As I sat there listening to Netanyahu speaking on the same platform as John Hagee, the Armageddonist extremist, I began reflecting on Netanyahu's pack of wolves example. It goes something like this:
Palestinians are like a pack of wolves chasing a pick up truck with sheep on it. Everytime Israel makes a concession, it's like the shepherd throwing a sheep to the wolves. As soon as they eat it up , they start chasing the truck again.
What the shepherd needs to do is take that shot gun and get rid of the wolves.
From the context you can read all sorts of things including the following:
- The Palestinians are the pack of wolves: there is nothing you can do to satisfy them except kill them.
- The sheep represent Israel: The innocent party in need of protection.
- The driver is Israel's shepherd: A role proudly adopted by Armageddonists.
Someone needs to tell the sheep that the shepherd one day plans to slaughter them. More precisely, as a Jewish man, Netanyahu must be aware of John Hagee's belief that the destruction of Jewish society is part of what must happen when Jesus returns.
To the Palestinians, this is a clear signal that at least some segment of Israeli society sees the desire of Palestinians to have their own state as an insatiable appetite for territory. What can be done about this? If Palestinians request half the Gaza strip to ease these concerns, even that would be considered as just the first bite out of Isreal; to be followed by endless bites. This view is also held by Armageddonists.
For this reason, the only way forward for Palestinians is to demand equality under the existing Israeli state, rather than reaching for an independent state which is held before them like mirage of water in front of a thirsty desert traveler.
1 comment:
no
Post a Comment