Aren't You Proud You Wrote That?

At the Claremont Institute site, I found this September 2005 opinion/analysis piece and read the following which sort of starts off funny but gets better:-

...Ariel Sharon's abandonment of Gaza is the act of a statesman.

For disengagement is in Israel's interests. Israel has no partner for peace among the Palestinians, nor any interest in waiting for one...It is, or should be, in Israel's diplomatic interests...And disengagement is in the interests of Palestinians, who will soon have their chance to build a state. Theoretically, that is.

There is little to suggest that Palestine will avoid the fate of its Arab neighbors: poverty, misrule, nepotism, and violence. But they won't have occupation to blame. The impending disaster of Palestine belongs to them, not Israel.

* * *

...The Israeli sin is occupation and the Palestinian sin is terrorism. But now Israel makes redress. What have the Palestinians done? Nothing. Actually, that's not true: they've been busy partying. And praising themselves: "This pullout is the result of our sacrifice, of our patience," said President Mahmoud Abbas. In another speech: "The credit [for the withdrawal] goes to the martyrs." Abbas has no plans to confront the terrorists under his dominion...

...The cutthroats of Hamas, like Jack the Ripper in his infamous letter to a London paper, have informed their pursuers that they shan't quit ripping till they do get buckled. Islamic Jihad took potshots at departing settlers, and even attempted a suicide bombing on the first day of evacuations...There is a war process. Israel must meet the next wave of Palestinian shootings, stabbings, rocket attacks, and suicide bombings with retaliation swift and fierce.

But this time around, after withdrawal, Israel need only concern itself with attacking, not defending, in Gaza. Nor can Palestinian aggressors dupe anyone with claims about "resistance to occupation." (Or maybe they can.)...

...Israel fights to preserve its democracy; Hamas fights to establish theocracy. Israeli politicians seek public support by promising solutions and calm; Palestinian leaders do so by pledging struggle and martyrdom. Israelis are saddened when their army causes injury to innocent Palestinians and prosecute their soldiers who violate the law. Palestinians greet atrocities carried out in their honor with cheers, rationalization, and fireworks...

...disengagement cannot bring peace; the withdrawal is from the land, not the struggle. Nothing can bring Israel peace until Palestinian terrorism is routed. Victory precedes peace, and it is on victory that Israel must now concentrate.

The author is Joseph Tartakovsky.