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Ten Reasons I Admire Israel

(Huffington Post) David Harris - The UN Partition Plan of 1947 called for Jewish and Arab states to emerge from British-ruled Mandatory Palestine. The Jewish leadership understood that half a loaf was better than none. While the Jews would have wished for a bigger state, and believed the historical facts warranted it, pragmatism prevailed over maximalism. And therein lies the fundamental difference between Jewish and Arab leadership at the time, and since. The 1947 Partition Plan could have solved the national aspirations of Jews and Arabs alike. There would have been two states for two peoples, living, ideally, side by side in peace and cooperation. But the Arab insistence on the whole loaf triggered war. The war in turn created a Palestinian refugee problem, and that dream of the whole loaf continues to be nurtured by too many Palestinian leaders. Israel's ability to defend itself is nothing short of extraordinary. A country the size of New Jersey, and without a favorable military topography, has withstood repeated assaults of every kind - wars, missile barrages, suicide bombings, kidnappings, lawfare, and modern-day blood libels. The morale and commitment of Israelis to fulfill their national obligations is remarkable. Alone, having never asked for the help of other nations' troops, they defend the state. The writer is executive director of the American Jewish Committee.
2012-06-01 00:00:00
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