Sunday, August 16, 2009

That Smile

Fareed Interviews Michael Oren, the new Israeli Ambassador to the US.

The Israelis have killed more Palestinians than the Palestinians have killed Israelis, says Fareed. That is true.  It is also true that the Palestinians have killed more Palestinians have killed more Palestinians than the Israelis.  Maybe denying them military would save Palestinians. 

Fareed asks why the Israelis should expect the Palestinians to accept a state without an army when the Israelis "kept their army," after independence. And he smiles.  The smile. That is what gets me.  They kept their army is cute. The day they were created as the Israelis are recognizing the surrounding Arab states they are invaded simultaneously by the armies of four Arab nations bent on annihilating them.  They "kept their army?"  They fought for their lives from the first moment of their existence.  It was a question of fighting desperately for their existence for the moment of their existence.  "Kept their army."  Like it was a goody they got to have and now want to let the other kids have.  And that smile.  People are fighting to keep their women and children from be slaughtered is "getting to keep your army."

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