False premises
The lack of change described in Andrew Silow-Carroll’s column “Ten Years After” (Feb. 28) should not be surprising. What has not changed is the absolute rejection of the right of the Jewish people to their own homeland, however defined, on land once believed to be conquered by Islam (and subsequently lost to UN decisions and multiple wars with Israel).
The entire basis for the so-called Arab-Israeli conflict (and its most recent political incarnation, the “Palestinian-Israeli conflict” since 1964), is the Islamic rejection of Jewish nationhood from time immemorial. The level of Arab propaganda that denies what is evident from myriad archaeological excavations and known, documented history is legion and beyond dispute. Couple all of that with an aggressive ideology, flexing its petro-dollar strength in acquiring ever more sophisticated weapons from their cousins in 22 other Arab nations (and one Persian nation), you get a regional problem, which in fact is a classic clash of civilizations. Islam, reacting after 800 years of Western civilization supremacy and progress, has demonstrated a massive inferiority complex, rationalized by its beliefs, and by its inability to honestly articulate to its own peoples why Islam does not outperform the Western world (the beach head of which is Israel). Therefore, it must lash out to demonstrate its “power.” It does not choose to compete in terms of ideas or progress or scientific achievement or the betterment of its own societies, since it has not developed the mechanisms to do so.
The only actual solution articulated by the Arab press and leadership is that six million-plus Jews offer to move en masse out of Israel or succumb to second class citizenship under Arab dominion, risking what Arab leaders do to even their own people. Until that fact is acknowledged by the world, the press, and all parties, no serious discussion can be held about the nature of the real problem.
Certainly we should seek peace while defending our civilization, but at least let’s define the nature of the problem honestly and cease with false premises and solutions.
Alan Hoffman
East Windsor
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