Speech, Speech

Speech, Speech

Dec. 21, 2001

Shalom.

Early this afternoon a journalist from a New York newspaper arrived at my office with what seemed to him to be the million dollar question: “How do you feel after yesterday’s speech?”  He, of course, took for granted that I knew which speech he was talking about – that given by Chief terrorist Arafat, from his hideaway in Ramallah.

My initial response was sort of  “you’ve got to be kidding.”

But in order to provide you with an accurate answer to this question, let me, for a few minutes, analyze exactly what the terrorist had to say:

There are several themes of Arafat’s speech. He talks frequently about the invincibility of the palestinian people and about a state with Jerusalem as its capital.

History too is an important motif speaking of  “our struggle throughout the centuries…toward the choice of peace…”  In other words, Arafat’s fiction begins, not in 1948, and not even at the beginning of the nineteen hundreds. Rather, it is a struggle of centuries. He says, “as history is the witness, the best witness of every word I am saying.”

Religious legitimacy is an integral element in Arafat’s demand for independence. Several times during the speech, the terrorist speaks of protecting the “rights and holy shrines, both Muslim and Christian.” In other words, there are only Muslim and Christian shrines throughout “palestine” – there aren’t, G-d forbid, any Jewish shrines that must be guarded.

Arafat, trying to please everyone, determines that “the war is against our people, our hospitals, fields, mosques, churches, farms” etc.  What we would call in Hebrew, Amcha – a war not against political ideology, but against the simple man in the street. In attempting to reconcile seeming differences with Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, he promises “democratic elections in every sector of our society,” in other words, opening the door to the most extreme elements of Arab society, inside the framework of the palestinian authority.

Does Arafat show any remorse for the lives that have been lost, be they Arab or Israeli? Of course not. The question, in and of itself, is an absurdity. He praises of the mothers of martyrs – i.e. Jew killers and says, “we are all proud of the sacrifices of our people” and attacks Israel time and time again, speaking of “plotting aggression, a mounting military aggression…attacks against our civilians” while stating that Israel does not want, and will not honor a cease fire.

On the other hand, he demands the “right of return” of all “refugees” and “land for peace.” 

Talking directly to Israelis he adds, “we have tried. We have started a dialogue with you decades ago.” Unfortunately he does not enumerate the conversations, such as conferences at Maalot, Kiryat Shmona, Munich, etc. etc.

However, the heart of Arafat’s speech come at the very end when he concludes, “A victory is coming. Victory is a method of one, our patience.”

Patience. Arafat says to his people, have patience. Earlier on he mentions September 11, briefly remarking “the influence those attacks have onour cause and its rights.”

In other words, we may have to temporarily lessen our terrorist activities, but don’t despair. Just have patience. Arafat’s dreams have not changed. His aspirations lead toward the annihilation of the State of Israel, being replaced by another Arab entity in the Middle East. All he asks is patience.

This has always been the Arab way, their thinking that time is on their side. And unless we wise up, it is.

There is another side of the coin. A Lebanese-American attorney, Sharon Nader Sloan posted an article on the WorldNetDaily in which she says, This idea that the West Bank is occupied Palestinian is the greatest lie ever perpetrated on the whole of humanity.

She asks, “First, if Arab animosity toward Israel is based on their love and support for their Palestinian brothers – and in wanting their Palestinian brothers to have their own state – where was that love and support before the Jewish state existed? Where were they when the kingdom of Jordan ruled Palestine? Why were they not accusing Jordan of occupying Palestinian land? Why did not the Arab world and the United Nations call on Jordan to stop occupying Palestinian land? Second, where were the Palestinians themselves, with all their grievances and claims, when Jordan occupied the whole West Bank,
including Jerusalem?

Did you know that? Did you know that for 19 years, Jordan occupied and ruled the whole West Bank, including Jerusalem? Why didn't they clamor for a Palestinian state then?

All this time, did we hear a word about Palestine being occupied by the
kingdom of Jordan? Did we hear anything about a Palestinian state? Or about Jerusalem being the capital of Palestine?

No, we did not.

Why not?

Because there never existed a Palestinian state.”

Terrorist Arafat called for an end to “all sorts of armed activities.” What has been the Arab response to Arafat’s plea?

Tonight a three year old and his father from Shilo were ambushed and shot near Ofra. Miraculously their injuries were not serious. The bullets scratched their heads and necks.

A little earlier a resident of the Binyamin community Ateret was shot and seriously wounded. He is presently undergoing surgery. Despite Arafat’s promises, last night, and again tonight, mortars fell in Gush Katif. The attacks continue, they have never stopped.

Last night, after the speech, Rice and Powell, as well as Israeli politicians all said the same thing: “We aren’t interested in words, we are interested in deeds.”

So too, are we interested in deeds. But not those referred to by the politicians. We know all about Arafat’s deeds. They will not change. We are interested in the actions of our government, the Israeli government, which is obliged to protect the State and its citizens at all costs. Sharon need not make a speech. He only has to do – to do what he has avoided doing since he was elected Prime Minister. Arafat has to go. The PA has to go. The State of Israel must control all of Eretz Yisrael.

Now.