Lieberman: 'Land for Peace' Will Lead to Certain Failure

"The assumption that the root of Israeli-Arab dispute is territorial," the report continues, "stems from the hope that an era of peace can finally be brought about via Israeli territorial concessions. This conception does not jibe with our accumulated experience, however... as can be seen from the two latest instances in which we ceded territory down to the last grain of sand - in Lebanon and Gaza. Not only do territorial concessions not bring peace, they actually lead directly to an escalation of terrorism."

This is an excerpt from a report Israel right wing (politically, not religiously) Yisrael Beiteinu recently released.

One would think by now this would be obvious. Instead, the West continues to be naively optimistic that if Israel gives up yet more land, peace will come. The report states

This mistaken conception (writes Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman, the Minister for Strategic Affairs) leads to basic errors in Israel's foreign policy. "Israel must explain its positions on an intellectual level, and not with Messianic slogans such as 'Not one inch.' Israel must explain [for instance] that the anti-Israeli positions led by the leaders of Israel, and which are prevalent in many Western circles as well, are a direct carry-over from classic anti-Semitism."

"Israel must explain that the demand for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and the 'right of return' are a camouflage of the attempt by extremist Islam to destroy the State of Israel. It must explain that their demand for self-definition is just a way of prettifying this, and that 'two states for two peoples' does not mean one and a half states for one people [the Arabs] and half a state for the other."

I agree. I love the idea the Religious Zionists refuse to budge regarding the horribly mistaken "land for peace" concept. But the rest of the world has to hear it in terms it can understand, and using the reasoning of "Israel is our God-given birthright" won't much affect world opinion.

Now, to be fair, neither will empirical data. But that's probably rooted in ancient anti-Semitic ideas. But look at how hypocritical even the US is, and I don't just mean Republicans. I mean Democrats too. Look at Iraq. Not an inch given by the Republicans to withdraw (in fact, it seems withdrawal has recently been taken off the table). And the Dems are the ones who believe "land for peace" is a viable solution. Both parties are calling for Israel to make a "land for peace" deal, and either both don't really understand this could mean the destruction of the state of Israel, or they don't care in their "quest for peace" while endlessly warring themselves with other nations.

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