Kerry's Frustration

John Kerry is frustrated. So reports my local newspaper.[i]  He has worked all year trying to bring about a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.  I am also frustrated. My frustration is not so much with Israel or Palestine, whose actions are totally predictable. It is with John Kerry.

Kerry is smart enough to know that the barrier to peace in the Israel/Palestinian conflict is the OCCUPATION.  The problem is that he does not have the integrity and courage to admit what he surely must know.  Throughout its history, Israel has shown little interest in meeting any conditions for peace with the Palestinians which might put its agenda for expanding into all of Palestine in jeopardy. 

Back in 1940, Joseph Weitz, head of the Jewish Agency’s Colonization Department, could have explained it to Kerry:

Between ourselves it must be clear that there is no room for both peoples together in this country. We shall not achieve our goal if the Arabs are in this country. There is no other way than to transfer the Arabs from here to neighboring countries – all of them. Not one village, not one tribe, should be left.[ii]

David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, established Israel’s strategy in clear terms.

After we become strong as the results of the state, we shall abolish partition and expand to the whole of Palestine.”[iii]

Immediately following the Six Day War, Menachem Begin began referring to the West Bank only by its ancient Biblical names, Samaria and Judea, giving a “God endorsement” to Israel’s goal of expansion:

The right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is eternal and indisputable and is linked to security and peace. Therefore, Judea and Samaria will not be handed over to any foreign administration. Between the sea and the Jordan River there will be only Israeli sovereignty. Relinquishing parts of the Western Land of Israel undermines our right to the country, jeopardizes the security of the Jewish population, endangers the security of the State of Israel and frustrates any prospect of peace.[iv]

Raphael Eytan, IDF Chief of Staff, known for his part in the massacre of 762 to 3,500 mostly women, children and old people at Sabra and Shatila said:

We declare openly that the Arabs have no right to settle on even one centimeter of Eretz Israel… Force is all they do or ever will understand… When we have settled the land, all the Arabs will be able to do will be to scurry around like drugged cockroaches in a bottle.[v]

Matthew Taylor sums it up:

For the past 66 years, Israel’s primary mission – no matter which party was in power – has been to steal land from Palestinians and give this stolen land to Israeli Jews.  In the words of Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. “We will expel the Arabs and take their places,”[vi]

It is amazing that Israel has managed to sell their smoke and mirrors act to the Western world, (meaning Kerry), that in spite of the facts, Israel really wants peace but is the victim that needs an enormous amount of money to be protected from the Arabs.

As Kerry talks borders, Israel announces plans to destroy 2,000 more Arab homes in order to construct 828 Jewish only homes in East Jerusalem plus 20,000 more in the West Bank.[vii]   .

The issue, Mr. Kerry, is the OCCUPATION and its history. Israel’s separation wall has turned Palestinian towns and villages into prisons. Gaza continues to live in inhumane conditions, under permanent blockade. Settlements gobble up homes and land. Military checkpoints and road blocks by the hundreds, humiliate Palestinians trying to get to work or home and hundreds of thousands of refugees still live in camps.

Hamas has declared that it will recognize Israel within its '67 borders, but as long as Israel refuses to define borders, given Israel’s stated goals and track record, undefined recognition would leave nothing for the Palestinians.  

The news article lamenting Kerry’s frustration concludes:

The final breakdown was set in motion when Israel moved ahead with plans to build settlement units in the area of East Jerusalem that Palestinians consider their territory.”  

“Consider” their territory! And why shouldn’t they?  They have title deeds to the land, have lived and worked on the land for centuries and have never considered any other place their home.  Why would they not consider it their territory?  

Come on Mr. Kerry, turn the lights on. A thief loves the darkness and Israel loves your frustration.  My question is why would you be frustrated, and why, after 44 years of the same story,  would the Associated Press think this is news?

                                                                                    Thomas Are

                                                                                    January 1, 2015

[i] Laura Jakes, Associated Press, Israeli-Palestinian Peace Efforts Foiled, The Atlanta-Journal-Constitution,  December 22, 2014.

[ii] Alan Hart, Zionism, The Real Enemy of the Jews.  Volume One.,  (Clarity Press, 2009) p. 122.

[iii] Ben Gurion in a 1938 speech . Cited in Ralph Schoenman, The Hidden History of Zionism, (Veritas Press, Santa Barbara, California, 1988) p.33.

[iv] Cited in Zionism the Quest for Justice in the Holy Land, Edited by Don Wagner and Walter Davis, (Pickwick Publications, 2014) p.38. oly Land, Edited by Don Wagner and Walter Davis, Holy

[v] Reported in New York Times,  April 14, 1983.  Google Wikipedia. 

[vi] Matthew Taylor, Roger Cohen recites Livni talking points in ‘NYT’ column to blame Palestinians for peace process failure.  Mondoweiss, December 24, 2014

[vii] Rachelle Marshall, Kerry faces Down Israel and its Lobby to Achieve Agreement with Iran,  The Washington Report on Middle east Affairs. January 2014. p. 9.