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State of Mind

PA President Abbas with US envoy Mitchell Photo: AFP

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Why should they get a state?



Modern Palestinian demand for state stems from anti-Semitic desire to harass Jews

Hagai Segal



Our independence celebrations this year will be held against the backdrop of the upcoming Palestinian independence. We are the only state in the world excited ahead of the establishment of an enemy state. Some groups around here are already planning huge parties. To our new government’s credit, it’s not taking part in the celebrations. As opposed to the previous government, it does not show religious longing to the 1967 borders. However, it’s making life easy for itself by focusing on reciting the security risks posed to us by the Mitchell plan: A second Hamastan, Qassam rocket attacks on central Israel, the right of return, etc. To our new government’s credit, it’s not taking part in the celebrations. As opposed to the previous government, it does not show religious longing to the 1967 borders. However, it’s making life easy for itself by focusing on reciting the security risks posed to us by the Mitchell plan: A second Hamastan, Qassam rocket attacks on central Israel, the right of return, etc. Netanyahu and his people are in fact admitting that the Palestinians deserve a state, but they claim that it won’t be safe enough to have one, and therefore it cannot be established now; perhaps we can do it later. Netanyahu and his people are in fact admitting that the Palestinians deserve a state, but they claim that it won’t be safe enough to have one, and therefore it cannot be established now; perhaps we can do it later. It appears that even the most right-wing Likudniks ran out of the courage to question the basic assumptions entrenched here by the Left. Only 30-40 years ago, we were arguing whether there’s even such thing as a Palestinian people, and today there are almost no reservations over its demand for complete sovereignty. Its sophisticated PR agents managed to bring it into the family of nations via a fast tracked registration procedure. As opposed to what is customarily required, it was not required to present documents that prove longtime existence, cultural uniqueness, and previous experience in running a country. It appears that even the most right-wing Likudniks ran out of the courage to question the basic assumptions entrenched here by the Left. Only 30-40 years ago, we were arguing whether there’s even such thing as a Palestinian people, and today there are almost no reservations over its demand for complete sovereignty. Its sophisticated PR agents managed to bring it into the family of nations via a fast tracked registration procedure. As opposed to what is customarily required, it was not required to present documents that prove longtime existence, cultural uniqueness, and previous experience in running a country. Yeshayahu Leibowitz once ruled that even a kitchen table is allowed to present itself as a people, and the Palestinians jumped on the bandwagon of this simplistic criterion. However, even Leibowitz refrained from arguing that every fresh nation immediately deserves a state. After all, earth is too small to contain all the different desires for sovereignty of the people who live here. Yeshayahu Leibowitz once ruled that even a kitchen table is allowed to present itself as a people, and the Palestinians jumped on the bandwagon of this simplistic criterion. However, even Leibowitz refrained from arguing that every fresh nation immediately deserves a state. After all, earth is too small to contain all the different desires for sovereignty of the people who live here. Anti-Semitic trick The Kurds, for example, a people boasting a rich history and numbering 25 million souls, are forced to get by without a state of their own. The Basques, Catalonians, Corsicans, and Scots also have no state. Even the Native Americans, Flemish, the Copts and the Maronites have no state. Therefore, it is quite odd that it is precisely the absence of a Palestinian state that preoccupies the international community and the Israeli consciousness. The Kurds, for example, a people boasting a rich history and numbering 25 million souls, are forced to get by without a state of their own. The Basques, Catalonians, Corsicans, and Scots also have no state. Even the Native Americans, Flemish, the Copts and the Maronites have no state. Therefore, it is quite odd that it is precisely the absence of a Palestinian state that preoccupies the international community and the Israeli consciousness. But in fact, it’s not so odd. The demand for the establishment of a Palestinian state, speaking of the recent Durban II conference, is another type of anti-Semitic trick against us. With all the giant states in the Middle East, it is the Jewish State that is required to share with the Palestinians the little territory that we have. Instead of our neighboring countries crowding a little more in favor of their repressed brethren, we are the only ones required to make do with less territory. But in fact, it’s not so odd. The demand for the establishment of a Palestinian state, speaking of the recent Durban II conference, is another type of anti-Semitic trick against us. With all the giant states in the Middle East, it is the Jewish State that is required to share with the Palestinians the little territory that we have. Instead of our neighboring countries crowding a little more in favor of their repressed brethren, we are the only ones required to make do with less territory. All the archeological and biblical findings prove that we were here much before them, yet the contemporary narrative insists on equality of historical rights between us. All the archeological and biblical findings prove that we were here much before them, yet the contemporary narrative insists on equality of historical rights between us. Their modern demand for independence stems from a desire to harass us. Should Obama suddenly proposes not to have any state here – neither ours nor theirs – they may be sympathetic to the idea. Try it and you’ll see. Their modern demand for independence stems from a desire to harass us. Should Obama suddenly proposes not to have any state here – neither ours nor theirs – they may be sympathetic to the idea. Try it and you’ll see.





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