Selling Out of Israel?

*************Jewish World Review Oct. 11, 2007 / 29 Tishrei 5768Selling out Israel on the installment planBy Cal Thomashttp://www.JewishWorldReview.com Name one concession Israel has made inrecent years that has been reciprocated by its sworn enemies. This is not atrick question. There are none.That's why next month's announced "Middle East Summit" in Annapolis, Md.,should be viewed as one more installment payment in the sellout of Israeland of American interests in the Middle East. While the United Statescontinues to struggle to shore up democracy in Iraq, the Bushadministration - like administrations before it - proceeds in underminingthe likelihood that the region's first democracy will endure.At every negotiating session, Israel is pressured into making concessionsfor "peace" and receives more war in response. Mostly this is because of thewishful thinking in the West that has replaced sound policy. Why should thePalestinians make concessions when they are drawing closer to theirobjective of eradicating Israel by throwing stones and bombs andstonewalling negotiations?In an address to the Israeli Knesset, President Shimon Peres reaffirmed theflaw in Western thinking: ".even if there are some who express doubt at theability of the Palestinians to achieve peace, the impression must not becreated that Israel has doubts regarding the need and the willingness toachieve full peace." So it's not about hard bargaining resulting in thepreservation of Israel with defensible borders and the cessation ofterrorist attacks, it's about "impressions"? No wonder Israel's enemies areemboldened as never before.While details of a "joint declaration" by Israel and the Palestinians on afinal status agreement remain secret, some information has leaked. Onereport has Prime Minister Ehud Olmert preparing to divide Jerusalem byallowing Arab East Jerusalem to come under Palestinian control. The holysites, now administered by Israel and open to all (which was not the casewhen Jordan controlled East Jerusalem prior to 1967), would beinternationalized. For 40 years, Israel has provided security for the holyplaces. It is doubtful an international force would do as good a jobprotecting these sites from terrorists (think the Taliban and thedestruction of ancient Buddhist statues in Afghanistan and regular attackson Christians, their churches and schools in heavily Muslim nations). FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO INFLUENTIAL NEWSLETTER Every weekday NewsAndOpinion.com publishes what many in the media andWashington consider "must-reading". HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonistsregularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click here.According to one report, "the drafters are planning to call for a withdrawalby Israel to the 1967 lines," thus making Israel more vulnerable than everto heavily armed Arab states and Palestinian enemies and leaving itcompletely exposed to infiltration from the East. Does anyone doubt suchinfiltration would not occur? Would the United States come to the aid ofIsrael should it again be invaded? Probably not since that might hurt our"image" in the Arab world.Infidel Israelis, Americans and Europeans will not dissuade those sworn todestroy Israel. President Bush had promised former Israeli Prime MinisterAriel Sharon he could expect U.S. support to maintain defensible borders. Inthe plan now being discussed, Israel's borders would be indefensible.In all of this, the United States is trying to prop up Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas. But Abbas is a figurehead, manipulated by the terroristorganization Hamas, which virtually controls the Palestinian territoriesthanks to democratic elections. Caroline Glick writes in the Jerusalem Post:"Over the past week, Abbas announced his adherence to maximal Palestiniandemands from Israel. These include the full transfer of sovereignty over theTemple Mount to the Palestinians; the complete surrender of Judea andSamaria to the Palestinians; and an Israeli acceptance of the so-called'right-of-return' that would force Israel to accept millions of foreignArabs as immigrants within its truncated borders."Why should anyone expect anything else when the real intensions of Israel'senemies can be summed up in the "phased plan" for the destruction of Israelexpressed in 2000 by Palestinian Minister of Supply, Abd El Aziz Shahian:"The Palestinian people accepted the Oslo agreements as a first step and notas a permanent arrangement, based on the premise that the war and struggleon the ground is more efficient than a struggle from a distant land . forthe Palestinian people will continue the revolution until they achieve thegoals of the '65 revolution."The "'65 Revolution" refers to the founding of the PLO and the publicationof the Palestinian Charter, which calls for the destruction of Israelthrough armed struggle.So, why is the United States hosting this sellout in Annapolis?