THE WAGES OF SILENCE

The Pattern of Palestinian Rejectionism (Yossi Klein Halevi, Jerusalem Post, July 9th, 2004)

The tragedy of the International Court's ruling on the security fence isn't only its depressing predictability, a politicization that undermines the hope for a global system of justice. Nor is the tragedy only that Israel's right to self-defense has been branded illegitimate, while the criminals remain uncensured.

Perhaps the worst consequence of the ruling is that it will reinforce Palestinians' faith in their own innocence and victimization, and preclude a self-examination of their responsibility in maintaining the conflict. That suicidal self-pity has led Palestinians from one historic calamity to another, and is precisely the reason why Israel is now building the fence.

Palestinian political history follows a depressingly predicable pattern. First, a peace offer is presented by the international community, to which the mainstream Zionist leadership says yes, while all factions of the Palestinian leadership say no. Then the Palestinians opt for war and pay a bitter price for their failed attempt at politicide. Finally, the Palestinians protest the injustice of their defeat which, after all, was supposed to be the fate of the Jews. [...]

In almost every political conversation I've had with Palestinians who aren't political leaders, I've heard a variation of the following: "You and me, we're little people. We could make peace, but the 'big ones' on both sides don't want it. The leaders only care about their seats."

I used to be charmed by those words, imagining they contained hope for reconciliation. In fact, they explain why reconciliation eludes us. By passing the blame to others, Palestinians absolve themselves of responsibility for change, incapable of challenging those who speak in their name.

If Palestinians continue to replace self-examination with self-pity, it's because their avoidance mechanisms are reinforced by the international community, whose sympathy for Palestinian suffering becomes support for Palestinian intransigence.

I had hoped that the fence would force the Palestinians to finally face some painful truths about the conflict. The fence, after all, confronts Palestinians with a constant, tangible reminder of the consequences of rejectionism. It marks the literal limits of the politics of terror.

Yet in choosing to judge Israel rather than the Palestinian leadership, the International Court legitimizes Palestinian self-pity and sabotages the possibility of change. That is a disaster for the moral health of Palestinian society, and for the possibility of reconciliation in the Middle East.

Recall that the ICJ's hearing of this case was opposed by both the U.S. and Europe, but it went ahead anyway. Israel will ignore the ruling with widespread silent blessings but yet another propaganda goal has been scored by the left with the other side not even bothering to show up. Think of the tens of millions of ordinary folks driving to work and forming the vague impression that Israel is “breaking international law.” Not nice, that.

Call it the war on terror, the clash of civilizations or whatever. However well it is doing on the battlefield or within security services, it is falling behind in the public square. It has become common of late for conservative critics to complain about problems of “communication”, a noxious word that suggests the tide could be turned by more clever young people writing zippy press releases. What is missing is what Victor Davis Hansen calls an audacious defense. With a few exceptions like Hansen himself and Hitchens, those directing the war and defending the U.S. are just not angry enough and seem increasingly reluctant to take the ideological battle to the enemy’s home ground.

Nor are they terribly resolved these days. No Frenchman or Canadian or even Brit has any sense that there may be practical repercussions to thwarting or insulting Washington. The Michael Moores, Noam Chomskys, ICJs, Kofi Annans and all the other darlings of darkness are not only given free and lucrative rein, they are actually succeeding in presenting themselves as brave and noble and are inspiring millions of young minds.

It is folly to pretend instinctive common sense will isolate the majority from their influence forever. The constant undermining of Israel, unanswered anti-Semitism, the U.S. Supreme Court’s self-congratulatory pre-occupation with the legal rights of terrorists, the stream of general slanders in the mainstream press and the rising chorus of criticisms of Iraqi resolve to make the country safe are all signs that more and more of the general public no longer believes there is a war going on, or at least not a war worth fighting.

One can try to crush the left or one can engage them, but they should never be left unanswered.