In her critique of Israel’s search and rescue tactics for the three doomed Israeli teenagers and its current military response in Gaza, Lucy Schouten writes:
Israel has a powerful army, a solid economy based on technology, a healthy parliamentary democracy, sufficient natural resources, and a highly effective advocacy base in the most powerful country in the world.
The Palestinians have no land, no military, no effective leaders, a dysfunctional economy, and no international identity.
While it is true Israel is broadly supported in this country, surely Schouten is well aware the Palestinians have “a highly effective advocacy base” in the UN General Assembly and in Europe. For much the Left, the Palestinians are a cause celebre. But what her observation tells me is that Israelis are a responsible people who believe in the rule of law, free markets, conservation, religious tolerance, pluralism and peace with its neighbors.
If the Palestinians believed in these things instead of taking delight in the murder of Jewish civilians then we would not have our present state of affairs. As I have argued, if the Palestinians want land, a military, effective leaders, a thriving economy and broad public support in this country then they can begin by saying yes to Israel.