Culture  Yair Lapid
Living with Palestinians impossible
Yair Lapid
Published: 03.04.06, 23:00
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78 Talkbacks for this article
1. You cant make peace with people who call to "Kill Jews".
David Landman ,   Boston, USA   (04.03.06)
This is part of the Hamas Charter. The Peace Fence is absolutely the best solution for the next decade or two. Look it worked like the Great Wall of China. Ancient people like Jews and Chinese must be doing something right. We have far outlived our ancient enemies and will do the same to our modern day ones.
2. Kol Kakavod! Excellent analysis.
Geoff ,   Toronto, Canada   (04.03.06)
3. Well done, Lapid
s   (04.03.06)
4. Why build on their land?
George W ,   Chicago IL   (04.04.06)
If the point of the wall is to separate yourselves from Palestinians, why build it in such a way that 200,000-some angry Palestinians are on your side of the wall? All of this self-righteous garbage about how you must build a wall because the two sides simply can't exist might be true (although if you stopped pushing Palestinians around so much your problems would be over tomorrow except for a tiny minority). But the wall is being built where it to facilitate land theft. Also, it ain't gonna help your security in the long term like a wall on the Green Line would. There's an old saying, "good fences make good neighbors." The next time you have a fight with your neighbor, build a fence in the middle of his property and claim everything on one side for yourself. See if that improves the situation.
5. Living with Palestinians
Jean Ouellette ,   Montréal, Canada   (04.04.06)
This analysis is very compelling. Sadly enough we have to agree with this pessimistic but realistic overview.I have the definite feeling that my liberal compatriots will look at me with scorn if they read this.
6. Wonder
palestinian refugee   (04.04.06)
Didn’t you wonder lapid why you can't live with Palestinians? Because you expelled them out of their homes, because you're still trying to grab more land in the west bank to build more settlements and expel more of them. You are building a wall on their lands, dividing their lands. I wonder how can't you all see that. You want to live with Palestinians who don't oppose any of your colonial acts. They should look at you in peace while you're asking them to leave their homes. Why don't you try to understand that you have started all of that? How would you expect the week and depressed to react? of course with terror. Don’t you remember the massacres in 48 and after to make them leave? It’s you who should recognize our tragedy. Look at the ruins of the villages and the houses still there in Israel. Life was there. A human lives just like you. If you just would acknowledge that. If you just would stop building the settlements and remove the wall. You are asking the rest of the world to recognize and not forget your holocaust. Why can't you just think of the Palestinians as humans and respect them and give them their right to live on their land. Only then you'll be able to live with them like your ancestors did for thousands of years.
7. Lapid is another blind idiot
Palestinian ,   Palestine   (04.04.06)
Lapid is another blind idiot who provides anothe cluesless review. Different people can live with each other, but when one nation (jews) belives in its supriority and all others Goiem are inferior and should be servants , then nations can't live together. Jeweish fundimtalism and zionism is the porblem with Israel. There easily can be one state called PAlestine (or what ever) , just one not two where every body is equal citizen, muslims , christans or jews, a state with two languages. The statemust have no religious or ethinc national identity , Israel right now will fail becuase it is a racist riligous state (State only for jews) When jews realieze that the PAlestinians belong to this and thats where they have lived al their lives and accept teh refugees return and there is no place for jeweish state, only one democtaric state , then that will be the only time when we will ahve permininat peace. Rligious fundmentalism is dangerous and the new state shoudl have np place for it and that includes zionism which is based on riligous ethnic fundmentalism which more dangerous. Isralies must reliase that as long as there is zionism there will be no permennat peace. It is ok for jews to live in Palestine but zionist ones. And Shalom Lakhem Cousines
8. Well said Yair - email this to as many people as possible
(04.04.06)
Its one of the best pieces Ive ever read
9. Solid analysis with journalistic terms
Noam ,   Washington, DC   (04.04.06)
Yossi Klein HaLevi wrote a very similar article in the Washington Post a few months ago. The left and right were both initially wrong: impossible to rule over another people, impossible to live peacefully next to them also. I love how several posters enthusiastically place all the blame for the problems on Jewish nationalism, the same type of nationalism that Palestinians by and large so dearly cling to. Mr. Palestinian in Palestine, the PA declares Islam the state religion. You seem to be saying that submissive, dhimmi Jews who either live at the margins of society or acknowledge Muslim and Arab superiority are the ones you are willing to live with. Palestinian nationalism is just as much based on ethnicity and religion as Jewish Zionism. If Jews could be Palestinian and the conflict was only about Zionism, then why were nearly 20,000 Jews (largely non-Zionist or apathetic) expelled from the Old City and East Jerusalem in 1948? Why were the properties of all types of Jews in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria confiscated and mobs torching our houses of worship and sacred scriptures around the time of Israel's creation? We might as well be saying that as long as there is Palestinian Islamists who consider this eternal Arab and Islamic land, there can be no permanent peace. But we don't; our majority believes in compromise and respect of the other only not at the expense of our right to set our destiny that your Islamic rule so denied our Mizrahi Jews for 1000+ years.
10. Put it in simple words
Hiram ,   tel aviv   (04.04.06)
It is a cultural and religious war, all over. Why are people afraid to admit it ? Politically incorrect ?
11. Lapid's point is proved perfectly
Kate ,   London   (04.04.06)
The various negative knee-jerk responses to this article by the Arabs and their supporters prove Lapid's point absolutely perfectly. It is pointless even discussing the situation them. They really are living on a different planet, a planet where Islamofascists do not exist and the inhabitants can pretend that Jews do not have a right to Israel and Islam does not treat Jews and Christians as second-class citizens. Until they decide to abandon their mad ideas and enter the 21st century the Jewish state really can have nothing more to do with them.
12. To No. 4 George, Give Texas and California Back to Mexico
Jorge ,   Tegucigalpa   (04.04.06)
Hey George, you are planning on building a wall on the Rio Grande to Keep poor Latins to come and work in the U.S.A., some of them go to Texas and California, land that you took away from Mexico, imagine what would you be doing, if those coming over the border were planing in bombing the daylighhts out of you, and not just make a living as those poor Latins. soooo, either put up or shut up, give back Texas and California
13. You are typical, #4.
AF ,   USA   (04.04.06)
George - Who decides what land is "Palestinian land", the international community? If so, they have tried before. The Arabs refused their offer in 1948 and attacked. Why should any people who have attacked, instead of negotiating be deserving of the victor's consideration at all? There would be no issue today, if they had been willing to share the land! Tell me,-if the combined Arab states had won, would they have benevolently pulled back so Jews could build a state? No one is that dumb. Also, what do you mean by "pushing Palestinians around"? Do you mean insisting they open their bags and shirts to determine if they are homocidal lunatics? Do you mean shooting and attacking them when they have attacked? What?
14. Hey, #6, go talk to #4 !!
AF ,   USA   (04.04.06)
15. Mr. #7:
AF ,   USA   (04.04.06)
If you really are interested in an answer, I'll offer just one. Jews have tried living and sharing secular states many times throughout history. Sometimes they were safe, others not. What would prevent the citizens of your utopian state from voting in favor of many changes unfavorable to its Jewish citizens? Only a Jewish state could be expected to put the safey and well-being of Jews first.
16. Why Zionists cannot live with Palestinians
Dovy ,   Toronto   (04.04.06)
Yair Lapid makes the typical Afrikaaner-type racist remarks in the idiotic Zionist context. What Yair Lapid really needs is for Palestinians throughout historical Palestine to learn how to serve and obey the Zionist Massa under the overwhelming power of the Zionist ethnocratic racist regime. Yet the Zionist state still has 1 million Palestinians within its borders without a wall. Yet, what will happen when THOSE Palestinians begin their intifada, eh?! Imagine if all this racist Zionist thinking were said by an American about Blacks or Hispanics! The Zionists themselves (and rightly so) would be howling that this is abject racism. But in their own backyard everything is permitted. The Palestinians must find a way to bow to Massa, face ethnic cleansing and behave! Well, it won't work, so get used to it! The end of the abominable Zionist idolatry is soon.
17. great article! ..................and for 6 and 7:
(04.04.06)
within the next 10 years you will understand why this state is ment to be only for jews.... ;-) don't worry, everyone will see...
18. Palestinian Post #7
Ari ,   Yerushalayim   (04.04.06)
You are dreaming if you think we will ever live with you. Your dream of one nation is a delusion. We will never live with you because you are uncivilized and you believe in nothing that we believe in. We are progressive thinkers and we have liberal views with respect to voting, human rights, and freedom of speach and religion, not to mention women's right. You arabs on the other hand have nothing. No democracy. No rule of law. No religious tolerance, no freedom of speach, No women's rights. You are the exact opposite of everything we believe in. Therefore we will never live with you. Never. No matter what. If you cant understand that think about this. We dislike you arabs so much that now politicians like lieberman are talking about also getting rid of the Arabs who live in Israel and are Israeli citizens. That is how much we dislike you. We dislike you so much that Kadima won this election based on the argument that we may give away land to arab terrorists but if we dont we may end up living with you. Believe it or not that was enough to win the election because the Israeli people recognize what a threat you people are to our country.
19. Clarification of who is the inhumane society
Marlene N. ,   New York City   (04.04.06)
Calling the Palestinians an inhumane society while they are living under Israel's brutal occupation for decades, completely stripped of all their rights, and the expulsion of the Palestinian refugees in order to maintain the Jewish character of the state is almost equivalent to calling Jews an inhumane society while they lived under the foot of their oppressors before World War II. They too were demonized while being the victims. Today the victims have become the oppressors, or rather Israeli society who shamefully speak in the name of all Jews. There is no debate on the wall since the wall is illegal where it's being built If Israel feels a wall is a necessity, the reasons for doing so need no explanation and the International Court of Justice has no problem with that, but it must do it within the green line if this is truly for Israel's security, and not on someone else's territory for which it only represents a land grab.
20. It could be even worst
Aida Strocovsky ,   Winnipeg, Canada   (04.04.06)
Great analysis, Yair. Only one thing I want to add: the result of the fence and the "convergence" can be even worst: Islam will understand it in its own terms, all the Islamic world will push even harder; why not? "The Jews gave in; it is time to go for everything left". The security of the borders will be severely compromised. It won't be slightly better; it can be even worst. One thing is sure: we have to part ways and stop being responsible for them. I just don't think that the disengagement will do the trick. Your article is excellent. Thanks.
21. And I thought they built the wall for the grafiiti
Steven Wilson ,   Anchorage, Alaska   (04.04.06)
enthusiasts. You are wrong on gun control. Everyone needs to arm themselves. So when all these wanta be Allah clowns show up----we can kill these nutty A--holes. A good offense is a good defense. A rifle sighted in accurately, never hurt any Arab that wasn't packing a weapon, or plastic explosives. The cops are never there when you need them---neither is the military.
22. Palestinian
marc vernick ,   westfield usa   (04.04.06)
I find it interesting that muslims are allowed to have an state based on sharia but jews are not allowed a state of their own. We all know that this one state for all is just a guise for the destuction of the jews. Right now, with the exception of Turkey, Islam and democracy is an oxymoron. The two "palestinians" who commented show why Israel is following this convergence plan. Unfortunately, a large section of the muslim world is fundamentalist and racist and will never accept even one inch of jewish sovereignty in the middle east. Just ask a chaldean or a coptic christian how the muslims treat their "cousins"? Shalom Aleichem chayas.
23. Gun control
Adamush ,   London, UK   (04.04.06)
I disagree with the point that Islamic fundamentalists oppose gun control: they believe in the essential facet of gun control - a total monopoly on arms for themselves. It's called "control" for a reason you know!
24. Wait a minute! Wait a minute!
Richard ,   New York, USA   (04.04.06)
There are plenty of Ultra-Orthodox Jews who have similar beliefs - as far as the internet is concerned, as far as women are concerned, television, two-piece bathing suits, homosexuals, the theory of evolution, couples who kiss in public, etc.,etc. What are you going to do about those people, Lapid? You're going to have to put up another wall! Ha! Ha! Ha!
25. tired of cry babies
meni ,   beersheva   (04.04.06)
As soon as the State of Israel was declared, Arab League Secretary, General Azzam Pasha declared publicly, "This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades". The Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin Al Husseini stated, "I declare a holy war, my Moslem brothers! Murder the Jews! Murder them all!" (these quotes are recorded and available on recordings of arab radio stations from the period) I am tired of cry baby arab palestinians complaining about how they were kicked off their land and "It’s you who should recognize our tragedy. " 1948 was a cold blooded war and if the jews had lost their fate would have been MUCH worse than the fate of the arabs now. you cannot buy an insurance policy before trying to exterminate another group of people in a 'mongol massacre'. sorry. you made a war. you lost. you can't get back what you lost. period. i don't have to recognize YOUR tragedy. until you recognize that your tragedy was somebody else's tragedy averted (and 6000 did not avert this tragedy). it was a shear bloodfest between two sides, both of whom were desperate for survival, one more desperate to survive than the other, the other more (sorry, but its true) murderous but less capable than the other. to claim any different would be simply lying.
26. Mexicans are "occupying" Texas and California just as arabs
Bunnie Meyer ,   Santa Monica, CA   (04.04.06)
are "occupying" Jewish land, a gift from G-d for the Jews not for a series of 17 thieves over the centuries. The illegal aliens from Mexico have no right to be in the US any more than the arabs have any rights to be in historic Israel. The terrorists attacked Israel again and again and again, and they DO NOT get to keep everything they started with and come back to try again to kill the Jews. Start a war, lose territory, only the terrorist are too stupid to learn this undeniable truth.
27. The "WALL" will bring KASSAMIM TO YOUR PENTHOUSE TEL AVIV
amir   (04.04.06)
Its easy for the Yair Lapidim of Israel... living in their $1 million penthouses in Tel Aviv, its easy for them to say transfer 80,000 Jews, as long as its not us and as long as they're religious and nationalists. But soon Yair Lapid's wall will bring him Kassamim to his own penthouse in Tel Aviv. Then he'll learn what its like to be a "settler".
28. 4 who's land?
simulev ,   Sweden   (04.04.06)
http://simulev.blogspot.com/ -Letters from Palestine
29. AH SO YAIR LAPID CAN IMPERICALLLY PROV G-D DOESNT EXIST?! BS
E.A. ,   israel   (04.04.06)
ON THE OTHER HAND THE ARABS DONT WANT THE LEFTS VEIW AT ALL. ITS MORONIC TO THINK GIVE THE "MALLS AND IPODS" AND THEY WILL BECOME DEMOCRATIC. THE MUSLIMS HAVE THE WILL BECAUSE THEIR FAITH IS SO STRONG, US JEWS NEED IT TOO, BUT UNFORTUNATLY PEOPLE HERE IN ISRAEL ARE SO EMPTY THAT THEY ONLY LOOK FOR COMFORT IN THIS WORLD, SO THEY "RUN AWAY" FROM THEIR PROBLEMS SO THAT THE NEXT GENERATION WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEM (WITH SECULAR HEDONISTIC CULTURE THERE MIGHT NOT BE A NEXT GEN. LOOK AT EUROPE AND ITS MUSLIM POPULATION FOR EX.
30. Mah h'asimon sof sof nafal lecha?
Yisraeli   (04.04.06)
translated 'what the quarter finally just fell in the box/telephone booth' This article represents the delusional left who are only now slowly very slowly beginning to wake up, only ironically "they still dont get it" First they said "A New Middle East" then "Peace Now" then "Sacrifices for Peace" then "Disingagement" and hello whats the new catch phrase?...."Convergence" LOL which PR guy dreamt that one up? You still refuse to recognise that Israel has an enemy. You still refuse to recognise that war has been waged upon you. You still refuse to recognise that in war the only way is to vanquish your enemies not kiss them to death. Imagine for one moment had Israel of today been the allies in WW2 against Hitler and the war he launched. So of course now you think with the great wall of china its going to solve all your problems. All because you frankly dont want to combat your enemy. With such attitudes Israel not only cant but wont survive and the enemy knows this. They frankly see as Israel has become a total cowardice nation trying to hide behind a wall who are not prepared to fight for its survival. But they wont stop and I dont blame them, coz theyre winning. Only when Israel realises shes at war and needs to vanquish all her enemies will all the suffering stop because then the enemy knows theres a price to pay. So continue playing your childish games. Now the new game is called "Convergence" Stupid a holes they not only endanger themselves but all theyre children and families. I see whats on the horizon and it aint pretty and you know what hurts more? you deserve it, for this is what you brought upon yourselves and no one else is to blame. Sad but the truth. And many good Jews will pay the price of your stupidity.
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