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P. David Hornik P. David Hornik is a freelance writer and translator living in Jerusalem whose work has appeared in many Israeli, Jewish, and political publications. Reach him at:
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By P. David Hornik
January 16, 2005
Over the past weeks, as a gesture of encouragement to the incoming Palestinian Authority chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, I eased certain restrictions on Palestinian daily life in the territories. I did this in the full knowledge that in recent years, all such "easings" by Israel have soon resulted in terrorist attacks that have taken the lives of our citizens. I now feel remorse at this step that I took; the past is the past and cannot be changed, but I realize that a new approach is called for.
Specifically, four Palestinian terror attacks over the past month targeted crossing points between Israel and Gaza or Gaza and Sinai, with the aim of disrupting and destroying even any temporary, tactical improvement of ties and conditions. One bombing that was attempted at the Erez crossing at the Israel-Gaza border and was, thankfully, foiled by our security services, occurred precisely when Israel was allowing hundreds of Muslim clerics through so that they could make the haj to Mecca. The Karni crossing, also between Israel and Gaza, was kept open for longer hours to increase the flow of supplies. Last Thursday night, precisely during the extended hours, six Israelis were murdered and five wounded there by Palestinian terrorists.
In addition, the Palestinian Authority has responded to my "gestures" with relentless mortar and missile attacks on Israeli communities in and near Gaza. While I waited for Mahmoud Abbas to conduct his campaign and "win" his fraudulent election, while he rode on the shoulders of terrorists and praised them as "martyrs," life in these Israeli communities turned into hell. The latest victims are a seven-year-old boy who almost lost his hand when hit by shrapnel in a playground in the Gaza community of Netzarim, and a fifteen-year-old girl who is in critical condition after yet another rocket landed in the pre-1967 town of Sderot.
I am sorry. My heart is heavy. I know that the blood of the Israeli terror victims of these recent weeks is on my head. Once again, I gambled with the lives of my citizens in order to score diplomatic points, to demonstrate to the world community that "Israel is ready for peace" even as Mahmoud Abbas was making his incendiary speeches and Palestinian clerics were calling for a genocide of the Jews on official PA television.
"Gambling" in such situations is inexcusable in any case, since governments are supposed to protect their citizens' lives and not play with them; it is all the more inexcusable when all such "gambles" in the past have -- as a matter of "scientific" certainty -- resulted in the death and maiming of innocent people.
I am announcing to Israel and the world a new approach. From now on, the lives of Israelis will be taken just as seriously as the lives of American, Britons, Frenchmen, or any other people. They will no longer be used as pawns and bargaining chips in political games. The possibility, strong possibility, or certitude that a step taken by the Israeli government will result in terror attacks on Israelis will from now on absolutely dictate that the step will not be taken. Israel will no longer make "gestures" to the Palestinian Authority in the "hope" that it will respond by ending incitement and terror; instead the reverse order -- the normal, sane, moral, logical order that is applied in all other human situations -- will be applied here as well: the Palestinian Authority will first put a complete end to incitement and terror, and only then will Israel agree to have political dealings with it.
Here in our reconstituted state in our own homeland, the Jewish people have slowly and insidiously, because of outside pressure and our own weakness, allowed the resurrection of the idea that "Jewish blood is cheap." I confess my own role in allowing this deterioration in the almost four years that I have been prime minister. If I could, I would apologize to those whose lives were sacrificed on the altar of diplomatic concerns and public relations, but even if they could hear me I do not think I would deserve that they accept my apology.
I turn now to the future and declare a new approach: Israel will no longer endanger its citizens, and those who attack or plan to attack Israelis will be struck hard and immediately by our defense forces. I trust that moral people throughout the world will approve of this change and will not demand that Israel keep playing with its people's lives in a way that no other country does.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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