Dateline Jerusalem – “Peace in our time,” boasted Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister known for appeasing Hitler, y’mach shemo (may his name be obliterated). The Munich Agreement of 1938 was the result of peace talks in which Chamberlain agreed to almost all of Hitler’s demands, especially that Czechoslovakia concede the Sudetenland to Germany, leaving Czechoslovakia defenseless. Winston Churchill told the British House of Commons, “England has been offered a choice between war and shame. She has chosen shame, and will get war.” Churchill was right, Chamberlain wrong. World War II and the Holocaust were the result of the appeasement. Hitler considered the Munich Agreement a piece of paper of no further significance. He proceeded to invade Europe. The rest is history, and history repeats itself.
Now 75 years later, Israel has become the Czechoslovakia in our time with the Palestinians demanding concessions prior to agreeing to even sitting down to a discussion of peace. The Palestinian Authority preconditions include releasing dangerous terrorists from Israeli prisons, terrorists who have murdered and maimed Israeli children, women, senior citizens and youth. Their goal is a contiguous Palestinian state, which splits Israel in half in order to connect Gaza and the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and almost all of the Jewish holy sites, including the Kotel (Wailing Wall, Western Wall) in Jerusalem, are to be conceded to the Palestinians. These “peace talks” mean nothing more than capitulation to PA demands. After Israel released the murderers of Israeli women and children in the past, the PA walked out of the negotiations. Now, although the Israeli government had agreed to negotiate without preconditions or concessions, the U.S. government has pressured Israel to give in to the Palestinian demands, risking Israeli civilian lives for “peace,” a peace in which the Palestinians have threatened to make all of Israel “Judenrein” (without Jews). This is so reminiscent of Hitler's Judenrein Europe. Would the U.S. release terrorists in its prisons? Would the U.S. return California, Arizona and Texas to Mexico? Louisiana to France? Most of the U.S. to native Americans, the Indians?
Of course, this is not the first negotiation with the Palestinians. The Oslo Accords were the result of a five-year terror campaign of intifada against Israel. According to politician Uzi Landau, “Oslo has hurt Israel’s security more than any other single factor since the establishment of the state.” True to past form, the Palestinians have not complied with many terms of the agreement. The ceding of Gaza (disengagement) resulted in continuous rocket, missile and mortar attacks against Israeli civilians in southern Israel for the last 8 years. Yet we continue to sign agreement after agreement with those who show nothing but contempt for the agreements. As Hitler joked about the Munich Agreement being just a piece of paper, the Palestinians think a peace treaty with Israel is just a political maneuver. During the time of Muhammad, the Quraish tribe of Mecca entered into the Hudaybiyyah peace agreement with Mohammad by signing a 10- year truce. Two years into the truce, Mohammad attacked and conquered them. What is the significance of this historical occurrence? PA Minister of Religious Affairs Al Habbash compared Muhammad's Hudaybiyyah pact with the Quaraish tribe of Mecca to that of Palestinian agreements with Israel.
Nearly Everyone Against It
Against the wishes of 85 percent of the Israeli population (according to recent polls) and the Almagor Terrorist Victims Assn., and against the advice of the Chief of the Mossad and the head of Shin Bet, the Israeli government agreed to release these terrorists with blood on their hands as a precondition to Palestinian demands. It makes one wonder what the U.S. threatened or promised Israel to force this abominable decision. Statistics show that 123 Israelis were murdered by terrorists freed from Israeli jails between1993 and 1999. Another 231 Israelis were killed by terrorists released in the 2004 prisoner exchange. From 2002 to 2007, another 177 Israelis were killed by terrorists freed because of negotiations. The Shin Bet Chief said that the release of terrorist prisoners was a security threat to the public and also eroded deterrence. Why should the terrorists discontinue murdering Israeli civilians when they know that their life sentences are in reality a short stay in jail until the next prisoner release and appeasement to Palestinian demands?
As for land concessions, it is interesting to note that the Israeli Arabs living in Jerusalem do not want to transfer control of their neighborhoods to the Palestinian Authority. It seems that most Israeli Arabs prefer living under an Israeli government as opposed to PA control. After the debacle of the Disengagement from Gaza and resulting bombardment of missiles lobbed into Israel, most Israelis are vehemently against any territorial concessions. I have 1 minute to seek shelter if a rocket from Gaza is launched into my neighborhood. I am fortunate compared to those in southern Israel who have as little as 9 seconds to find safety.
As I patiently await peace in our time, I believe the only time there will be peace is when there is strength. Appeasement never has been the answer. As long as the Palestinians believe they will have a Palestinian state regardless of their actions, and that their demands will easily be met by the U.S., Europe and Israel, there will be no peace. Israel may find itself as did Czechoslovakia in World War II, defenseless. If the Palestinians get their way, it may find itself as depicted by Palestinian maps, as Palestine and without Jews. U.S. Gen. George Patton believed history repeats itself. Therefore he would study military history before leading his troops into battle in World War II. It is time that Israel stand strong and defy history.
L'hitraot. Shachar