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Rewarding Terrorism
Don’t you admire countries that reward Arab terrorists and then deny that they are anti-Semitic? That’s what Spain, Norway and Ireland would have us believe as they declare their support of a Palestinian state. Their justifications for this move are absurd and dangerous.
Many countries want to get on that bandwagon:
Earlier in May, 143 of the 193 members of the U.N. General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution requesting Palestine become a full member of the U.N. It previously had U.N. observer status only.
Why is this proposal such a bad idea? First, it’s based on false premises:
‘In the midst of a war, with tens of thousands killed and injured, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: Two states, living side by side, in peace and security,’ said Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
What world does Støre live in? What makes him think that the Palestinians would live in “peace and security” if they resided side-by-side with Israel? Why is it the only alternative? As if these expectations were not foolish enough, they also make demands that clearly punish Israel and favor the Palestinians:
The territorial demarcation between the state of Palestine and the state of Israel should be based on the pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, and without prejudice to a final settlement on borders, including the use of land swaps . . .
At the same time as it recognises Palestine as a state, Norway also has clear expectations that the new Palestinian Government will continue the effort to implement democratic reform, strengthen the judiciary and combat corruption.
Do these expectations sound even remotely possible to you?
Needless to say, the Palestinians are celebrating these declarations. They see them as a recognition of the righteousness of their October 7 attack on Israel.
One puzzling statement I read made no sense:
In a few days, Norway will be chairing an international partner meeting about Palestine in Brussels, where the new Palestinian Prime Minister and Government will be presenting their reform plans. We are hoping to make some major progress there,’ said Mr Eide.
It seems that the Norwegians have already been facilitating the Palestinians forming their government and making plans. Did I miss that effort?
Norway is living in a delusional dream, as they make this statement:
The recognition of Palestine as a state means that Norway will consider Palestine to be an independent state with the rights and duties this entails. This includes, among other things, the expectation from Norway that all relations with Palestine will be founded on the fundamental rules of international law regarding independence, equality and peaceful coexistence (italics are mine).
Whatever makes them think that the Palestinians will comply with their expectations is beyond my understanding.
To add to the lack of credibility of the Palestinians, outsiders are prepared to believe the Palestinian/Hamas public relations and disregard Israel’s. The outsiders have become convinced that the Palestinians are on the brink of famine (which they’ve claimed for months). That belief is contradicted by the evidence:
Specifically, the Israeli researchers found that on average, between January and April, 124 trucks carrying food and humanitarian aid entered Gaza per day. That adds up to 3,211 calories worth of nutrition per Gazan, per day. The World Health Organization standard for calorie consumption is 2,900 per day for average-sized men and 2,200 per day for average-sized women.
Unfortunately, if there is a shortage of food, Hamas is to blame as it collects the aid for its own members and families.
In addition, the Palestinians keep claiming that 35,000 casualties have resulted from the war. The facts are that a large percentage of those killed are Hamas soldiers, not civilians.
Their commitment to the truth is sadly lacking.
The consequences of these declarations are far-reaching. Think of the message this sends to Palestinians and Hamas:
The recognition of a Palestinian state, even if it is merely a symbolic action that has no bearing on the reality on the ground, sends two messages to the Palestinians. First, that terrorism against Jews is justified and worthwhile because the world, instead of punishing you, will reward you for your crimes.
Second, that the Palestinians will not need to negotiate thorny issues with Israel, such as borders and the status of Jerusalem, because the international community will grant them everything on a platter.
Israel has not been consulted in these efforts, which is not only an insult, but is impractical in many ways. These countries want to act as if these decisions are solely in the hands of the Palestinians, who have shown repeatedly that they support Hamas and even participated in the October 7 attack. To assume that the Palestinians will be peaceful neighbors is naïve; when they had the opportunity to govern without Israel, these were the steps they took:
Instead, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups chose to use the funds to build ‘a city under a city’ — 400 miles of terrorist tunnels from which to attack Israel — because their true goal has always been, and remains, not to live next to Israel, but to replace Israel. Basically, as Hamas openly states in its charter, its aim to eliminate the only homeland of the Jewish people and murder as many Jews as possible. It appears that the Europeans wish to finish the task that Hitler started — the secret reason they are assisting the Palestinians in achieving this goal.
This will not end well.
Published in Foreign Policy
Not all dual loyalty tropes are created equal.
Just because it is possible for some people to juggle dual loyalties to god and country so that they don’t come into unacceptable conflict, doesn’t mean it is possible for all people to do so. This applies to other claims on one’s loyalty, as well. And just because some institutional claimants to loyalty to religion or nation can juggle their claims satisfactorily against other competing claims, doesn’t mean that it can always be done.
Well, all morally sane and decent people on this site and in the broader world have a visceral loathing of folks like the cartoon mouse and his repellent ilk.
In light of Oct. 7th, 2023 and subsequent events, recognising Fakestine cannot be anything other than an expression of loathsome hatred of Jews and and call for mass murder of Jews. Which means, you, Jerry, and other persons currently befouling this site with the pestilential and revolting excresences of your diseased minds and depraved souls, are among those expressing that loathsome hatred and calling for mass murder.
“Supposed” is the key word in that sentence. There is no Christianity worth the name that is not Judeo-Christianity. See also Spurgeon, Charles: “A Christian is the last person who ought to speak disrespectfully or unkindly of the Jews.”
And since someone brought up the sick jokes that are the ICC and ICJ, let’s talk about war crimes. Specifically, those of Hamas:
• Hamas indiscriminately fired over 4,465 rockets5 at Israel’s heartland, including densely populated cities such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and their civilian structures, during Protective Edge. Over 70% of Israeli citizens were in rocket range.6
• Even Palestinian officials acknowledged Hamas’ rockets were war crimes. “Each and every missile against Israel constitutes a crime against humanity whether it hits or misses, because it is directed at civilian targets.”
–Palestinian Envoy to the Human Rights Council, July 9, 2014.7
• Hamas “made clear in their statements that harming civilians was their aim. There is simply no legal justification for launching rockets at populated areas.”
–Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East Director, Human Rights Watch, Nov. 20128
• The EU “strongly condemns the indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel by Hamas and militant groups in the Gaza Strip, directly harming civilians. These are criminal and unjustifiable acts.”9 Hamas kidnapped Israelis to use them as hostages, a war crime according to the Geneva Conventions and the International Criminal Court.10
• On June 12, 2014, Hamas operatives kidnapped three Israeli teens as they were returning home from school. Their bodies were found 18 days later.11
• In 2006, Hamas operatives kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit and held him hostage for over five years until he was released in a prisoner exchange in 2011.12
• Hamas built 32 cross-border underground tunnels to infiltrate Israel and kidnap Israelis. Rooms, handcuffs and tranquillizers were prepared for the Israeli victims.13 Hamas used Palestinian civilian centers for military purposes, a war crime according to the Geneva Conventions.14
• Hamas placed its military arsenal and tunnel entrances in Gaza’s schools, homes, residential neighborhoods, hospitals, and mosques,15 as occurred with UNRWA schools, 16 Al-Shifah17 and Al-Wafa hospitals, 18 and Islamic University of Gaza.19
• Hamas booby-trapped thousands of homes and fired 597 rockets from civilian centers, including 260 from schools, 160 from religious sites, 127 from cemeteries, and over 50 from hospitals.20 Hamas used Palestinians as human shields, a war crime according to Article 51(7) of the 1977 Protocols to the Geneva Convention. 21
• Hamas urged Gaza residents to act as human shields. 22
• Hamas urged residents to ignore Israel’s warnings to move to safer areas because of imminent attacks. In some cases, Hamas operatives violently attacked residents who sought safer areas. 23
Note that the brief snippet from the article cited above deals with events 10 years before the October 7th atrocities. My point there is that Hamas and its allied organisations have never relented from targeting civilians in deliberate, cowardly, barbaric attacks. Here is a more up-to-date article with links that discusses Hamas’ recent atrocities. No doubt our local real-time Holocaust deniers will howl in their feigned outrage or make some revolting argument for moral equivalence between Hamas and the IDF. Their condemnation is richly and rightly deserved.
https://www.frontpagemag.com/understanding-hamas-atrocities-and-hamas-glee-in-sharing-videos-of-those-atrocities/
Throughout history, when a more civilized force has fought barbarians or once civilized people who resorted to barbaric behavior, they didn’t respect them as civilized people. Israel is trying hard to buck the trend. Even the Geneva Conventions recognize this. Lawful combatants get the carrot. Unlawful combatants should get the stick. Offering the carrot doesn’t civilized barbarians. They see it as a weakness to use against us. There isn’t a person who condemns Israel who would be happy if government started buying up homes in their neighborhood to relocate Palestinians. Heck, many are the same people who tout the green agenda but don’t want windmills off their shores or next door.
I’m so concerned with the positions that other countries are taking. It’s really alarming that they are prepared to reward Hamas (although they say Palestinians) and punish Israel. How this will all work out, RH, I just don’t know.
Just because they are western countries doesn’t mean they are incapable of making foolish decisions. The left destroys logic and goodness.
This. When I was a JAG I gave periodic required training on the laws of war. It’s the doctrine of reciprocity. You don’t get to both break the law and obtain the protection of the law. Sadly, this affects people who may not have wanted barbarity in their name. There are consequences to having the government you have. And that is not on the people against whom barbarian tactics have been employed. But it is a reason to have a definitive victory, imposition of a new system on the defeated and generosity to the survivors. Otherwise the cycle continues and escalates.
I wouldn’t worry about it too much. All Western countries that make grand gestures about leftist ideals never are prepared to back-up their promises or threats with force. It’s kind of like the limousine liberals who pontificate about the plight of oppressed people because it makes them feel good, but they are never prepared to go out and get their hands dirty by actively doing something about it.
Do you think Hamas or terrorists in general are worried about Western countries who denounce them other than the U.S.? I’d say not. On the other hand when Russia or China or other aggressive States denounce them (which happens on occasion) then they start peeing their pants.