Backwards

Here's a letter of mine, sent to The Forward, that didn't get published:

David Grossman called upon Israelis to "stop for a moment [and] take a look into the abyss" in his Rabin Memorial speech ("A Hollow Leadership, And a Miracle Squandered", Nov. 10). The phenomenom of intellectuals and men of letters and the spirit is deeply-ingrained in Israel. However, to excell in literature and science is no guarantee of wisdom.

Israel has already been through an abyss, having been forced there by the policies of those, goaded on by persons such as Grossman, who wish to concede, yield and compromise. Land was surrendered. Security was endangered. Troops were removed from strategic positions. Violations of agreements were ignored. Terrorists were armed. Supervision over the smuggling of arms and war materiel was removed from Israeli control. International funding for humanitarian projects went uncontrolled.

Jewish communities were razed and their population, in an unprecedented act of expulsion, reduced to pariahs. Jews abroad pressured their governments to pressure Israel. This was the period of the Oslo Accords, beginning in 1993, to be followed by the Lebanon retreat and the Camp David II Conference.

The result of all this was death, horrible death and maiming. Suicide bombings and Kassam missiles. And no willingness on the other side to coexist, to cooperate, to reciprocate. Over 13 years of pain, agony and mourning.

How is it possible for such Jews as Grossman to love peace so much that they will sacrifice so many of their fellow citizens and their country's future for such dubious arrangements?