Chammelha
- Give me more....(says Yasser Arafat)
The
high point in Israel’s short history was the Six Day
War of 1967, when the whole world applauded Israel’s
miraculous achievement of defeating the combined Arab armies.
It is said that every Jew in the Diaspora walked three inches
taller. That euphoria was gradually frittered away by the
mistakes of the Politicians. Firstly, Moshe Dayan and others
were hoping to achieve peace with the Arabs from a position
of strength, but the Arabs who were shell-shocked by their
massive defeat were not in a position nor in a mood to make
peace. Secondly, the Israelis wanted to use cheap Arab labours
to enhance her economy which was a big mistake. Thirdly,
leaders like David Ben Gurion and Shimon Peres kept wanting
to make peace with the Arabs, oblivious of the fact that
the region consisted of many other nationalities who could
strengthen Israel’s hand in creating a Middle Eastern
Union, not predominantly Arab.
Thus,
thirty four years after the Six Day War, Israel has reached
the low point of her history when Ehud Barak offered the
Palestinians 98% of the administered territories, half of
Jerusalem and Estate of their own, but they kept asking
more concessions, emboldened by Arab states and even by
the British Foreign Minister. Israel cannot now afford to
give anything more that would not lead to the eventual dismantling
of the Jewish State.
Whilst
President Clinton was apparently trying to help Israel achieve
peace with the Palestinians, he was in fact only interested
in obtaining the Nobel Peace Prize. In the last months of
his term he asked Prime Minister Ehud Barak for the best
terms that Israel could offer the Palestinians. Naively,
but in confidence, Barak offered most favourable terms to
the Palestinians. When Arafat saw the list he could not
believe his eyes, but in Arab fashion he decided to ask
for more.
"Chammelha":
In the Middle East haggling is normal in any purchase. When
a Bedouin comes to the market he cannot judge for himself
the correct price of what he wants to buy. So he tells the
grocer Chammelha (put some more). Arafat acted in the same
fashion and he who wants all will end up loosing all. This
is where the Palestinians stand now.
Where
do we go from here? Israel must modify her approach by regarding
the problem as a regional matter which can only be solved
by the active participation and contribution of all the
countries of the region. There is no room for a Palestinian
state. Jordan should have been regarded as the Palestinian
State, but since this opportunity was missed, the administered
territories should be divided into two or three autonomous
areas. Palestinian labour should be completely eliminated
from Israel’s economy.
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