Posted by
Michael A. Minton on Monday, March 24, 2008 4:35:25 AM
I have been watching this situation between Israel and the Palestinians for a long time. I was a freelance reporter for Talon News when Condoleeza Rice was named Secretary of State. And I remember her making promises that she would spend however much time was necessary to hammer-out a peace agreement between the two sides.
Then came a spate of Palestinian rocket attacks, suicide bombings, and kidnappings, not just of Israelis, but of Western reporters, workers, and so on. There was, of course, retaliation for these acts on the part of Israel, who has every right to defend and protect herself. What started out as a hopeful process has sadly turned back to “the way we were” for the Israelis and Palestinians.
I actually was hopeful when Yasser Arafat died that a more moderate leader would be able to step to the fore of Palestinian politics. And one did: Mahmoud Abbas, who was at least ready to admit that the state of Israel had a right to exist…kind of a rarity in those parts.
Still, in the back of my mind, I was leery of the proposed “roadmap” that Pres. Bush had laid out. For it called for Israel to divide itself and give up some of its most sacred lands, something that I know, from reading my Bible, is not to be done. In fact, God threatens retaliation on anyone who divides the land he has set aside for His “chosen people.” And when God retaliates, things get ugly--fast!
But I think that I, like a lot of people, still held out hope that Israel could somehow reach an agreement with a more moderate leader like Abbas. And, if Abbas were all that the world had to contend with, I think that ideal might have merit. Abbas seems at least AS concerned for the plight of his people as he is with stealing back land which is rightfully Israel’s.
But then something shocking happened. Of all the “political” groups, Hamas won the majority of Palestinian elections. Hamas, a terrorist organization that refuses to even acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, a group of radical islamo-facists, funded by Syria, and by proxy, by Iran, took control of the Palestinian people and rendered Abbas essentially impotent.
I write about this now because U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is on a mission to the region, meeting with Abbas and Israeli PM Ehud Ulmert. Cheney is desperately trying to salvage the roadmap, and find a way to achieve peace before the end of the Bush administration’s term. And if peace between the two sides is to be achieved, now is certainly the time.
If they wait, and if Hillary, or even worse, Barack Hussein Obama, becomes the next U.S. President, America’s official support of Israel will be diminished significantly, if not all together. A point which PM Ulmert made clear in his speech during Pres. Bush’s trip to the region in January. He knows what is on the horizon if one of these two Democrats gets into power.
And I have a feeling the Palestinians are well aware of this, too. For recent weeks have seen increased rocket attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip. And, as is to be expected, Israel has retaliated. So, peace seems to be an illusion.
As V.P. Cheney said of the Palestinian attacks, “"Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians…[T]hey also kill legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people."
Be sure to check out Michael A. Minton’s new book, “Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed: one man’s musings during perilous times in America’s history,” which will be available in late April/early May at: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/, author house.com, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble online, and other online retailers.