By Nick Dial
“We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines”- President Obama, 5/19/2011.
Speak for yourself, Mr. President. While you represent the United States as a figure head, you do not have the right to serve as a mouth piece for the American people as a whole. We have a voice of our own, and Statements such as “we” and “America believes” when dealing with our dear friend Israel, and your absurd way of selling out a faithful ally is both naive and unwarranted. When dealing with radical positions that support your picture perfect view of the world such as this, try using words like “I” or “it is my opinion or position.” After all, you have had no problem using words as “I” in the many other policies you have pushed, including the killing of Bin Laden. Why start bringing us into the mix now?
President Obama’s recent position on Israel is not just naïve, it’s extremely dangerous. Apparently Obama fails to understand the fact of what the word “security” means. This president cannot commit to securing our own borders, and yet he has the audacity to lecture a nation surround by countries that vow its destruction give up their much needed buffer zones between them and the very people that want to kill them. Has this Harvard graduate never picked up a history book? Is he not aware that Israel was attacked while holding these very borders he is pushing for them to withdraw too? This president acts as if the very discontent between the Arab nations and the Jewish state of Israel hinges upon these borders, and therefore return to these borders would magically erase the hostilities the Jewish people have faced for centuries.
Between 1947 and 1948, the Palestinians took the offensive against Israel after its declaration of a state. With over 6,000 casualties, it was among the bloodiest of conflicts to take place in the region. In 1956, Israel again was attacked, this time through organized resistance to Israel, such as the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization). In 1967, known as the Six Day War, Israel was attacked once more, this time in a combined effort by its neighbors such as Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, and once again, Israel thwarted this assault on their nation. After the six day war, Israel had gained territories which expanded their borders. In 1973, The Yom Kippur War was launched by the Syrians and Egyptians, causing Israel again to be dragged into a defensive conflict. Also, let’s not forget the ongoing acts of terror and indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israeli neighborhoods by the Palestinians and Lebanese.
I wonder… how would Obama handle such national security issues with the U.S., if our neighbors conducted themselves in such a way? What if Canada and Mexico vowed for our destruction and were headed by Al-Qaeda? Would we stand for other nations telling us how we should conduct our national security? Perhaps we would be expected to go back to pre-Mexican American war borders and expose millions of Americans? I think not, and Israel is no exception. The pre-1967 borders would leave Israel with a very thin strip of land. Looking at the below image, you can see its narrowest point at Netanya, which is a faint 9 miles wide. Israel’s main airport would be a mere 3 miles from hostile borders, well within missile range.
What President Obama is doing, is basically stating that Israel should commit tactical suicide with their national security. Lebanon and Palestine are both headed by terrorist organizations, HAMAS, and HEZBOLLA.
Following the president’s speech, HAMAS released the following statement:
Obama’s Mideast policy speech Thursday was a “total failure,” Hamas said Thursday evening.
“The (Arab) nation does not need a lesson on democracy from Obama,” said Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Sami Abu-Zuhri. “Rather, Obama is the one who needs the lesson given his absolute endorsement of Israel’s crimes and his refusal to condemn Israel’s occupation.”
“We will not recognize the Israeli occupation under any circumstances,” the Hamas spokesman said, while adding: “We object to intervention in our internal affairs.”
Based on what HAMAS has stated, they have made it clear that the borders of 1967 are no more relevant today than they were back in 1967. The only difference HAMAS sees is the fact they will have to cross more miles to push into the heart of Israel during an invasion. When you have Arab nations that clearly state they feel as if Israel has no right to exist at all, how can this president logically expect such nations to negotiate? The only achievement this president has done by taking this position, is validate the anti-Semitic movement of hostile Arab nations toward Israel, insult a loyal ally, and do all of this while in the safety of the United States. Perhaps if the president were personally exposed to the very real dangers the Israeli people face on a daily bases, he would not be so quick to take such foolish positions on a topic he apparently knows little about… military strategy and national security.
References:
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Modern+History/Centenary+of+Zionism/The+Arab-Israeli+Wars.htm
http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/05/hamas-to-obamas-anti-israel-speech-we-will-not-recognize-israel-under-any-circumstances/
