settlement. And I can understand that there are those who hope it is possible to reach a settlement. But does anyone really think it is possible to make peace with the Palestinians - I mean, really think so?

How can one not see the rift among them, their inability to administer their own lives, Fatah’s helplessness, Hamas’s abysmal hatred, the murderousness of the popular resistance organizations, the destructive influence of radical Islam, the interference of Iran and the belief - so deeply rooted in almost every Arab heart - that, sooner or later, Israel will disappear off the map?

How can anyone see all that and still think there is a chance for a peace settlement? Or that all the different Palestinian factions, so hostile not only to us but to each other, will somehow find a way to cooperate in order to reach a settlement with Israel?

EVEN IF Israel agreed to withdraw to the 1967 borders (and it doesn’t); even if Israel agreed to allow the refugees to return to Israel within the 1967 borders (and it doesn’t); would Hamas ever recognize the right of a Jewish state to exist in the heart of the Muslim Middle East?

After all, Hamas’s entire raison d’etre is founded on its refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist. Its members would sooner convert to Judaism than relinquish that principle.

True, anything is possible. But not in the foreseeable future. Not in this generation. And if not the Palestinians, then radical Islam will make sure there is no peace agreement with Israel.

Iran on one side and al-Qaida on the other are threatening not only Israel, but the regimes in Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as well. Israel isn’t even their first target, it is their last.

WHAT SHOULD we conclude from all this? That the time has come to emigrate from Israel? Maybe give in to the Arabs’ demands? Perhaps put an end to the Zionist enterprise and close up shop?

Never. Israel will continue to exist and flourish, as it has existed and flourished since the establishment of the state, thanks, among other reasons, to the Arab boycott, which forced it to export computer software to America and Europe instead of making plastic toys for the market in Damascus. (Did any of us ever imagine that the shekel might one day become stronger than the dollar, or that we would export more than we import?)

Yet, while the leaders of the Islamic countries have not accepted Israel’s existence in principle, they have accepted it in fact - and only because they know they cannot wipe Israel off the map without themselves being wiped off as well. And that, rather than any pie-in-the-sky, illusory hope for the brotherhood of nations, is the basis for the relationship between us. In the entire Muslim world, numbering over a billion people, one would be hard-pressed to find even a dozen willing to stand up and justify Israel’s existence.

THIS DOES not mean we should forget about striving for peace. We must behave as if we believed that it was possible to achieve a peace settlement. Why? Because if we do not strive for peace, the result will be war. And we do not want war. But even as we strive for peace, even if we follow the road map, we mustn’t delude ourselves. We won’t arrive at peace, not here.

It may be possible, nevertheless, to reach a modus vivendi, a balance of terror and a balance of mutual interests that will enable us to lead our lives more or less normally. And not just for a year or two, but for generations.

If we foster no illusions, we won’t be disappointed.

The writer is a former Knesset member.

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Nevertheless, the Boston Globe of had an article by the Israeli Consul General in Boston, Nadav Tamir, who probably proposes the official Israeli point of view on the subject. He sees as hope a political silver lining in the clouds.

“A moment of truth in the Middle East,” by Nadav Tamir, The Boston Globe, December 28, 2006.

A DRAMATIC realignment of new alliances is being forged in the Middle East. Set against the backdrop of bourgeoning extremism, it is imperative to infuse hope, and identify the moderate forces seeking to cultivate peace and stability in the region.

“Historically, conflict in the Middle East was defined by the struggle between Israel and the Arab world. Today, a new conflict has emerged between pragmatic moderates and fanatical extremists. In this new conflict, Israel finds itself on the same side as the moderate Arab community. Both support the implementation of a two-state solution to resolve the ongoing issues surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Moderate Arabs also call for the renunciation of terrorism, and progression toward modernity and enlightenment,” he thinks  SustainabiliTank.info comment).
On the other side of the divide stands an alliance of strong forces. Iran has proven to be a leader in promoting chaos and terrorism and exporting Islamic extremism throughout the Middle East. Syria cultivates an alliance of convenience with Iran in a desperate attempt to divert attention from its brutal machinations in Lebanon. Consequently, both Iran and Syria support Hezbollah, Hamas, and other Palestinian terrorist organizations as proxies in Lebanon and in the Palestinian territories.

In the wake of the war between Hezbollah and Israel, moderates in the Arab and Muslim world are beginning to grasp the danger of supporting these extremists. In Lebanon, the “new order” government is making an effort to exercise its sovereignty to ensure Lebanon is governed by the interests of the Lebanese, rather than the ambitions of the Syrians and the Iranians.

The Seniora government is courageously attempting to establish accountability for the political assassination of moderate Lebanese leaders, and is trying to suppress the armed militias of Hezbollah. Prime Minister Fouad Seniora recognizes that Hezbollah is responsible for the intense suffering of many Lebanese people through their unprovoked attack on Israel last summer.

In the Palestinian Authority, it is evident that Mahmoud Abbas is working to compel the Hamas-led government to accept Israel’s right to exist, to renounce terrorism, and to accept previous agreements. Abbas understands the Palestinian right to self-determination is contingent upon the cessation of terrorism.
In the Arab world, there is a discernible fear of fundamentalism in moderate regimes, including Jordan, Egypt, the Gulf, and the Maghreb states. These nations are wary of Iranian ambitions and the dangers of a destabilizing extremist alliance.

In several recent meetings with Palestinian moderates, Israeli officials reiterated and fleshed out the message delivered Nov. 27 by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in his speech at Sde Boker. In this speech, Olmert described Israel’s intentions to make significant compromises in order to achieve the mutual goal of an independent and viable Palestinian state. Olmert said that progress will be achieved once the Palestinians both cease terrorism and violence against Israel, and recognize Israel’s right to live peacefully and securely.
Olmert intends to empower moderates who can exert their influence over the future of the Middle East. He is sending a clear message that the Israeli-Palestinian equation is not necessarily a zero-sum game. Instead, there is a beacon of hope and a political horizon for those who will stand against extremism.
The challenge for Israel and for the international community is to differentiate between moderate factions that seek peace and extremist factions that seek destruction. It is essential to empower the moderates and to unite against the extremists. The international community must continue to stand together, and demand from Hamas the renunciation of terrorism, recognition of Israel’s right to exist, and acceptance of previous agreements made by past Palestinian leaders.

It is equally important to implement and enforce UN Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 1559, which support Seniora’s attempt to exercise its sovereignty over Lebanon. Lastly, it is vital that the international community act against Iran’s nuclear ambitions and cut the support from Syria and Iran to terror organizations in the region.
Nadav Tamir serves as consul general of Israel to New England at the Consulate General of Israel located in Boston.