Ehud Ya’ari, Sr., commentator on Arab Affairs, Israel TV Channel 2, stated unequivocally that the Palestinians have lost their desire for a small state aligned with the 1967 border (the 1949 armistice line). He said the Palestinians “are collapsing into our unwilling arms” but now they want to annex us. He gives Israel two or three years to establish a Palestinian state, or it will be too late. Ya’ari, one of the few left-wing speakers at the conference, sees no way to solve all the problems between Israelis and Palestinians, but he feels it’s best to make an interim agreement anyway. According to Ya’ari, keeping the status quo won’t continue without an explosion.

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger is an insider on U.S.-Israel relations, Mideast politics and overseas investments in Israel’s high tech. He is a member of the American-Israel Demographic Research Group (AIDRG) and is a consultant to members of Israel’s Cabinet and Knesset. He regularly briefs U.S. legislators and their staff on Israel’s contribution to vital U.S. interests, on the root causes of international terrorism and on other issues of bilateral concern. Ettinger said history and security are essentials for the survival of any nation. Referring to the 1993 Oslo Accord, he counseled, “When in a deep hole, stop digging!” The twostate solution is a product of political correctness emanating from Oslo, 2003. Ettinger asked, why is there an expectation of peace with the Arabs now, considering that for the last 1,400 years there has been a lack of inter-Arab comprehensive peace, a lack of inter-Arab compliance with many inter-Arab accords, and a lack of inter-Arab ratification of all inter-Arab borders. It isn’t logical to expect that Arabs would give to the “infidel” Jewish State that which they haven’t given to one another. It’s certainly not Israel’s size, but its very existence, that prevents a peace agreement. So, Ettinger said, why consider land for peace?

Ettinger, directly contradicting Ehud Ya’ari, insists that Israel has time on its side. He alluded to the fact that the demographic “time bomb” is a fallacy. Contradicting the politically induced fear about Israel being swamped by Palestinians, there is a robust 67 percent Jewish majority on all of the land west of the Jordan River – excluding Gaza – which benefits from a demographic tailwind, while Muslims have experienced a sharp demographic decline. Ettinger declared that American pressure isn’t as strong as in the past, when we persevered despite American pressure (e.g. 1967 war, 1981 Osirak destruction). He concluded by ridiculing the Israeli left’s propensity to offer land for peace. The Arabs won’t even consider giving up an inch and they have no respect for us, because we’re willing to give away our land.

Itamar Marcus is founder and director of Palestinian Media Watch. He showed us examples of how the PA promotes zero recognition of Israel in all its media. Marcus stated that our problem with the Palestinians is not about 1967 (settlements) but about 1948: Israel’s very existence. In his opinion, we’re fighting a religious war, not a war over territory. Marcus cited the statistic that 92 percent of Palestinians aged 18-24 say Israel has no right to exist. He terms this finding the success of the Palestine Authority’s educational efforts. Anything that the Jews have done is bad, no matter what, according to the Palestinians. Marcus concluded by saying there is no “window” of opportunity, by definition. Without agreement much wider than a “window,” there will never be peace.(See the evidence at:

( www.pmw.org.il)

Two ardent nationalist MKs Zippi Hotovely and Arieh Eldad, finished the session. Hotovely said that the idea of a state for the Palestinians is dead. They want the takeover of Israel, not two states. The White House and even the Israeli government don’t get it. Israel is the state of the Jewish people and we must make decisions in our own interest.

“The international community must not be allowed to be the main player; for too many years we have given the world too much importance; we have to know what we ourselves want.” Judea and Samaria must be annexed, like Jerusalem, says Hotovely. We can even give the Palestinians living there the right to vote, because other alternatives, like a Palestinian state, are much worse.

Eldad came out in support of the end to occupation. “We must end the occupation – I am referring of course to the Moslem conquest of the Land of Israel that began in the 7th century. And we must have two states – meaning Jordan as the Palestinian country.” The Palestinians would be residents of Israel and citizens of Jordan (which already has a large Palestinian majority).

Eldad respects the Palestinians for their forthrightness in demanding all of the land. He concluded, it’s up to us Israelis to keep what we want and for which we have the legitimate right.

The Jerusalem Conference, as always, was thought-provoking. I agree with Harold Rhode that the Obama administration must flex its muscles with Iran and take drastic action to avoid even more serious consequences when Iran possesses nuclear weapons. And I’m convinced that there is no realistic basis for peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, given the inability of Arabs to deal with a Jewish state in their midst: “a dagger in the heart of the Arab nation.”

Egypt and Jordan, despite their peace treaties with Israel, allow no normalized relations with Israelis. It’s much less probable that the dysfunctional Palestinian Authority, which is losing the fight for Palestinian leadership with Hamas, has the will, or the strength, to cease demonizing Israel and to begin to contemplate a partnership with the Jews.

Stephen Kramer resided and worked in the Atlantic City area until 1991, when he moved to Israel with his wife, Michal Langweiler, and two sons. He can be reached at Sjk1@jhu.edu.