Monday, September 21, 2009

What Happened Didn't JUST Happen

The evidence is clear, folks. Israel, during the earliest stages of the '67 War, made numerous/substantial overtures to King Hussein. And, yes, one of those promises was to NOT attack Jordan unless they attacked Israel first. They also made it clear that Israel DIDN'T have designs on the West Bank, or even on Jerusalem. It was only when Jordan began shelling Israeli cities (cities, as opposed to military targets)/sent its air force to bomb civilian targets that Israel responded. And, yes, when you couple that with the fact that Jordan then proceeded to ignore a cease-fire proposed by U.N. negotiators and, yeah, it isn't at all surprising that territory might have slipped form A-hand to B-hand.................................................................................This, of course, isn't to imply that Israel couldn't have handled the aftermath better. They clearly could have. The Alon Plan (named after the general who advanced it), which proposed that Israel immediately withdraw from West Bank population centers/annex only unpopulated territory needed for buffer, in particular, would have been a far better way (politically AND morally) to go. Not that it would have necessarily ameliorated all the criticism, mind you, or even have reduced terrorism but, clearly, it would have ended, up-front, the occupation. And, yes, me-buckos, so, too, the talking point.

5 comments:

Oso said...

the 67 war was a pre-emptive strike. Widely acknowledged. Meir,Dayan,many others admitted it.Israel then occupied the rest of Palestine.And have refused countless UN demands to withdraw.As did Saddam. Only in Saddam's case we intervened.

In Israels case we support the occupation.

I used to support Israel unconditionally and despised Palestinians because I believed everything our media put out about them. It wasn't until we invaded Iraq that I really started to question Israel/Palestine too.

IMHO they use us and will continue to use us until we realize they offer nothing and only take.

I realize this is at odds with your beliefs, and would be happy to "agree to disagree".

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

It was absolutely a pre-emptive strike (against Egypt, not against Jordan). But only after Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran (recognized by the international community as an act of war), Nasser's naked and bellicose threats (it was very clear that this was to be a war of externination), and the massing of Arab troops (replete with cannisters of poison gas) along Israel's border. I'm pretty sure that any American President (Obama, Bush 1, Bush 2, Truman, you name it) would have done the same as Prime Minister Eshkol. As for offering nothing, I don't know, I think that Barak and President Clinton were offering a little bit more than that. In reference to U.N. resolution 242, there were also conditions on the Arabs/Palestinians (accepting Israel, working toward peace, etc.). Those have yet to be met, too.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Just for the record, Oso, I have absolutely no problems criticizing Israel. That they should freeze the settlements, that they should take a powder on some of this disproportionate responding (the war with Hezbollah, in particular, was idiotically handled), etc.. It's just when I compare this to the stuff that's front and center in that Hamas Charter, my tendency remains to support Israel.

Oso said...

Thanks Will.

It's people who deal in absolutes who can be so frustrating,on any issue and any side.Sometimes they aren't willing to see there's another side.I'm guilty of this myself,a lot.Trying to get more mature but at 58 years old....well you're only young once but can be immature all your life !

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I think that if you put Abbas (who is way, WAY, more reasonable than Arafat ever was) and Shimon Peres in a room together, they could probably get a peace deal pretty quickly. The problem, unfortunately, would be trying to get others to accept/follow it. I want a Palestinian state very badly. So does President Clinton. So does Dennis Ross. Hopefully, it'll happen in our lifetime.