Decades of Rejectionism of Israel Has Manifested Itself in the Middle East
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
The horror that is descending on Gaza is not the fault of the majority of the inhabitants, even those holding anger and vengeance inside them. The fault lies, first and foremost, with those who years ago decided to use these unfortunate people for their own aims of hatred and control. And sadly, they are their own leaders and the leaders of the various Arab countries around them that decided they had to stay where they are for political purposes.
After the creation of the State of Israel, about 500,000 Palestinian Arabs, mostly Muslim, had fled their homes either out of fear of war, intimidation by both sides or hoping that by leaving they would leave a path for the extermination of the Jewish state and then they would return. At about the same time, 600,000 Jews left Arab lands mostly under pressure, expulsion or fear. Many came from Yemen, Syria, Iraq, North Africa, Egypt and Iran.
The descendants of many of the Arab refugees are now in the West Bank and Gaza. The countries that had expelled their Jewish populations, who are ethnically and religiously allied with these Arab refugees, were established states with populations numbering in the tens of millions. With the exception of Jordan, they have refused to admit them into their lands as full citizens while the fledgling state of Israel absorbed all the Jewish refugees.
The Arab populations of Gaza and the west bank of the Jordan were offered a chance to create a state of their own in those territories at least four times over the years and never took advantage of that. Instead, under the leadership of Fatah and then Hamas and with the aid of Hezbollah and other similar groups, they have maintained an ongoing war of terror designed to eventually push Israel into the sea and eliminate its population. We saw the results of more than 75 years of rejectionism and hatred by these leaders on Oct. 7.
It was up to the population of the territories to work for peace. In order to help them create a state, Israel withdrew from Gaza decades ago but the ongoing war of terror has forced a constant, if not fully effective blockade.
Perhaps peace might have been achieved if the Ayatollahs had not taken over Iran and turned it into a terrorist provocateur but there is no going back now.
Until the Arab world can turn its energies from religious hatred and bigotry and toward productive work for a real country with freedom and peace, life will be difficult for Israelis but terrible for the unfortunate population of Gaza.
Ed Feinberg
President United Westchester B’nai Brith
Bedford Hills
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