Personal Reflections on 72 Years of Medinat Israel

Personal Reflections on 72 Years of Medinat Israel By Dr. Michael Bliss

War of Independence

How Israel survived the attack by 5 Arab armies in 1948, determined to wipe the fledging state off the face of the earth, was miraculous. The government sent representatives around the world desperately seeking arms. Holocaust survivors detained by the British in Cyprus came to Israel after the British left and immediately went to the front line. Israel survived by the skin of its teeth, but lost 6,000 soldiers in the process. This was equivalent to America losing 2,500,000, or Britain 500,000. An enormous loss! Israel was to be involved in 5 more wars during its short existence, plus intifadas involving bus and restaurant bombings, suicide bombing, rockets, attack tunnels, amphibious attacks etc. The resilience of its people has been amazing. But over the 72 years of its existence, Israel has transformed itself into the start-up nation, with its innovative products and services demanded all over the world. Its military has become the strongest in the Middle East, its intelligence and security services the envy of the world. It has made peace with Jordan and Egypt (albeit a cold one) and agreed diplomatic relations with major countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

What has been even more remarkable is that at no time has democracy been under threat, despite the fact that most immigrants came from non-democratic countries! There is no doubt that if Israel had existed in the 1930s millions would have been saved from the Holocaust. International Pressure on Israel The EU has been particularly supportive of the Palestinian claims to its own state on the 1967 borders ('The Auschwitz borders’ as Abba Eban put it) in Judea/Samaria and East Jerusalem and Gaza. The logic of this demand was dealt a strong blow when Israel uprooted all the settlements in Gaza and left in 2005, only to see a terrorist organization (Hamas) take over Gaza and subject the South of Israel to numerous rocket attacks. Similarly, in Lebanon, Hezbollah (supported by Iran) continued to attack Israel after it had pulled out entirely from the country. Pressure was always on Israel by the international community to give ‘land for peace’, culminating in the ‘Oslo Accords’ in 1993 set up by Foreign Minister Peres and Prime minister Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995. Under the 1993 Accords Israel had been divided into 3 areas, A, B and C. The Palestinians were in full control of Area A, Israel of Area C, with Area B under the Palestinian Authority, with Israel having security responsibility. Terrorist

attacks were constantly mounted from areas A and B. The International community continued to pressure Israel to accede to Palestinian demands (1967 borders, return of 5 million refugees and a Palestinian State in East Jerusalem and the ‘West Bank’). Generous offers were made to the Palestinian Authority led by PA Chairman Arafat by Prime Minister Barak in 2000 (95 per cent of Judea/ Samaria) and an even more generous offer to PA Chairman Abbas by Prime Minister Olmert in 2008. Both were rejected and followed by Intifadas. Trump Peace Proposal

When President Trump came into office he sympathized with Israel's position, recognized its control of the Golan Heights, and Jerusalem (and moved his embassy there). His new Peace Proposal confirmed Israel's control of an undivided Jerusalem, 30 per cent of Area C (where all the settlements are located) control of the Jordan Valley and no return of Palestinian refugees. The remainder of Area C, plus Areas A and B is to be kept for a future Palestinian State Minus i.e. it is to be demilitarized, including Gaza, with Israel responsible for controlling the borders. The Palestinians would have $50 billion invested in the new state, which would have to recognize Israel, end all hostile propaganda against Israel and the Jews, stop ‘pay for slay’ (rewarding terrorists and their families) and end all hostilities with the Jewish state. If Israel accepts this peace proposal when a new government is

פסח תש׳׳פ | 43 formed (hopefully!), it would be able to create sovereignty over all settlements and the Jordan Valley, giving the Palestinians four years to agree to the terms required for their own state. It is most unlikely that a Palestinian State would emerge during this time frame, which would require a complete change of leadership dedicated to improving the economic fortunes of its population in Gaza and the West Bank. But Israel has to agree to the broad terms of the proposal before being allowed sovereignty over 30 per cent of Area C and the Jordan valley. It can't have its cake and eat it. It looks to be too good an offer to turn down. The Future

Israel has never enjoyed settled borders and since 1946 there have been 100 UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) Resolutions and a 100 UN

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Security Council Resolutions on Israel without bringing peace any closer. The Trump Peace Proposal changes the tired old way the international community looks at the Israel/ Palestinian dispute. Israel deserves a genuine peace after 72 years of wars and terrorist activities. Iran is still its implacable enemy and Israel is determined to prevent it setting up bases in countries around it and acquiring nuclear weapons. Whatever happens with the Palestinians, Israel will have to maintain its military ascendency in the Middle East and depend on itself when the chips are down. o

Seudah Shlishit We are grateful to our sponsors, some of whom have given more than once: continued from page 17 Elsa Adler Elsa & Tommy Adler Tommy Adler (2) Iris Bar Tov Yaacov Bar Tov Alexey Bogoslavsky Michal Burganski Tali Burganski Mitch Caller Menashe Cibulka Mervyn Cohen Sandra Cohen Benjamin Dayan Miriam Feigelman Judith Fineberg Yitzchak Fineberg Gemara Express Participants Rivka Leah & Avraham Goldstein David Isaacs Ayalah Kaplan (2) Ephraim Katzman Shana Katzman Jorgen Konigshofer Anita Leigh Carol Lev Gerald Levy (2) Rita Levy (2) Marcos Mashiah (3) Miryam Mashiah (3) Ellen Minaker Arthur Opolion Leslie Portnoy Stephanie Portnoy (3) Judy Shafarman Sellem Akiva Warach (4) Betty Warach (2) Bernard Wolff (2) Susan & Bernard Wolff Paulette Woolf

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