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Oslo, Israel, and despotism

Published

7 years ago

October 6, 2015

Israel, Judea and Samaria (occupied territories?), and Gaza. All these are the real Jewish and Israeli birthright, from the beginning. A God-given birthright, as Trump should recognize.. Which now-in-force international law and treaties recognize, going back to the San Remo Resolution. Even UN Resolution 242 couldn't change that. Disengagement from any of them spells disaster. A two-state solution violates this birthright. (As a candidate for ambassador clearly understands.) Why won't the Likud Party protect this birthright? Why do some accuse champions of Judea-Samaria of having crypto-Nazi tendencies? What can dispel the confusion on this point? And will The New York Times correct their own record in this regard? Or does a generation of the unteachable prevent a properly sober discussion? And now a new battle cry sounds: no taxation without annexation. Where is the proper statecraft Israel needs? Note: Israel is also a safer place for Christians than any other country in the Middle East.

This writer has been a close observer of public opinion in Israel regarding the 1993 Oslo Agreement. After five years of Israel’s experience with that Agreement, a 1998 opinion poll indicated that public opinion about Oslo was inconsistent.

If that 1998 poll was valid, it would be reasonable to attribute the inconsistency either to some flaw in Israel’s system of multi-party cabinet Government, or to the flawed character of Israeli prime ministers, or both.

Consider the following September 20, 1998 report by Dr. Aaron Lerner:

Gallup poll – public inconsistent on Oslo

The following are some results of a survey of a representative sample of 550 adult Israelis carried out by Gallup for “Maariv” the week of September 18, 1998. (Sample includes Jews and Non-Jews; sampling error ± 4.5 percent.)

Do you support or oppose continuing the peace process with the Palestinians? Support 79% Oppose 16% Don’t know 5%
Do you support or oppose the Oslo agreements? Support 65% Oppose 28% Don’t know 7%
Assuming that as a result of the Oslo agreements Israel will have to give up, in the end, most of the area of Judea and Samaria, under those circumstances, would you support or oppose continuing the Oslo process? Support 46% Oppose 46% Don’t know 8%….

The Knesset: parliamentary democracy or democratic despotism? How can the Oslo accords still confuse people today?

The Knesset, observing 61 years of existence. Photo: Itzik Edri, CC BY 2.5 Generic License

Questions only to the Jewish population:

If it were possible to move all the Arabs from Judea, Samaria and Gaza to the Arab states, without Israel having to pay an international price, would you oppose or support it? Support 65% Oppose 26% Don’t know 9%
Do you believe that the Arabs are interested in achieving a final and comprehensive peace with Israel or will they never give up their desire to destroy it? Will never give up on destroying Israel – 54%; Want peace – 34%; – Don’t know –12%

(Maariv, 20 September 1998)

Conclusion:

If the public is confused about the Oslo Agreement after more than 15,000 Jewish casualties, and if Israel’s Government is still wedded to this disastrous Agreement, the present writer concludes that something is very rotten in the nation-state of Israel and that Israel’s system of government exemplifies what Alexis de Tocqueville called a “democratic despotism”!