It seems that much of the population is unfamiliar with the history of the Israeli-Arab conflict, as is evident by Matthew Nelson’s letter to the editor ( “Backing Israel is backing oppression,” ODE, April 4). Nelson refers to Israel as “oppressors” who “overtake Palestinian land” and “terrorize innocent civilians.” Let’s take a closer look at these accusations.
The territories under dispute were captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. In this defensive war, the Jewish State effectively fought off the surrounding Arab States, who were led by former Egyptian President Gamal Nasser’s call for Arabs to “throw the Jews into the sea.” Ever since the Six-Day War, Israel has been willing to return the land captured in exchange for peace; in fact, Israel returned 91 percent of that land (the entire Sinai Peninsula) to Egypt in 1979 in exchange for peace. Israel also dismantled all of the settlements in the Sinai as part of that agreement.
During the past 35 years, Israel has made numerous attempts to fashion similar peace treaties with Syria regarding the Golan Heights and the Palestinians regarding the West Bank and Gaza. The Oslo Accords in 1993 were an attempt to begin this process with the Palestinians. As part of this plan, Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat was supposed to denounce terrorism and begin the establishment of a Palestinian State. Instead of using this opportunity to teach peace and change the attitude of his people, Arafat used the money and arms he received to continue promoting terrorism, anti-Semitism and the “rewards” of suicide bombing.
Nevertheless, Israel attempted to finalize this plan in the summer of 2000 at Camp David II and again at Taba in 2001, which would have given the Palestinians a state side-by-side with Israel. The proposed state included 97 percent of the West Bank and all of Gaza, an almost identical offer to the one floated by Saudi Arabian Prince Abdullah at the recent Arab League Summit. Arafat refused this offer without presenting a counter-offer and then effectively ended the talks by insisting on the “right of return” of 4 million-plus Palestinians to Israel proper, which would destroy the national identity of the Jewish state. Upon his return to Israel, he launched a campaign of terror against the people of Israel which continues to this day.
Israel, on the other hand, does not target innocent civilians; rather, they try to protect innocent civilians from Arafat’s suicide bombers. I’d hardly call this “oppression” or “terrorism.” Israel has stated clearly many times that it is willing to accept a ceasefire, enter negotiations and ultimately try to reach an equitable agreement with the Palestinians, yet every time they attempt to do so, they are met with more terror attacks.
It is a shame for the Palestinians who want peace that their leader’s politics are based on terrorism rather than negotiation. When Arafat’s own government-controlled TV station calls for Palestinians to “slaughter the Jews,” it is tough to agree with Nelson’s depiction of the Israelis as terrorists.