Turki Tries Tripping Us Up

Prince Turki al-Faisal, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies and former ambassador to the United States, has an op-ed in...the NYTimes (but you knew that).And it's full of lies, misrepresentations and downright malfesance. It's called: "Land First, Then Peace"

a) since Israel did not have "land first" before June 5, 1967 but rather Arab terror (fedayeen 1949-1956; Fatah 1964 -), why should land be first and not cessation of violence, followed by a significant period of peace. And then maybe land will be discussed? Besides, if the basis for peace is the (false) assumption of 'land for territories' which is 'territorial compromise', on what territory are the Arabs compromising?

Now, let's pick just a few elements of the article itself:

b) "For Saudis to take steps toward diplomatic normalization before this land is returned to its rightful owners would undermine international law and turn a blind eye to immorality."

Oh, well. The Arabs reject something intangible and fleeting - relations - for something tangible and permanent - land. So why should Israel?

c) "Shortly after the Six-Day War in 1967, during which Israel occupied those territories".

Just like that there was a war. A bit of historical rewrite is always a good confidence-building measure - not really but my tongue is stuck in my cheek.

d) "Today, supporters of Israel cite the outdated 1988 Hamas charter...".

No, not at all outdated. And besides, the PLO charter is still quite valied.

e) "A first step should be the immediate removal of all Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Only this would show the world that Israel is serious about peace and not just stalling as it adds more illegal settlers to those already occupying Palestinian land".

Since this was done in 2005, with quite disastrous results - the Gaza Disengagement - why do it again?

f) "There have been increasing well-intentioned calls for Saudi Arabia to “do a Sadat”: King Abdullah travels to Israel and the Israelis reciprocate by making peace with Saudi Arabia. However, those urging such a move must remember that President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt went to Israel in 1977 to meet with Prime Minister Menachem Begin only after Sadat’s envoy, Hassan el-Tohamy, Sadat’s envoy, was assured by the Israeli foreign minister, Moshe Dayan, that Israel would withdraw from every last inch of Egyptian territory in return for peace. Absent a similar offer today from Israel to the leaders of Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, there is no reason to look at 1977 as a model".

Thank God. Netanyahu's Bar Ilan speech, which was a lead-in for this very "do a Sadat". seems to have been a failure. Bibi, you listening here?

g) "while Israel’s neighbors want peace, they cannot be expected to tolerate what amounts to theft, and certainly should not be pressured into rewarding Israel for the return of land that does not belong to it...".

Hey, no foreign land did we take. It was promised to the Jewish people because it belonged to the Jewish people and Jewish people lived throughout Judea, Samaria and Gaza up until the outbreak of the 1947-49 war forced upon Israel by an aggression of Arab states seeking to dash the UN compromise of partition.

Seems peacemaking is hopeless with the Arabs.