This is How It Happens
This is How It Happens
By Omri Ceren
When Israel withdrew from Southern Lebanon in May 2000, both the United Nations and the United States declared unequivocally that Israel's withdrawal was complete and that all Lebanese territory had been evacuated. Immediately, Hezbollah declared that Israel had in fact not withdrawn from Lebanon - despite what UN peacekeepers walking inch by inch along the border had conclusively proven. Apparently, unbeknownst to anyone, Syria had ceded the Shebaa Farms region - land that it lost to Israel in 1967 - to Lebanon. Hezbollah refused to disarm and continued their anti-Israel violence, claiming that Israel's occupation of the Shebaa Farms meant that Israel was still occupying Lebanese land.
Outside of the Middle East something like this would never pass the laugh test: in 1967, Israel captures Syrian land; in 2000, Syria graciously cedes that land (land that it doesn't have) to Lebanon and Lebanese terrorists attack Israel to "liberate" what has mysteriously become sacrosanct Lebanese land. But when it comes to anti-Israel maneuvering, no nonsense is too surreal to get a fair hearing:
* A year go, we began to notice CNN accepting Hezbollah's perspective and inserting the spineless phrase "disputed Shebaa Farms region" into their stories.
* Last August, the United States inexplicably flipped on black-letter international law and declared that Israel should hand over the Shebba farms to Hezbollah.
* This week, the United Nations joined the United States in seeing things from Lebanon's point of view:
QUESTION: The question is the implementation of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and also the signing of a peace treaty between Lebanon and Israel.
SECRETARY GENERAL ANNAN: The dismantling of Palestinian militia in Lebanon does come under 1559, but this is something that the Lebanese authorities will have to handle. And of course, we have discussed this issue with them and they will do it their way in time and organize themselves to do that. The other aspects of 1559 that we have implemented were discussed here in this house and in this room.
As to the signing of a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel, that is a matter that the two countries will have to discuss. I'm not sure that on the Lebanese side they are ready to do that as long as they believe the Shebba Farms is still under contention. And I think in time that may happen, but I don't see it on the cards today.
What this demonstrates is that even when Israel fully complies with international demands, Arab and Muslim diplomats and terrorists will always demand more land - and eventually the international community will side against Israel. Even if the international community at first verifies that Israel has fulfilled all its obligations, Israel's enemies always come up with something else that is somehow "rightfully theirs" - and which Israel has to give back "in the name of peace." Then they attack Israel because of that the newly occupied land, and the cycle begins again: diplomats and journalists will ignore what everyone knows (that the Arab excuses are transparent pretexts) and begin to speak neutrally of "disputes" and "grievances". And then a little while later, State Department and Quartet "suggestions" become "demands" and "demands" becomes "pressure" - until the terrorists have successfully moved the goalposts and Israel is again expected to "make sacrifices for peace".
Israel withdrew from Lebanon and even the United Nations certified that their withdrawal was complete. Hezbollah, needing an excuse to continue killing Israelis, brazenly just asserted the patently false claim that the Shebaa Farms is occupied Lebanese territory. And now they're going to get away with it. But now Secretary Rice and Secretary General Annan are declaring that there will be peace if Israel just gives in to Arabs' demands one last time.
[Cross-posted at Mere Rhetoric]
Posted by Omri Ceren at September 22, 2005 09:07 PM
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1
.
BobW
said:
The major part of this problem re international frontiers is that Israel lacks a modern government to address problems like this. Israel is not the only nation with border disputes.Israel does have a current reputation for losing its arguments.
If Israel had a state of the art government, Sheeba Farms would never have become an issue. A modern Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have prepared position papers fortified with references as to how other borders were established. A paper would have examples such as settlement of Timor's border (oil issue with Australia), PR China (Northwest area re PRC's "Unequal Treaties") and the Egypt-Sudan demarcations and referencing how Nile water is being shared. Sheeba Farms would have left the scene faster than the Secretary General's son's new car from his subcontract with oil for food sales.
Since Israel lacks a Jewish government - Jewish inherently meaning state of the art - expect Sheeba Farms to become Arab territory.
Kol tuv,
BobW
Posted by: BobW on September 23, 2005 02:12 AM
2
.
Ted Belman
said:
Another example of suggestions becoming demands is that after the failure of the Camp David talks the international community started talking about how the "Palestinians needed "hope" ( ie a promise of a state)and it started giving legitamacy to Arafat's demands that Barak's overly genereous offer fall short of. Also in a concerted efforts some writers, policticians and diplomats started removing the blame for the failure of the talks from Arafat where Clinton had placed it. They also validated Arafat's demands.
And viola you had the roadmap which promised them a state which was to be contiguous and viable. Since Israel's conditional acceptance of it the words viable and contiguous have been used as clubs to demand further action by Israel. Arab desires turned into the world's demands. Israel by accepoting the Roadmap handed them the club with nothing in return.
Posted by: Ted Belman on September 23, 2005 07:54 AM
This is How It Happens
By Omri Ceren
When Israel withdrew from Southern Lebanon in May 2000, both the United Nations and the United States declared unequivocally that Israel's withdrawal was complete and that all Lebanese territory had been evacuated. Immediately, Hezbollah declared that Israel had in fact not withdrawn from Lebanon - despite what UN peacekeepers walking inch by inch along the border had conclusively proven. Apparently, unbeknownst to anyone, Syria had ceded the Shebaa Farms region - land that it lost to Israel in 1967 - to Lebanon. Hezbollah refused to disarm and continued their anti-Israel violence, claiming that Israel's occupation of the Shebaa Farms meant that Israel was still occupying Lebanese land.
Outside of the Middle East something like this would never pass the laugh test: in 1967, Israel captures Syrian land; in 2000, Syria graciously cedes that land (land that it doesn't have) to Lebanon and Lebanese terrorists attack Israel to "liberate" what has mysteriously become sacrosanct Lebanese land. But when it comes to anti-Israel maneuvering, no nonsense is too surreal to get a fair hearing:
* A year go, we began to notice CNN accepting Hezbollah's perspective and inserting the spineless phrase "disputed Shebaa Farms region" into their stories.
What this demonstrates is that even when Israel fully complies with international demands, Arab and Muslim diplomats and terrorists will always demand more land - and eventually the international community will side against Israel. Even if the international community at first verifies that Israel has fulfilled all its obligations, Israel's enemies always come up with something else that is somehow "rightfully theirs" - and which Israel has to give back "in the name of peace." Then they attack Israel because of that the newly occupied land, and the cycle begins again: diplomats and journalists will ignore what everyone knows (that the Arab excuses are transparent pretexts) and begin to speak neutrally of "disputes" and "grievances". And then a little while later, State Department and Quartet "suggestions" become "demands" and "demands" becomes "pressure" - until the terrorists have successfully moved the goalposts and Israel is again expected to "make sacrifices for peace".* Last August, the United States inexplicably flipped on black-letter international law and declared that Israel should hand over the Shebba farms to Hezbollah.
* This week, the United Nations joined the United States in seeing things from Lebanon's point of view:
Israel withdrew from Lebanon and even the United Nations certified that their withdrawal was complete. Hezbollah, needing an excuse to continue killing Israelis, brazenly just asserted the patently false claim that the Shebaa Farms is occupied Lebanese territory. And now they're going to get away with it. But now Secretary Rice and Secretary General Annan are declaring that there will be peace if Israel just gives in to Arabs' demands one last time.
[Cross-posted at Mere Rhetoric]
Posted by Omri Ceren at September 22, 2005 09:07 PM