Egyptian judges urge "scrapping the peace deal"? It was scrapped, by Egypt, more than twenty years ago, just as soon as the third tranche of the Sinai was handed over by those ever-hopeful, ever-trusting, endlessly trusting Israelis, along with all those oil fields and airfields (including Etzion, the base from which those Israeli planes took off to bomb the Osirak reactor). Save for one brief meeting on the border, and Rabin's funeral, Mubarak has never once visited Israel as he was expected to do, as the Camp David Accords, in committing Egypt, for such great tangible assets, surely assumed he would do.
Egypt also has denied Israelis the right to participate in film festivals and book festivals, discouraged Egyptians from visiting Israel, and encouraged antisemitism at every level of the officially-monitored and censored (just try making fun of slick, oily Gamal Mubarak, and see what happens to your paper and to the writer) press, radio, and television.
The Americans in power during the years 1977-1980 presided over the period of the second great oil price rise, when Carter's fireside chat was no substitute for a nation-wide discussion of the nature of Saudi society, the likely use of OPEC revenues to fund Jihad ("what's Jihad"?), and therefore the need to tax gasoline so as to merely recapture part of the oligopolistic rents that otherwise would be taken by the OPEC nations. They oversaw the utterly resistible rise of Khomeini (supported by Arafat and the PLO, and assorted Mortimers and Sicks) and the far-from-inevitable fall of the Shah, whom the Americans did nothing to support and everything to abandon. Carter even sent a letter later to Khomeini, praising him as a "fellow man of faith." That was the quality of the leadership in that period 1977-1980. It was even worse than that during 1973 and the first oil price rise, when Kissinger was still preoccupied with Vietnam. He was never one to understand economics and certainly not one who had the faintest notion of what Islam was all about -- does he now? Perhaps a bit more? The American government was receiving its intelligence on Saudi Arabia (which was the most dangerous of OPEC members in the long run, even if it was the Shah who was originally behind the demands of oil-producing states for a price rise) from the likes of the ambassador James Akins in Riyadh (who was later fired by Kissinger, so outrageous was his behavior) and Raymond Close, the C.I.A. station chief who resigned in 1977 to go into "business" with the Saudis. He was for a long time after, and in a sense for a long time before, always "in business" with the Saudis.
In this kind of mess, it has always been comforting for American policymakers to construct a little drama: the drama consists of separating out the "good" Muslim countries, the ones that are our "firm allies" such as Pakistan (still called that in yesterday's New Duranty Times), our "staunch ally" Saudi Arabia, and our "two closest Arab allies, Egypt and Jordan," from the others. What is the point to using such misleading language? Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia may, at various times, in very limited ways, have interests that intersect with ours as we then perceive them. Mubarak, for example, would no doubt like the power of Iran curtailed, and so would we. Saudi Arabia wished to support the Afghanis fighting the Soviet army, and so did we. Jordan has tried in the past to limit Syrian ambitions, and so have we. And Jordan, Pakistan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia all have governments that of course wish to suppress the activities of terrorist groups insofar as those terrorist groups attack the ruling elites in Jordan, Pakistan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, respectively. But these governments have no qualms, none, about attacks on Infidels. Indeed, they are perfectly willing to do nothing to discourage and a good deal to encourage such terrorism as long as it is properly directed at Infidels -- Israel, America, Great Britain, France, India, Hindus or Christians or Jews, but not against Mubarak and his Friends-and-Family Plan, and not against King Abdullah and his mediagenic clan, including his uncle and his father's widow, not to mention his own family. Saudi Arabia is happy to support the worldwide Jihad except insofar as it threatens the livelihood, and the lives, of those tens of thousands of princes, princelings, and princelettes who have been robbing Arabia blind since Abdul Aziz consolidated his power early in the last century. Pakistan, of course, is happy to support terrorism directed at Kashmir and India, but Musharraf draws the line, very severely, at any attacks on --- Musharraf.
Egypt is not, was not even under Saint Sadat, and will never be, an ally of the Americans. This is abundantly established by the meretriciousness of the Egyptian government, its failure to meet a single one of its solemn commitments under the Camp David Accords (though it was quite happy to howl in protest if it sensed any delay by Israel in the agreed-upon timetable for the handover, in three stages, of the entire Sinai). This should be understood in Washington, where the memory of Saint Sadat, like light from a distant star, keeps arriving long after that star -- such as it was -- has been extinguished. Sadat never was that Prince of Peace he was taken to be, and that Carter and Brzezinski kept telling us he was. Compare their browbeating, their viciousness, toward Begin, that simple sentimentalist who was convinced that "they really like me" as he gave away everything.
After the transfer of $60 billion by American taxpayers to Egypt, a world center of anti-American propaganda and antisemitism, what has been obtained in return? What do Egyptians think? We know what they think. They rival Jordan in their hatred for Americans and the United States. Why are we supporting them?
Why?
For Hugh -
Read this at Atlas Shrugs blog . . .
From original source: LA Times, 26 May 1968,
http://www.infoisrael.net/cgi-local/text.pl?source=5/c/050220061
Israel’s Peculiar Position
ISRAEL - Held to Different Standards
By Eric Hoffer
The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it, Poland and Czechoslovakia did it, Turkey threw out a million Greeks, and Algeria a million Frenchman. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese-and no one says a word about refugees.
But in the case of Israel the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees. Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single Arab.
Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis. Other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms. But when Israel is victorious it must sue for peace.
Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world. Other nations when they are defeated survive and recover but should Israel be defeated it would be destroyed. Had Nasser triumphed last June he would have wiped Israel off the map, and no one would have lifted a finger to save the Jews. No commitment to the Jews by any government, including our own, is worth the paper it is written on.
There is a cry of outrage all over the world when people die in Vietnam or when two Negroes are executed in Rhodesia. But when Hitler slaughtered Jews no one remonstrated with him. The Swedes, who are ready to break off diplomatic relations with America because of what we do in Vietnam, did not let out a peep when Hitler was slaughtering Jews.
They sent Hitler choice iron ore, and ball bearings, and serviced his troop trains to Norway.
The Jews are alone in the world. If Israel survives, it will be solely because of Jewish efforts. And Jewish resources.
Yet at this moment Israel is our only reliable and unconditional ally. We can rely more on Israel than Israel can rely on us. And one has only to imagine what would have happened last summer had the Arabs and their Russian backers won the war to realize how vital the survival of Israel is to America and the West in general.
I have a premonition that will not leave me; as it goes with Israel so will it go with all of us. Should Israel perish the holocaust will be upon us.
Dhimmitude on YouTube
Hey, everyone. Just to let you know that youtube.com is now censoring comments on islam-related videos. only muslim-friendly comments will be posted. Muslims on the other hand, are allowed to extol the virtues of their religion ad nauseum.
David
Perhaps the Egyptians have a point. One could make a case that the Sinai should be under Israeli administration. And the additional land would help Israel to "defend forward" on its Western front. So, go ahead, scrap the piece deal and return to the situation on the ground before it was signed. Of course, the Egyptians won't agree to undoing their part of the deal, but the IDF can fix that quickly. It is very good at smashing conventional armies.
I have met and spoken with a number of young Egyptians in the leftist-zombie haven of San Francisco. I found their attitude toward the American aid was refreshing. Universally, I heard that the average Egyptian believes every last cent of it is stolen, or used to the benefit of a tiny elite. It engenders more resentment, not less. I am convinced we could cut off the aid to Egypt in a manner that would make the population no more resentful than they are now. Perhaps tapering it off over time would be easy enough. That $2.1 billion per year could be spent developing alternative fuels, or used to support the Kurds.
Of course, the Egyptian leadership DOES return the favor in a number of ways. The CIA has rendition priviledges with Egypt, but the need to suppress Islamic terror will not go away with American aid, though less of its ardor might be turned toward the Egyptian state that is off the American dole. Also, Egypt does try to talk some sense into the Palestinians with great regularity. I am sure they would prefer the Pallys just accept their vassalization to Israel, which would be by far the smartest move they could make. But there is no reason to think this would not continue. It is after all in Egypt's interest for there to be quiet on the Gaza front.
Although there is a segment of the population that supports abrogation of the treaty with Israel, I suspect this is nothing but the idle fantasy-talk which we hear from every Arab mouth, ad infinitum. Egypt is a profoundly vulnerable nation, clustered as it is on its only inhabitable land on the banks of the Nile, a Chile without the strategic depth, let alone rational domestic policy, religion that serves human need, or literacy worth a damn. The thinking population of Egypt cannot support war with Israel; if Egypt joined the ranks of Israel's enemies it would represent a mortal threat. Israel, in extremis, could devastate Egypt just as surely is Israel could be due to her small size.
I do admit, I love the image of Israel with the Sinai. If Israel had been tough enough with the Egyptians, if America had not restrained them, perhaps Israel could have induced Egypt to accept the loss of this (recently acquired) territory - by threatening the ravaging of the Nile valley. With Sinai, Judea, Samaria and the Golan, Israel has strategic depth.
Quiybo if you and other brain dead of the right would stop arbitrarily lashing out at the left, as you do calling them Zombies, then perhaps instead of forcing them into opposition in that culture war that you right wing denizens started, we could enlist them in the REAL culture war.. the war for survival against Islam.
How do I know? Because I'm one of them, and as Islamophobic as they come, but I have to hold my nose, and wear blinders to join you in this rightful crusade.
And I lived seven years in the Bay Area, and spent practically ever weekend in San Fransisco or San Jose (I lived in Santa Cruz) and I have to tell you that I loved it, the openness, the divesity, the fun, the sights and sounds..didn't bother me a bit, but I grew up in the deep south, and live in white bread Pacific NW.. and to tell you the truth I would never, ever, ever return to the Bible belt, and if I weren't so old and at the end of my years, I would return to the "left coast" and away from this homogenized, white bread, boring, stultifying Seattle area.
Pssst, there is more than one left..the left that you and I hate, is the Marxist, Communist left, those morons, those feckless fools that stand in alliance with the fiends of Muhammad, Death be upon them.
All forms of Leftism are based on Marxism:
1) Arbitrary redistribution of wealth
2) Governance by olympian council
3) Primacy of government over liberty & individualism
3) Suppression of free speech; propagation of false information
4) Victimism; idealization of the aggreived and prerogatism
5) Globalism over nation-state
If this list reads like the Democratic Party agenda, well it is. Works for the RINOs too, Dubya included. And for Labour and all other ruling parties in EUrabia.
610 * 623 * 732* 1066* 1215 * 1453 * 1492 * 1683 * 1928 * 1938 * 1948 * 1996 * 2001
The list also works for Islam, and explains the great synergy between professors/Leftist students and Moslems on our college campuses.
Here is Egypt's contribution to terror:
- Aiman Al-Zawihiri.
- Yasser Arafat.
- Mohommed Atta.
- Hamza Al-Masri.
Ans US sends 2 milof tax dollars annually. GO figure.
Nariz, please take your smelly and mendacious little orthodoxies away from here. The vast majority of contributors here is from moderate to hard right, and there is a reason why, namely that the vast majority of your ideological allies worship at the shrine of Islamic Revolution. Don't tell me that is not the case when I have seen it happen again and again with my own two eyes. Now, I detest Fascism, dispensational Protestantism (the "Left Behind" crowd), the social Darwinism of libertarians who would leave the poor to starve, and corporate power; but it is simply the truth that the international Left is basically the enemy of Western civilization, and will never learn that Islam is worse than anything they imagine of Bush and co. You delude yourself if you think that a strong anti-Muslim front will ever emerge in the narrow-minded, ignorant strongholds of "diversity" in moonbatland, where no opinion is allowed except yours. If you want to support this particular cause, start by living in reality for a little, rather than in your natural state of denial.