Ever since the outbreak of the war
between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Israel has found itself
under unprecedented ongoing criticism due to its defense policy. This
criticism, directed by the Arabs, but led by other international
players, contains spirits and ghosts we thought were buried some 60
years ago. By refusing to surrender to one of the worse terror attacks
the world has ever witnessed and by choosing to fight back, Israel has
exposed itself to political, moral and legal attacks by its opponents.
These attacks were crafted using a
clever method, building on the very basic foundations which had led to
the establishment of the Jewish state, as it was agreed upon and voted
for both in the League of Nations (1919) and in the UN (Resolution 181,
from 1947). Political, historical, legal and moral aspects of the
conflict were “examined” by the respected media in Western Europe, all
combined with official statements and declarations, followed by analyses
of experts, and leading to the inevitable conclusion: the eternally
guilty, the Jew, has done something evil once more.
Only this time it was more than
just blaming Israel for whatever is wrong – this time the critics
touched the roots of the Hebrew saga in the Middle East, testing its
logic and justifications, questioning its legitimacy and clearly
doubting its right to exist under the current circumstances. The
simplest way was to take the old Zionist claims and to deny them one by
one, by using the same tools that were used by the Zionists in the past.
Thus, in a very cynical way,
Israel’s opponents “prove” its guilt of robbing the Palestinians of
their land in the first place, and holding them under “occupation” since
1967, in contravention of international law.
In this
campaign, the Arabs and the Europeans enjoy the support of various
bodies in Israel, that although they may not wish to bring Israel to its
end (unlike some of the others mentioned), nevertheless they would
really like to see the state change its character – maybe back to what
it was before: weak, suffering from permanent danger of elimination by
Arab invention, but yet, led by the “correct” regime. These Israelis
ignore the danger and the hidden intentions of Israel’s opponents on
their way to their dream of a new, modern, secular Israel. Different
motives lead these groups into each other’s arms – and leave Israel
almost isolated not only in the real battlefield, but also in the
battlefield of the court of history.