Can Israel Survive?

Category: Middle East, World Affairs Topics: Occupation Views: 6815
6815

The State of Israel was established in 1948. Ever since, there has been continuous violence between Jews and Arabs in Israel, and between Israel and its neighbors. Sometimes, the violence was low-level and even latent. And every once in a while, the violence escalated into open warfare, as now. Whenever full-scale violence broke out, there was an immediate debate about what started it, as though that mattered. We are now in the midst of warfare between Israel and Palestine in Gaza and between Israel and Lebanon. And the world is engaged in its usual futile debate about how to reduce the open state of warfare to low-level violence.

Every Israeli government has wished to create a situation in which the world and Israel's neighbors recognize its existence as a state and intergroup/interstate violence ceases. Israel has never been able to achieve this. When the level of violence is relatively low, the Israeli public is split about what strategy to pursue. But when it escalates into warfare, the Jewish Israelis and world Jewry tend to rally around the government.

In reality, Israel's basic strategy since 1948 has been to rely on two things in the pursuit of its objectives: a strong military, and strong outside Western support. So far this strategy has worked in one sense: Israel still survives. The question is how much longer this strategy will in fact continue to work.

The source of outside support has shifted over time. We forget completely that in 1948 the crucial military support for Israel came from the Soviet Union and its eastern European satellites. When the Soviet Union pulled back, it was France that came to fill the role. France was engaged in a revolution in Algeria, and it saw Israel as a crucial element in defeating the Algerian national liberation movement. But when Algeria became independent in 1962, France dropped Israel because it then sought to maintain ties with a now-independent Algeria.

It is only after that moment that the United States moved into its present total support of Israel. One major element in this turn-around was the Israeli military victory in the Six Days War in 1967. In this war, Israel conquered all the territories of the old British Mandate of Palestine, as well as more. It proved its ability to be a strong military presence in the region. It transformed the attitude of world Jewry from one in which only about 50% really approved of the creation of Israel into one which had the support of the large majority of world Jewry, for whom Israel had now become a source of pride. This is the moment when the Holocaust became a major ideological justification for Israel and its policies.

After 1967, the Israeli governments never felt they had to negotiate anything with the Palestinians or with the Arab world. They offered one-sided settlements but these were always on Israeli terms. Israel wouldn't negotiate with Nasser. Then it wouldn't negotiate with Arafat. And now it won't negotiate with so-called terrorists. Instead, it has relied on successive shows of military strength.

Israel is now engaged in the exact same catastrophic blunder, from its own point of view, as George Bush's invasion of Iraq. Bush thought that a show of military strength would establish U.S. presence unquestionably in Iraq and intimidate the rest of the world. Bush has discovered that Iraqi resistance was far more formidable militarily than anticipated, that American political allies in Iraq were far less reliable than he assumed they would be, and that the U.S. public's support of the war was far more fragile than he expected. The United States is heading towards a humiliating withdrawal from Iraq.

Israel's current military campaign is a direct parallel of Bush's invasion of Iraq. The Israeli generals are already noting that Hizbullah's military is far more formidable than anticipated, that U.S. allies in the region are already taking wide distance from the United States and Israel (note the Iraqi government's support of Lebanon and now that of the Saudi government), and soon will discover that the Israeli public's support is more fragile than expected. Already the Israeli government is reluctant to send land troops into Lebanon, largely because of what it thinks will be the reaction of its own people inside Israel. Israel is heading towards a humiliating truce arrangement.

What the Israeli governments do not realize is that neither Hamas nor Hizbullah need Israel. It is Israel that needs them, and needs them desperately. If Israel wants not to become a Crusader state that is in the end extinguished, it is only Hamas and Hizbullah that can guarantee the survival of Israel. It is only when Israel is able to come to terms with them, as the deeply-rooted spokespersons of Palestinian and Arab nationalism, that Israel can live in peace.

Achieving a stable peace settlement will be extremely difficult. But the pillars of Israel's present strategy - its own military strength and the unconditional support of the United States - constitute a very thin reed. Its military advantage is diminishing and will diminish steadily in the years to come. And in the post-Iraqi years, the United States may well drop Israel in the same way that France did in the 1960s.

Israel's only real guarantee will be that of the Palestinians. And to get this guarantee, Israel will need to rethink fundamentally its strategy for survival.

Copyright by Immanuel Wallerstein, distributed by Agence Global. For rights and permissions, including translations and posting to non-commercial sites, and contact: [email protected], 1.336.686.9002 or 1.336.286.6606. To contact author, write: [email protected].


  Category: Middle East, World Affairs
  Topics: Occupation
Views: 6815

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Older Comments:
KRIS FROM MALAYSIA said:
Assalamualaikum wbrt and greetings to the rest.

Thank you Catherine Chapman for your defence of Islam. How I wish that more people will speak up in the same zest and vigour as you had.

For myself, I can never truly understand why Shan would resort to such unpalatable comments, he insults everybody and challenged Muslims to submit to his materialistic ways, he wouldn't understand that true Muslims believe that there is an after life.

Muslims don't shun this world for it is a bridge to the Here After. Muslim scholars had immensely contributed to the field of knowledge particularly science, mathematics, astronomy, and even modern medicine. Yet since knowledge is from GOD, we hold it in Trust, much as we are vicegerents and trustees in managing the trust of AL MIGHTY GOD in this world.

The only mistake is that the next generation of ummah after Khulafa Rashidin were not inventors and innovators.

Hence lies the gap in technological progress and advancement.
Wassalam.
2006-08-22

CAHTERINE CHAPMAN FROM SURREY, UK said:
Sham..or Shame or what ever your name is, if you ever were a Muslim, sounds like now you are .. desperately looking for a nod of approval from the English speaking whites. It is obvious that you have never read the Koran or any writing by any of the many eminent Muslim scholars or else your ignorance would not be so pronounced nor would be your bile and hate for Islam and Muslims. You may quote Salman Rushdie, Jill Carroll oror some other inconsequential anti-Islam writers acerbic vitriol but the bottom line is, and sad to say, no matter what you say or do, how hard you bend over backwards to appease whites and no matter how much you try and posture as an "Anglo", you will always be looked upon by white Christians and Jews as a 'darkie'. Your best bet would be to accept who you are and find peace and acceptance in Islam. Otherwise you would be neither here nor there. Interesting how most 'secular' Pakistanis seem to be suffering from this same malady. Any time you stray away from Islam and your actions are designed to please people and not God, you will end up in the state you are, confused, bitter, pathetic and hateful.
2006-08-17

KRIS FROM MALAYSIA said:
Assalamualaikum and greetings to the rest.

Such is the display of Shan's arrogance.

Boastful in character. He was talking about grammar. True but not many people really gives a hoot when Tony Blair spelled " tommorrow " as toomorrow once. We didn't say that his English is horrendous just because of some siily spelling mistake.

Yes, you produced the TV made in Japan, watch the BBC, drive a car made in where ever. But look at the source and root of all these knowledge.

Who invented the Algebra and who developed Mathematics ? Which scientists were best before ? The only mistakes that Muslims made was the failure to develop and expound knowledge. Who conducted the first medical surgery at the time when Europe was in darkness ? Who had contributed to the knowledge of astronomy ? Without these knowledge there won't be any Japanese cars invented, or satelite televisions or surgeries.

Or pathetic arrogance, if I may add.
2006-08-17

HUDD FROM CANADA said:
Shan,are you thinking before opining? .. Don't urge us to read ..the Bible and the Torah. What else? You want us to read Talmud too? What for? You need to believe in those things in order to make a differnce for the reader,dah! Shan,so said the Romans,the Greeks,the British and the French. Their luster and glory is long gone. Israel is no exception to this rule. Israel was strong and glorious in the past,her fame died with king Solomon's death when inevitably the shabby state disintegrated in the end and became an Assyrian colony. As God promised to the Jews a land,He also promised to take it away. I tremble for the time when the American people will realize how the Zionists duped them into the great human losses and financial disaster their country is in. No medicare,no social assistance,because all available money goes to the building and support of Israel. When that time comes,Muslims need only to lay back and watch the greatest holocaust the Jews ever experienced in the country of the free!

As regarding your advice to us,you can shove it. Muslims will do as they see fit. They will fight as long as the occupation lasts. All the way,whether is a century,a millenium or ten. Be prepared for that. As for the technology you mentioned? Oh yeah,Muslims are very versatile,they are going to use everything available,including Israeli weapons captured from fallen Israeli .. that raped their lands. I don't see your point. You in USA drive as well Japanese and German cars,nay your stupid gass guzzlers are becoming very unpopular. Your decadent nature is sure to bring your downfall before this century ends,God willing,then a new America will emerge from the ashes of the corrupt and evil empire! Long live Hizballah!
So long,my American friend,see you some time at Niagara or Windsor!
2006-08-17

AN AMERICAN FROM USA said:
Dear John,

Unfortunately, I had never heard or read the actual quote from Golda Meir but if it really is exactly as you quoted then not only does it not make any sense but in fact it seems to be utterly stupid.

Talking about Arabs, or anyone for that matter, it only makes sense that anyone would love their children more than would they hate anyone. If the point needed to be made was that Arabs hate the Jews so much that they don't even love their own kids as much then it would have made more sense to say in the following manner:

"peace will not come until the Arabs love their children less than they hate Israel.".
2006-08-16

SHAN FROM USA said:
... First, a piece of advice. Before you try to bring out your message, use a spell check and ask people who can actually speak English to proof read your article. The English and grammar on this site is atrocious.
Second, Israel is not going anywhere. You all can whine and moan and challenge what I am going to say, but get used to it. It doesn't matter at this point about who is right and wrong, but Israel is not going away. The Jews believe in that and the Christians believe that is well. Read the Bible and the Torah.
Third, instead of whining and crying, go help your fellow Arabs and try to bring them up in peace. Read the Jill Carroll article, even 5-year olds are being bred in the name of Islam to kill people.
I really feel sorry for you all, because its really what losers typically say, but can't do a thing to all the whining. Listen folks, the western world isn't going away in your life time. Get used to it. My guess is that you are probably watching TV made in Japan, driving a German car, drinking an American coke and watching BBC on your Japanese TV. Hmmm lets think of that for a second.

MAKE LOVE NOT WAR!!!
2006-08-16

SORRY TOSAY said:
The author states; 'What the Israeli governments do not realize is that neither Hamas nor Hizbullah need Israel. It is Israel that needs them, and needs them desperately.' Well that will never happen. With the religion of Islam, Muslims are taught to have Jews and Christians, to prove the point we have to go no further then Saudi textbooks for students grades 1 thru graduation. Israel has to defend itself, or it will perish surely. The only hope is for the people of the Mulsim Middle East be taught not to hate each other. Which is another wishful dream. Sometimes there are no solutions and things just have to go to their conclusions.

"Imagine" by John Lennon, 'a world without religion', it is too good to be true or possible.
2006-08-15

ZINEDINE FROM MOROCCO said:
Salaamu alaikum,

There is some truth in the end of this article but to say:" After 1967, the Israeli governments never felt they had to negotiate anything with the Palestinians or with the Arab world. They offered one-sided settlements but these were always on Israeli terms. Israel wouldn't negotiate with Nasser. Then it wouldn't negotiate with Arafat. And now it won't negotiate with so-called terrorists. Instead, it has relied on successive shows of military strength."

Totally wrong because Israel never and its Zionist settlers since the days of Izzudine Alqassaam never in the 1930's never intended and planned to negotiate with the Palestinians. No its Haganah militias actually gangs blow up King David hotel and killed many British soldiers & palestians. In fact, they were the pionneers of terrorism in the world in the sense that they were the first on this planet to blow up a car & kill as many Brits as possible. And when Israeli govs pretend to negotiate it is only from the standpoint of holding on to territories they have invaded & stolen from their original owners the Palestinians that inhabited Palestine for the last 7000 years.
2006-08-14

FARIS FROM ISRAEL said:
When our country is a country without boarder, how can you say that their soldiers were kidnap!! Since when the soldiers been use as KIDNAP normally we call it POW. Because they are soldiers and ready to died for what ever the objective is. I wonder what the family of dead soldiers feels about the two POW. Why not exchange POW with POW but Olmert has to change the rule.
2006-08-14

MOHAMMAD SYED FROM USA said:
I agree with the Mr. Wallerstein's assessment of Israeli policies. It amazes me that Israelis being intelligent and gifted people have adopted such a horrific foreign policy that is unjust and cruel. Don't they know that they can not live in peace by grabbing Palestinian and Syrian land? How long can they live in peace by oppressing Palestinians and Lebanese? Israel has lost its soul.
Israel's current foreign policies do not serve Israel's interest. It seems they do not believe in peace with Arabs. Their strategy is to keep making enemies so that they can get financial and military support from the West. Israel must make peace with Arabs in order to live in peace.
2006-08-12

KHAN FROM USA said:
Very nice article...The state of Israel was formed in 1949 with a big conspiracy or planning. The west did not want Israel to be formed in Europe or Americas. They wanted some tool/ robot country in the mid-east to misuse and create unrest at times .

They support non-democratic countries in mid-east(Saudi,Jordan, Egypt and so on) give them aid, give them weapons,take their resources,destroy and rebuild-boosting their economy and so on...

They created Israel in MID-EAST for number of reasons.The superpowers(Russia-1948,France-1962 and now USA)helped them for their own reasons and dumped Israel when their objectives were accomplished or they see problem with other mid-east countries as you mentioned in the article.

Israeli leaders are smart and has best intelligence in the world and they should use it in right way. They cannot have peace unless they have a serious and real peace conference with the mid-east countries without any mediators.

It is time to leave the differences and sit and talk seriously. It is in history and no one can prove it wrong that jews, muslims and christians lived peacefuly in the prophetic times. What happened now?

All countries in mid-east can live in peace and prosper having good industries,financial institutions by compromise and some give-up from all sides.

Remember once a country is formed /created it is impossible to destroy and kill all the people. The resources used for this purpose can be used for good things.

We,whether christians,jews or muslims are the children of ADAM and ABRAHAM. We pray one Supreme GOD almighty whether we call him ALLAH, ILA or LORD the Almighty.
2006-08-12

BEN FROM TUNISIA said:
The best way for Israel to ease all the tension is to get out of there and give back all the stolen lands to its people.
Anyone who has morale should think so. There's no other way to discuss it.
With peace or with war Israel will perish one day... The US will follow soon.
Let's learn from history... Where are the powerful empires? History shows again and again only Muslims survive with their pure faith and belief in the power of God, and not the power of nuclear bombs.
Do not misunderstand me, when I say Muslims, I don't mean the followers of prophet Muhammad (pbuh) but all the believers in One God starting from Adam to Jesus.

Wayne, let me give you a simple piece of advice, if you -as a westener- have a feeling of regret of what your grandfathers did to the Jews in the beginning of the last century, then share your land with them, but don't help terrorize others and rob their lands!
You don't surprise anybody if you think this way.
Let' not forget that it's your grandfathers who killed the native Americans (Indians) and stripped them off their lands; it's them who used the atomic bomb in Japan and killed millions of innocent people; it's them who caused wwI/II; it's them who colonized S. American, African and Asian continents; it's them who created apertheid in S. Africa; it's them who killed the Jews in Europe; it's them who lied to the world and invaded Iraq and the list goes on and on...
Look back again to history and see for yourself how the Christians, Jews and all types of people were living toghether in peace and harmony under Muslim rules in S. of Spain, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, North Africa...
Again history tells us that when the Muslims were defeated in southern Spain, your grandfarthers burnt up Jews and Muslims, and even other different Christians sects.
My advice to you: read history with objectivity. See for yourself what your grandfathers didn't want you to know... and don't throw stones on others when you live in a glas
2006-08-12

JOHN FROM AUSTRALIA said:
Well in the article it was mentioned that after 1967, the Israeli government never felth they had to negoitate with the arab world. Well it was the arab would that would not negotiate with Isreal. Just after the 6 day war, members of the Arab league passed a Khartoum Resolution, and the resultion contained in paragraph 3 of the big nos of that time. 1, No peace with Israel, 2, No recognition of Israel, 3, No negotians with Israel.

Actually no Arab nation would even accept Israels existance, and it was only after the 1973 war that countries such as Egypt accepted Israels existance. When Egypt made peace with Isreal, it was kicked out of the Arab league.

WEll with Hamas, there are members in that group that do not at all want a peace treaty with Israel and the goal of some of them is the complete destruction of Israel. Thats the same with members of Hizbullah.

Well Israel under BArak, did negotiage with Arafat in 2000. And Israel had generous offer with Arafat, and offered the futher Palestainian state all its pre 1967 borders, and east Jerusalem, except for the wailing wall, and 2 christian neighbourhoods that connect to the Wailing wall. But Arafat rejected Isreali terms, and wanted more such as a part of the Wailing wall and most of the 2 Christian neighourhoods connecting to the WAiling wall.

Of course many people in the ARab world hate Israel, and the suicide bombings by Islamic militants against Israel have the support for most Palestainians.

When Hizobollah strikes its missiles to Israel and kills civilians according to Hizobollah it is a sucess, but I never recall the Isreali government when they have killed large numbers of Civilians as a sucess.

2006-08-12

JOHN FROM AUSTRALIA said:
Well in the article it was mentioned that after 1967, the Israeli government never felth they had to negoitate with the arab world. Well it was the arab would that would not negotiate with Isreal. Just after the 6 day war, members of the Arab league passed a Khartoum Resolution, and the resultion contained in paragraph 3 of the big nos of that time. 1, No peace with Israel, 2, No recognition of Israel, 3, No negotians with Israel.

Actually no Arab nation would even accept Israels existance, and it was only after the 1973 war that countries such as Egypt accepted Israels existance. When Egypt made peace with Isreal, it was kicked out of the Arab league.

WEll with Hamas, there are members in that group that do not at all want a peace treaty with Israel and the goal of some of them is the complete destruction of Israel. Thats the same with members of Hizbullah.

Well Israel under BArak, did negotiage with Arafat in 2000. And Israel had generous offer with Arafat, and offered the futher Palestainian state all its pre 1967 borders, and east Jerusalem, except for the wailing wall, and 2 christian neighbourhoods that connect to the Wailing wall. But Arafat rejected Isreali terms, and wanted more such as a part of the Wailing wall and most of the 2 Christian neighourhoods connecting to the WAiling wall.

Of course many people in the ARab world hate Israel, and the suicide bombings by Islamic militants against Israel have the support for most Palestainians.

When Hizobollah strikes its missiles to Israel and kills civilians according to Hizobollah it is a sucess, but I never recall the Isreali government when they have killed large numbers of Civilians as a sucess.

Well every attack on Israel by its enemies do remind me of the words of Golda Meir which she quoted "peace will not come until the Arabs love their children more than they hate Israel.".
2006-08-12

WILLIAM FROM USA said:
While I find your article very interesting, I beleive your article forgets to mention that Isreal's PM Ehud Barak sought to give concessions, that were all of the PLO's asking, to Mr. Arafat. He did not simply ignore Mr. Arafat.
2006-08-12

HUDD FROM CND said:
Definitely true. US may or may not abandon Israel,but not this is what depents on her survival. Coming to terms with Hamas and Hizballah is. Israel could start the process by pulling out from all territories acquired after 1967. All settlements and infrastructure built should be left for Palestine as a pay back for Israel's barbaric destruction of Palestinian livelihood over the years. Second step would be the complete demilitarization of the state and becoming a neutral entity like Switzerland. Develop their national defence not by a military war machine,but rather border security and by developing a high tech system to guard their country. By waging war Israel doesn't protect nor secures her state's survival. For USA,the same thing,in order to have security you need to protect your borders and entry ports with a system that is almost infallible, state of the art,I would say. But,hey it's easier to get those blacks and Latinos killed,who needs them anyway? Besides you have your weapon industry going on big with lots of profits. How stupid and ethically decaying.
2006-08-11

KHAN FROM US said:
It is time for the countries around the Israel and in Middle east to unite, have weapons, arsenal, technolgy, Intelligence to match the Israel's.

We have seen enough that they cannot fight with small stone or rocks and beg and cry for outside help in UN or elsewhere. They are fighting for their rights and for their land.

The radical jews and christians formed an alliance to control superpowers, stock-markets, military, Media and almost everything in this world(including some muslim leaders -Ha..).

But, ALLAH,is a great planner and shall decide our future. Do not forget what happened to Hitler and Soviet Union.
2006-08-11

NASIR A FROM US said:
Yes, if Israeli wants to survive. Israeli must accept the conditions and accept Palestine.
Israeli need Hamas and Hizbullah more than they need Israeli. US should stop supporting Israeli in arms and Israeli should stop building nuclear
weapons.

2006-08-11

ABDIFATAH SULEIMAN MUSSE FROM USA said:
all power and honor belong to allah, allah plans swifftly, allah's kingdom will shine over in our life time, we will see the end of the evil force in our life, insha allah, that is a promise
2006-08-11

SWDR FROM USA said:
It's too bad so many innocent lives have been lost for them to realize peace is better than war. Or maybe humiliation for their truely evil nature is too much for their ego.They just have to save face and pursue this war in another way, another day. Maybe through the media in the US, creating more shoe bombers and giving muslims a bad name. And Oh yeh, US is as much to blame for Israels actions as Israel itself.
2006-08-11

WAYNE FROM USA said:
Nonsense. The US will not abandon Israel... and if you had the slightest clue, you'd know why. I'm not going to waste time explaining it because obviously you hate Israel & the USA. I tell ya though, suicide bombers aren't "Jewry"
they're not buddists hindus or christians, they're muslims. Now stop it already, the last time we had suicide bombers was the Japanese kamakazi's . Flippin' insane ! fundamentally rethink that plan for survival.
2006-08-11