ENOUGH UNCLE TOM!

By Simon Fischler

Is there anyone else out there as tired as I am of hearing Thomas L. Friedman’s condemnations of Israel?

In his article for the New York Times on December 11, 2010 “Uncle Tom” once again lambasted Israelis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As always, the problem with the article is how much Uncle Tom leaves out.

He says we Israelis are bad for not succumbing to yet another Palestinian pre-condition, this time for ninety more days of settlement freeze.

According to Thomas Friedman we Israelis are bad for not repaying American financial and political support by yet again appeasing the Palestinians.

He fails to remind his readers that Israel had already given in to a ten-month settlement freeze that the Palestinians intentionally wasted. On top of that the Palestinians received the last freeze free of charge.

Tom forgets to remind his readers that as of today the Palestinians have failed in every way to live up to the conditions stated in the Road Map that must come before any Israeli settlement freeze. One: A complete halt to Palestinian Terror, Two: A complete halt to Palestinian Incitement against Israel, Three: Reform in Palestinian government.

There has been no such halt to Palestinian violence. There has most definitely been no halt of Palestinian incitement against Israel. Furthermore, what, precisely, has the reform in Palestinian government been? HAMAS taking over Gaza!

What has stopped Palestinian violence from Judea and Samaria is the wall Israel built that stops suicide bombers from entering her territory, along with the nightly raids that keep Hamas, Islamic Jihad and their brethren incapable of carrying out attacks.

What Tom also forgets to mention is that Israel, with its raids on HAMAS et al, is keeping the PA and President Mahmoud Abbas in power. If Israel were to let up pressure on Hamas in Judea and Samaria, Abbas would fall like the paper leader he is.

When it comes to the Gaza Strip the PA is totally out of the picture and there are daily rocket and mortar attacks on Israel by Hamas.

According to Mr. Friedman we Israelis and our leaders just don’t want peace enough. I beg to differ. What we do not want, Mr. Friedman, is to be burned by the Palestinians and their leaders anymore.

I suggest, Mr. Friedman, you type the 2000 Camp David Peace talks into Google to see what comes up. What you will find is this: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat burning Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and American President William Jefferson Clinton when he said “NO” to their offer of 97% of Judea and Samaria, all of Gaza and East Jerusalem as a Palestinian State; with the Rights of Palestinian refugees to return to the Palestinian State.

After that, Tom, type into Google “Second Intifada Started by Yasser Arafat after Sharm El Sheik Talks.”

Next, Tom, I suggest you type into Google “Israeli Unilateral Withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.” Maybe this will help remind you of the price Israel has paid to achieve peace.

After that, Tom, type into Google “Rocket Attacks from the Gaza Strip Since the Israeli Withdrawal.” Or, for that matter, I guess you could just type into Google the town Sederot to see the price Israel has paid for peace.

Thomas, you act as if the Palestinians are sorry they missed these chances at peace. They are not, because their goal -- even today -- is to destroy the Jewish Nation State. Their diplomatic policy is still the same old racist, imperialist policy it has always been.

One way or another, Thomas Friedman, you and your misguided pseudo-liberals are one of greatest problems for achieving PEACE. People like you blame the true peace seekers instead of finally putting the onus where it belongs, on the Palestinian leadership.