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David Frankfurter brought his family to Ra'anana, Israel from their native Sydney, Australia in 1992. He is a business consultant, corporate executive and writer who frequently comments on the Middle East conflict.
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By David Frankfurter
June 13, 2004
It is with sadness that I read of the Sharon government's decision to close the joint Palestinian-Israeli industrial zone in Erez, at the entrance to Gaza. This group of businesses was the symbol of the promise of the Oslo agreements. Joint Palestinian-Israeli businesses that would bring prosperity and peace to all. A place which provides an employment opportunity for thousands of Palestinians. Their closure represents an admission that terrorism has won and that real peace is a long way off.
The Erez checkpoint has been used as a path for terror - sending women and children to transfer weaponry and blow themselves up, using the industrial zone as cover for the murder of innocent civilians and of the soldiers who defend them. The Israeli decision is rational and fair. One cannot have a business partner that wants to kill you and take the spoils.
The Arabs want us to leave the land. They want as much of the Middle East as possible to be Judenrein. They practice a murderous form of apartheid. I guess that they are getting what they want in Gaza.
When Christian Aid, UNRWA, ISM the EU and others come crying about another several thousand Palestinian families being added to the poverty cycle, tell them to stop blaming Israel!
Ask these self-righteous organizations what THEY have done to promote real peace and mutual understanding. Ask them what they have done to create real economic opportunity for the Palestinian Arabs. Ask them what they have done to resettle refugees in permanent housing in a viable economic environment. Ask them what they have done to eradicate the hate education and incitement to terrorism at least from their own institutions. Ask them what they have done to make sure that there is zero tolerance for the diversion of their 'aid' money to terrorism and corruption. Ask them what they have done to ensure that their activities reduce confrontation and increase cooperation. Ask them what they have done to make sure that each and every one of their actions, programs and donations has actually helped the people that they claim to assist.
Then remind them that the Jewish people went about resettling refugees driven out of Arab countries - about the same number that fled Palestine in 1948 - and created a vibrant, democratic society where all have prospered - Jew, Muslim, Christian and Druze alike. Remind them that Arabs who want to live in peace in Israel do so. Arabs take part in every aspect of Israeli society. They run businesses, work in government, study at university, are members of parliament, have rights to full medical care, are policemen, lawyers, doctors, teachers....living in peace and prosperity. Then remind them that the Israelis, having succeeded in creating a truly free, democratic society, as part of the Oslo accords attempted to share the wealth with their Palestinian neighbors - and have been rejected.
Point out that there has been a sharp and progressive decrease in every economic and social measure for Palestinian Arabs since Arafat and his cronies flew in from Tunis. The blame for Palestinian poverty should be laid squarely at the feet of the Palestinian Authority - and at the feet of the charities, solidarity movements, governments, welfare and other international bodies that have supported and encouraged them in their corruption and warmongering.
The real losers in this Intifada war are the Palestinian people.
Views expressed by the author do not
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