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Last update - 07:59 23/06/2009
Israel will take advice, not orders
By Moshe Arens
Tags: Israel News, Palestinians 

The "demilitarized Palestinian state side-by-side with the Jewish state" that Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about in his long-awaited speech at Bar -Ilan University last week is not right around the corner. His speech may have brought a feeling of satisfaction to all those who have been preaching the merits of the two-state solution, but they should not hold their breath in anticipation of its implementation.

There is really nothing like being able to say "I told you so." And so there is joy on the left. Rightists who refused to accept the claim that a solution - or better yet, the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - is two states for two peoples west of the Jordan river, are surrendering one after the other.

Now another one has bit the dust, none other than Netanyahu. If he had included in his speech a statement that Jordan is not a Palestinian state and that Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria are an obstacle to peace, the joy of the left might have been complete.
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But that satisfaction they cannot have, because Jordan is a Palestinian state in all but name, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persisted even when the Jordanians destroyed all Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria after the Jordanian Legion conquered the area in 1948.

So why not call a spade a spade? What is being called for is a second Palestinian state. If it were created there would be an eastern and western Palestinian state, just as there exists today a South and North Korea, and once upon a time an East and West Germany. That such a situation would in time represent a threat to the Kingdom of Jordan is most likely, but that hardly seems to concern anyone now.

And what of the declarations that Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria are an obstacle to peace, or even the preposterous claim that they are illegal, and therefore should be dismantled so that the western Palestinian state be cleared of any Jewish presence in its territory? It is true that it would be in conformity with the situation existing in Jordan at present, where the law provides the death penalty for anyone selling land to a Jew.

It is also in accordance with a similar statute that has been approved by the Palestinian Authority for Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. But it boggles the mind that anyone who subscribes to the values of Western civilization would advocate a policy that is aimed at bringing about such a result.

So leaving the drama aside, what is the significance of Netanyahu's speech? Speeches rarely change the reality on the ground, and it is the reality on the ground that will constrain progress. Hamas controls Gaza and is amassing weapons with the objective of terrorizing Israel's civilian population. And Mahmoud Abbas does not control Judea and Samaria, despite the assistance he receives from Israel, the United States and the European Union. He is not in a position to implement any agreements he might sign.

Palestinian terror remains the major obstacle, and until such time that it is subdued there is not likely to be much progress toward peace. Terrorists are usually not impressed by words.

The task at hand is to suppress Palestinian terror. When that task is accomplished a number of options for a peaceful settlement in the area will begin to open up. The two-state solution will be only one of them.

But in the meantime it should be made clear to everyone: Israel is an independent nation. It is not, as Menachem Begin said many years ago to the U.S. ambassador at the time, a banana republic.

There was a time before the State of Israel was established when the Jewish people had no choice but to take orders from others. That time has past. Israel's leaders must steer a course that is in the best long-term interests of Israel. We will gladly accept advice, but not orders.

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      1.   Palestinian Terror is a stale excuse 03:15  |  Ibrahim 23/06/09
      2.   Peace Dividend a-coming....(Arens swan-song) 03:28  |  Shaul Ben-Yimini 23/06/09
      3.   Take advice and ignore it while smiling and ordering Palestinians 03:46  |  jim the mechanic 23/06/09
      4.   Don`t Kid Yourself. 03:46  |  Cool B 23/06/09
      5.   Moshe Arens / Israel will take advice, not orders 04:08  |  gideon ben yoash 23/06/09
      6.   Moshe, It is OK to Vent, but Times They are a Changing! 04:37  |  Monitor 23/06/09
      7.   The sound of Arens grinding his teeth, halfway around the world 05:02  |  Natallie Durson 23/06/09
      8.   Dignity 05:12  |  dan 23/06/09
      9.   Moshe Arens is NOT Ben Gurion and remotely not Profess-Leibowitz 05:26  |  Wedi Mendefera 23/06/09
      10.   Finally, someone who makes sense 05:49  |  Jeff 23/06/09
      11.   We all know what comes of hubris, Arens... 05:58  |  Johnboy 23/06/09
      12.   Right once again 05:59  |  Baruch Gold 23/06/09
      13.   The demilitarised second state makes no sense 06:03  |  Peter Williams 23/06/09
      14.   Pretty speech about independence 06:18  |  Atom 23/06/09
      15.   banana republic 06:34  |  fred 23/06/09
      16.   Come now Moshe 06:41  |  Mark Lincoln 23/06/09
      17.   There will never be a Palestinian state 06:57  |  Fish 23/06/09
      18.   Taking Dollars, Land, and Advice Only 06:58  |  Barney 23/06/09
      19.   The problem is that Israel takes neither advice nor orders... 06:59  |  Esther 23/06/09
      20.   Middle East 06:59  |  JD 23/06/09
      21.   #11 Good argument, wrong conclusion 07:44  |  Johnboy 23/06/09
      22.   Johnboy 07:56  |  Freddy 23/06/09
      23.   Take money but not advice huh? 07:57  |  David 23/06/09
      24.   #14 Mark Lincoln 08:06  |  russian Jew 23/06/09
      25.   #2 cool b and dependence ? $15trillion in debt 08:14  |  v hardman 23/06/09
      26.   Death penalty 4 selling land 2 Jews 09:04  |  Ariel 23/06/09
      27.   The long-standing friendship between Israel and America. 09:21  |  Lane 23/06/09
      28.   Thank you! 09:38  |  Mac 23/06/09
      29.   Thanks for the article 09:54  |  Tarzan 23/06/09
      30.   The Land Sale Straw Man 10:07  |  Mark of Lewiston 23/06/09
      31.   Moshe I Read That Iraq Is Selling Land To Foreigners... 10:09  |  Yosemite 23/06/09
      32.   #17 Exactly so, Ariel 10:32  |  Johnboy 23/06/09
      33.   SOMEONE Needs To Be A LIGHT UNTO YOU/Kick YOU In The Pants! 11:04  |  U.S. Pal Defender 23/06/09
      34.   Advices not orders? 11:06  |  an enraged bystander 23/06/09
      35.   Thank you! 11:13  |  Mac 23/06/09
      36.   oh right 11:16  |  rm 23/06/09
      37.   #18, Mark of Lewiston 11:23  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/06/09
      38.   Death penalty 11:23  |  Mac 23/06/09
      39.   Moshe, go back to sleep 11:35  |  walter Howard 23/06/09
      40.   #5 Natalie as always UR so right in your deduction. 11:40  |  Amnon 23/06/09
      41.   Hilarious article! 11:46  |  Erik 23/06/09
      42.   "Iran will take advice on nuclear program... 11:49  |  observer 23/06/09
      43.   "Iran will take advice on nuclear program... 11:49  |  observer 23/06/09
      44.   Moshe with this kind of Tax Billions 11:51  |  Shomit 23/06/09
      45.   OK, take the "advice", not the orders 11:51  |  Erik 23/06/09
      46.   25 Cipora Julianna Kohn 11:56  |  Mark of Lewiston 23/06/09
      47.   Israel an independent country? News to me! 12:11  |  Solow 23/06/09
      48.   What western civilized values, Arens ? 12:15  |  observer 23/06/09
      49.   what western civilized values, Arens ? 12:17  |  observer 23/06/09
      50.   what western civilized values, Arens ? 12:17  |  observer 23/06/09
      51.   This just in.... 12:54  |  Mac 23/06/09
      52.   #29 Paying Aid 13:29  |  Clock 23/06/09
      53.   So Johnboy you support the death penalty then? 15:11  |  Peter Williams 23/06/09
      54.   #25 How easy is that, hey, Cipora? 15:16  |  Johnboy 23/06/09
      55.   #23 Mac Wishes It To Be So. 15:27  |  Johnboy 23/06/09
      56.   Take advice 16:43  |  Yochanan 23/06/09
      57.   #34 The tediously predictable response from Peter Williams 16:46  |  Johnboy 23/06/09
      58.   No orders? No money 17:07  |  Kate 23/06/09
      59.   a dose of economics 17:44  |  Uetliberg 23/06/09
      60.   #58 instead of posting garbage kate should find out why ?? 17:45  |  v hardman 23/06/09
      61.   I was wrong 18:19  |  Mac 23/06/09
      62.   And where do the arms go? 18:29  |  Kate 23/06/09
      63.   It works mostly the other way around Mr. Arens 18:29  |  Le Tzaari 23/06/09
      64.   Peace requires cocessions by the Arabs as well 18:44  |  Dr Eric 23/06/09
      65.   Change 18:59  |  Uetliberg 23/06/09
      66.   Ibrahim - if you believe terror is excuse 20:05  |  David Israel 23/06/09
      67.   Looks likr Mr Arens pick in the skin of antijews in here 20:08  |  JP 23/06/09
      68.   We don`t take orders 20:09  |  goldie klugman 23/06/09
      69.   Who are you to accept or decline, Dr Eric ? 20:38  |  observer 23/06/09
      70.   Who are you to accept or decline, Dr Eric ? 20:39  |  observer 23/06/09
      71.   Banana republic 20:39  |  Dave 23/06/09
      72.   You know what else Israel takes? 21:35  |  Roy B. Giv 23/06/09
      73.   #5 01:46  |  Ed 24/06/09
      74.   Mark of Lewiston 02:39  |  Mark Lincoln 24/06/09
      75.   To JB (#11): Please, breathe deeply ... 05:25  |  Morris Valentine 24/06/09
      76.   right on 05:38  |  Mark 24/06/09
      77.   Keep your advice/orders - just keep the cheques coming! 07:36  |  PADDY 24/06/09
      78.   On again Moshe Arens fails to connect with reality 08:42  |  Dutch 24/06/09
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