By: Tashbih Sayyed
Evidently the homicide bombing at Maxim restaurant in Haifa that killed 19 more innocent civilians is not going to mute criticism of the security fence. The critics know that the fence is the only option left for Israel to secure itself, but in their crooked wisdom, they think that angering Arabs is not profitable. The world is aware that Israel's efforts to establish peace in the region are religiously frustrated by terrorist groups. But they do not find the courage to challenge the Arab world's blatant backing of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah. And the U.S., Europe and Russia blinded by their geo-political strategic expediencies, refuse to see the dangers of appeasing a radical mind. Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement that the U.S. administration is unhappy about the route of the security fence displays very clearly this short sighted mentality.
Arabs too, will not realize that the death and destruction unleashed on the peaceful Israelis by their "holy warriors" is killing their chances of ever living in peace. I agree with the view, "Feelings of frustration and rage that grip the heart after a terror attack like in Haifa's Maxim restaurant, push aside individual and public powers of reasoning. They lead to a demoralizing conclusion that Israel lacks a Palestinian partner for any resumed peace process, and so it has no choice other than to live by the sword." I have experienced the truth behind this logic many a time. Every time a homicide bomber strikes in Israel, the Arabs in Palestine lose some more support. Every act of terror adds to the list of those who are convinced that so long as Islamist Arabs exist on the historical Palestine land, peace will continue to delude. With every act of barbarism, the view that Muslim Arabs have to be evacuated from Palestine continues to gain currency.
Arab radicalism is hurting the cause of Islam too. There is a growing concern in the Muslim world that the Muslim Arabs should not be permitted to hold Islam hostage. They should be forced to rein in their leaders. Radical Islam's hatred for freedoms and civilized values is destroying the image of Muslims everywhere. Muslims want to do something about it. They do not want to remain silent any more. "Just because Islam was born in Arabia, should not be enough to give the Islamists the right to corrupt the message of peace into an evil ideology - Wahhabism," they say.
A need is being felt for a fence in the Muslim world too. Muslims also need to erect a fence to emphasize a division between Islam and radical Islamism. Some times a fence becomes the only choice between life and death. China built the wall to keep the barbarians out. Citizens in the big U.S. cities build walls around their houses and install iron and steel grills on their windows to secure their loved ones. Israel too has a right to defend itself by constructing the fence. If there was any doubt, Haifa bombing should remove it.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, asserting that it was in response to the Israeli government's decision to go ahead with the construction of the security fence. They know perfectly well that it is not Israel but their homicide bombers who have forced Israel to build the fence. Casting terrorism as an Islamic act is criminal. It is the duty of the Muslim Arabs to stand up and condemn the terrorists if they need to be seen as Muslims. Remember, Islam allows neither suicides nor homicide bombings. These Islamic Jehadists, Hamas terrorists and Hezbollah assassins live among them. People know them and recognize them. Their failure to discourage them is a proof that they do not understand Islam. This silence of the "faithful" explains the paramount need for a division between the terrorists and the citizens of Israel. This silence is damaging the interests of the true Muslims.
The silence of the "faithful" and the political correctness of the world is complicating an already difficult situation. Israel's experience with the world should be enough to convince any one that the Jewish state stands alone. It has come to realize that the problem is not "occupation" or settlements or the fence. It is much more. That's why Arabs in Palestine did not accept Ehud Barak's generous offer for a peace agreement. Under this offer Israel would have conceded most or all of the land it conquered in 1967. Yasser Arafat rejected it because it did not contain any hope for the total destruction of the Jewish state. Similarly, if the international community was really sincere in establishing peace in the region they would not have insisted on being even handed. They would have demanded of the Arabs to relinquish their policy of seeking the total annihilation of Jewish people.
The Haifa bombing has re-enforced the belief that concrete actions are a must to eliminate the daily threats to the lives of the innocent. But any action in this regard has to be very well planned and well thought out. The policy makers in Israel should be aware that Yasser Arafat's removal and the destruction of the terrorist power bases in Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia will definitely force the remnants of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah to unleash the full force of their terror in a last bid to regain control. Other criminals will also try to take advantage of the vacuum created by the removal of the terrorists as it is happening in Iraq. Israel should be prepared not only to deal with all the hell that will break loose but should also be ready to handle the post terror environment.
Clouds that thunder do not rain. The premature announcement of Israeli leaders of their decision in principle to get rid of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, did not help the cause of Israelis. It helped the terrorists to build a defensive wall around Arafat. Many analysts who agreed with the principal of getting rid of the terrorist, could not agree with the wisdom of making the decision public. If terror has to be eradicated, it will be wise not to run around screaming of the plan. Just do it. The results will not only inform the politically correct but will also silence them.
Israel can begin the process by seeking support of the new Arab government in Palestine headed by Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) in achieving this final solution. Abu Ala's response will go a long way in determining whether the civilized world can trust him or not. Bush administration should also be asked to demonstrate by its actions, conclusively, that they really understand the real nature of terrorism. If the barbaric hijackers who attacked New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, were terrorists then the animals who are killing the innocent Israelis are also terrorists. Terrorism is terrorism - a scourge that threatens our civilization anywhere and everywhere. President Bush will have to show the same focus and determination in dealing with the Arab terror in Palestine as he displayed in the immediate aftermath of black Tuesday. For the U.S. president, who divided this world so passionately, in two camps - either you are with us or with the terrorists, to call Israel's security barrier a "problem," smacks of hypocrisy. And White House's suggestion, that the administration "would not rule out" subtracting the money Israel spends on the barrier from its $9 billion loan package reeks of double standard.
At the end of the day, I ma sure, Israel will have to fight her war alone. For the nations who stood in silence, as Adolf Hitler continued with the holocaust, are once again showing their real colors by preaching to treat her at par with Hamas and Islamic jihad. Once again, the humanity is reminded of the fact that the powers who are in the business of seeking gains by appeasing terror are not going to change. They will try their utmost to remain on the right side of Arab powers. Israel should not ignore the fact that anti-Semitism is still alive and kicking. The post Nazi Europe has not been able to shed its anti-Semitism totally. Islamist anti-Semitism finds a very important and critical ally in the post Nazi Europe and a post Stalinist Russia. Lets face the truth, if Israel has to survive, it has to act alone. That's why it's decision to go after the terrorist camps in Syria was not only justified but necessary. The world has to know that if nobody else is ready to stand up and challenge the scourge of terror, Israel will.
(The writer is editor-in-chief of Pakistan Today, a California-based weekly newspaper, and president of Council for Democracy and Tolerance.)
