Rewarding Terrorism

Don’t you admire countries that reward Arab terrorists and then deny that they are anti-Semitic? That’s what Spain, Norway and Ireland would have us believe as they declare their support of a Palestinian state. Their justifications for this move are absurd and dangerous.

Many countries want to get on that bandwagon:

Earlier in May, 143 of the 193 members of the U.N. General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution requesting Palestine become a full member of the U.N. It previously had U.N. observer status only.

Why is this proposal such a bad idea? First, it’s based on false premises:

‘In the midst of a war, with tens of thousands killed and injured, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: Two states, living side by side, in peace and security,’ said Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

What world does Støre live in? What makes him think that the Palestinians would live in “peace and security” if they resided side-by-side with Israel? Why is it the only alternative? As if these expectations were not foolish enough, they also make demands that clearly punish Israel and favor the Palestinians:

The territorial demarcation between the state of Palestine and the state of Israel should be based on the pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, and without prejudice to a final settlement on borders, including the use of land swaps . . . At the same time as it recognises Palestine as a state, Norway also has clear expectations that the new Palestinian Government will continue the effort to implement democratic reform, strengthen the judiciary and combat corruption.

Do these expectations sound even remotely possible to you?

Needless to say, the Palestinians are celebrating these declarations. They see them as a recognition of the righteousness of their October 7 attack on Israel.

One puzzling statement I read made no sense:

In a few days, Norway will be chairing an international partner meeting about Palestine in Brussels, where the new Palestinian Prime Minister and Government will be presenting their reform plans. We are hoping to make some major progress there,’ said Mr Eide.

It seems that the Norwegians have already been facilitating the Palestinians forming their government and making plans. Did I miss that effort?

Norway is living in a delusional dream, as they make this statement:

The recognition of Palestine as a state means that Norway will consider Palestine to be an independent state with the rights and duties this entails. This includes, among other things, the expectation from Norway that all relations with Palestine will be founded on the fundamental rules of international law regarding independence, equality and peaceful coexistence (italics are mine).

Whatever makes them think that the Palestinians will comply with their expectations is beyond my understanding.

To add to the lack of credibility of the Palestinians, outsiders are prepared to believe the Palestinian/Hamas public relations and disregard Israel’s. The outsiders have become convinced that the Palestinians are on the brink of famine (which they’ve claimed for months). That belief is contradicted by the evidence:

Specifically, the Israeli researchers found that on average, between January and April, 124 trucks carrying food and humanitarian aid entered Gaza per day. That adds up to 3,211 calories worth of nutrition per Gazan, per day. The World Health Organization standard for calorie consumption is 2,900 per day for average-sized men and 2,200 per day for average-sized women. Unfortunately, if there is a shortage of food, Hamas is to blame as it collects the aid for its own members and families.

In addition, the Palestinians keep claiming that 35,000 casualties have resulted from the war. The facts are that a large percentage of those killed are Hamas soldiers, not civilians.

Their commitment to the truth is sadly lacking.

The consequences of these declarations are far-reaching. Think of the message this sends to Palestinians and Hamas:

The recognition of a Palestinian state, even if it is merely a symbolic action that has no bearing on the reality on the ground, sends two messages to the Palestinians. First, that terrorism against Jews is justified and worthwhile because the world, instead of punishing you, will reward you for your crimes. Second, that the Palestinians will not need to negotiate thorny issues with Israel, such as borders and the status of Jerusalem, because the international community will grant them everything on a platter.

Israel has not been consulted in these efforts, which is not only an insult, but is impractical in many ways. These countries want to act as if these decisions are solely in the hands of the Palestinians, who have shown repeatedly that they support Hamas and even participated in the October 7 attack. To assume that the Palestinians will be peaceful neighbors is naïve; when they had the opportunity to govern without Israel, these were the steps they took:

Instead, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups chose to use the funds to build ‘a city under a city’ -- 400 miles of terrorist tunnels from which to attack Israel -- because their true goal has always been, and remains, not to live next to Israel, but to replace Israel. Basically, as Hamas openly states in its charter, its aim to eliminate the only homeland of the Jewish people and murder as many Jews as possible. It appears that the Europeans wish to finish the task that Hitler started -- the secret reason they are assisting the Palestinians in achieving this goal.

This will not end well.