WhatsappPeace efforts in the Middle East are a subject that has come up for many decades. The basic assumption which almost all new outlets make – including Fox News – is that a peace process is the key to reaching peace. This is wrong. Dead wrong.
Decades of Fruitless Negotiation
The history of the peace process in the Land of Israel precedes the State of Israel. That is because Arab aggression against any and all Jewish existence in the Land of Israel goes back as long as the modern Jewish return to the Land itself. At first, the British authorities worked on a compromise plan in the mid 30’s. This came after Arab aggression against the Jewish settlements. That came to nothing – but more Arab aggression. Then as the dark clouds of the Holocaust came over Europe, Haj Amin Al-Husseini, the mufti of Jerusalem, incited more riots against the Jewish settlement. This led the British authorities to forbid Jewish immigration via the infamous White Paper decrees.
Ceasefire between 1948 – 1967
When the leaders of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel declared a Jewish State, 6 Arab Armies invaded Israel from every direction. Israel won most – not all – of the battles. But despite the victory, Israel suffered a loss of 1% of the entire Jewish population – 6,000 of 600,000 – were killed. Yet, Israel survived. However, the Arab countries did not walk into any peace negotiations with the nascent State of Israel. They just declared a ceasefire. Indeed, just 8 years later, Israel was embroiled in another war with Egypt. Nineteen years later, 3 countries threatened to destroy Israel in 1967. But when Israel struck back in 1967 and defeated all 3 armies in the Six Day War, then the Arabs began to talk about a peace process. Once the Arab neighbors of Israel realized that they could not destroy Israel, they looked for a new method to weaken Israel. The new weapon was the peace process.
Dead End Peace Process
Henry Kissinger, the legendary United States Secretary of State during the Nixon administration, led a whirlwind peace process. It was basically a pressure process. Although the United States, came through for the State of Israel in the Yom Kippur War of 1973 with an airload of weapons, Kissinger placed enormous pressure on Israel in the aftermath. This has basically become the standard modus operandi of the State Department vis-a-vis Israel. Jimmy Carter was perhaps the most anti-Israel president in modern times, but he did achieve a tangible achievement in the Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt. The peace process between the two countries did accomplish a lasting state of non-war. It certainly has not been peaceful on Israel’s southern border and Israel is under no illusions. However, since 1973, Israel has not fought a war against Egypt.
Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush, and Bill Clinton
Under the next 3 administrations, more pressure was brought upon Israel to give away land for a chance of peace. The attitude of the US administration has been akin to John Lennon’s song of “Give Peace a Chance.” It sounds so enticing and reasonable. However, the Arab mindset in the Middle East is not one that is based on reason. It is based on power and weakness. This is perhaps the key to why the idea of a peace process to bring peace is based on a fallacy. We don’t need to reason with the Arabs. We need to defeat the Arabs. Then they will come and ask us to live beside each other. Power brings reason in the Middle East. Weakness brings destruction.
So, if anyone would like to encourage a peaceful resolution in the Middle East, they should strengthen Israel’s hand.
