So, the Palestinians have announced an ‘anti Trump peace plan popular uprising’.
Why am I not surprised?
The Palestinians are not interested in peace. Just maybe your average Palestinian is, but given the hatred that is taught in their schools, even that is doubtful.
The Palestinian leadership, is famous for ‘never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity’; this oft quoted phrase was uttered in Geneva more than 40 years ago by Israeli statesman Abba Eban.
To the detriment of their people, the Palestinian leadership consistently choose not to jump on the bandwagon.
Just say no – as the slogan goes.
In 1947, the refusal to accept the UN partition plan, laid a solid foundation for the suffering of future generations and their leadership has followed suit during the following 70 years.
Between 1948 and 1967, when Judea and Samaria (known to the Jordanians as the ‘West Bank’) were under Jordanian control, it is important to note, that there were never any discussions held with the aim of furthering the cause of the ‘Palestinians’. A people that didn’t exist prior to this time and who suddenly burst onto the scene in the mid 1960’s.
As a youngster at a youth camp, I remember singing the lines ‘now Sadat was in the Knesset, Golda has a new chaver, the times they are a changing…..’ this was in 1979 after the Camp David accords had been signed and peace between Israel and Egypt was reached.
A little known fact, is that during this process, the Palestinians were offered autonomy – which would likely have led to independence.
Israel returned the whole of the Sinai peninsula to Egypt and the peace that was established has lasted for 40 years. It has definitely been beneficial to Israel, and I’m pretty sure that it’s also been so for Egypt.
In 1994, Israel and Jordan agreed to peace.
These two agreements are important landmarks, because they show that Israel is more than willing to abide by peace agreements with her neighbors. Important precedents.
Also in the 1990’s, the Oslo accords were signed and the ‘roadmap’ to Palestinian autonomy and ultimate independence was laid out. Unfortunately, escalation in terrorist activity and suicide bombings derailed that process.
In the year 2000, Prime Minister Barak, shepherded by then President Clinton, offered to create a Palestinian state in all of Gaza and pledged to give up 97% of Judea and Samaria.
This was rejected outright by Yasser Arafat.
Eight years later, Prime minister Ehud Olmert again offered the majority of Judea and Samaria and threw in the cherry on top, being Jerusalem – which was to be divided on a demographic basis.
This offer too, was rejected outright, this time by Mahmoud Abbas who had taken up the mantle of the now-deceased Egyptian leader of the PLO.
Despite these rejections, the West has continued to insist on a ‘two state solution’, a solution which is doomed to fail because the Palestinian leadership cannot lose face – they have been promising their people all of Israel since 1947.
Their documentation continues to call for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state ‘from the river to the sea’ (Jordan to the Mediterranean) – there is no room here for a two-state solution.
The West has continued to flog it’s dead horse, until Trump that is, the only Western leader to actually acknowledge the elephant in the room.
This fact alone gives much pause for thought.
Another factor which needs consideration is the coffers of the world, from which have flowed huge amounts of money to the ‘poor Palestinians’. This money, given as aid, has been on an unprecedented scale, eclipsing that which was given for the reconstruction of Europe after WWII by a factor of 16 (per capita) – not including the $40 billion that has been given to UNRWA during it’s existence.
If the Palestinians were to reach an agreement with Israel, it is very likely that these rivers of money would dry up to a mere trickle and the fat cat Palestinian leadership would start to wonder where it’s next free meal was coming from.
Make no mistake about it, the Palestinian leadership, their family and friends are doing very well thank you.
So, when I hear that the Palestinians have declared a ‘popular uprising’ against Trump’s peace plan, it is no surprise at all. It just doesn’t fit their agenda.
