Four tragic U.S. diplomatic errors prolong the Israeli-Palestinian war

Dear Friend of Israel, Friend of FLAME:

For years, U.S. diplomats have nurtured serious misconceptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Numerous false beliefs have led to disastrous policies and decisions, which in turn unnecessarily wasted time, taxpayer dollars and political capital.

Worst of all, they have preserved a state of war that has cost thousands of innocent lives over the decades.

The great tragedy is that all these U.S. diplomatic errors are based on an analysis that the objective conditions are right for peace—above all that the Arab Palestinians want peace and are capable of seizing it. As we shall quickly and sadly see, the conditions have never been—and are not today—right for peace.

In short, American policy has been dominated by wishful ideology instead of hard facts on the ground. No wonder its efforts have failed.

First, the U.S. has for decades believed that free money can buy peace. Unfortunately, our billions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians have failed to bring them a state or peace.

One key reason: The U.S. has never demanded that the Palestinians take practical steps toward an independent state or create conditions for peace. U.S. money has instead gone to leaders of the corrupt Palestinian Authority (PA). It has not produced governing institutions—like honest courts, rule of law, elections—or a functioning economy.

Rather the Palestinians have demonstrated consistent hostility toward Israel’s very existence. Even today they spend hundreds of millions of dollars of international aid on their pay-for-slay program—lifetime salaries to terrorists for killing innocent Israelis. They use this money also to create schoolbooks that promote hate of Jews and the glory of martyrdom.

In fact, continuing U.S. aid to the Palestinians without demanding they change their policies and rhetoric actually inhibits the peace process. Evidence shows that U.S. aid to the Palestinians encourages them to continue on the path of terrorism and rejection of the State of Israel.

A recent study conducted by Palestinian Media Watch indicates that casualties from Palestinian terrorism increases as a function of aid to the Palestinians. For example, between 2009 and 2017, the Obama Administration provided the Palestinians $6.4 billion in aid. During that time, 140 people were killed in Palestinian terrorist attacks, an average of 17.5 per year.

These numbers fell dramatically, to 42 killed and an average of 10.5 casualties per year, when aid to the Palestinians was reduced to as little as $670 million under the Trump Administration.

Now, casualty numbers have risen significantly as President Biden has restored Palestinian aid. While the Biden Administration has given the Palestinian Authority (PA) a billion dollars, some 46 people have been killed in Palestinian terrorist attacks—for a higher yearly average of 23.

Second, U.S. policymakers falsely believe Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank) prevent a Palestinian state. American diplomats have often insisted that Israel cease development of these communities as part of peace negotiations, but this has never softened Palestinian positions.

Some U.S. politicians falsely characterize these communities as illegal under international law. In short, Israel is not occupying land that ever belonged to the Palestinians, nor was the land part of a recognized sovereign state. Israel recovered these territories by defeating Jordan’s aggression, ejecting them and signing a peace treaty. Israel’s presence and control is fully legal.

The Americans also believe growth of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria prevents Palestinians from having a viable, independent state in the future. This opinion is contradicted by hard evidence.

The Palestinians never agreed to peace with Israel before there were communities in these territories, and though Israel has made at least three offers of this land in exchange for peace, the Palestinians have refused every one.

A final flaw in this assumption: Israel welcomes and lives in peace with two million Arab Israeli citizens. Why would it be impossible for the PA to accept 500,000 Jews in their midst?

The third U.S. policy misconception is that a “two-state solution” will solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite the fact that polls show majorities of both Israeli and Palestinian publics reject such a solution.

The charter of the Palestinian terror group, Hamas, which rules over Gaza, states their goals: To kill Jews and destroy Israel by violent means. Hamas unequivocally will not accept a Jewish state in the region.

The Palestinian Authority is little better. Its schoolbooks show maps with Israel erased, and they tell Palestinian children that all of Israel is their legitimate home, which will be returned to them. They are further taught that serving this cause through martyrdom is the highest calling.

But the fourth false notion—which trumps all others—is that the Palestinians actually want peace with the Jewish state. Rather, they have both articulated and proven with horrific deeds that their goal is the elimination of Israel, nothing less.

The Palestinian project is animated not by the burning desire for a state. No Palestinian statesman has ever proclaimed that, “I have a dream—a dream of an independent state living in harmony, prosperity and freedom with our Jewish neighbors.” Never.

Indeed, the Palestinians have not developed a culture of peace . . . but rather one of antisemitic hate and constant war. Their leaders have not developed a governing infrastructure or promoted democratic values . . . but rather run their territories as corrupt, iron-fisted dictatorships, dedicated to preserving their rule and lining their own pockets.

So long as U.S. policymakers nurture these profound misconceptions, their efforts are doomed. Indeed, they only prolong the misery of the Palestinian people and the need for Israel to maintain police, border guards, army—and a populace—on defensive alert 24 hours every day of their lives.

In short, American diplomats will only achieve Middle East peace once they exchange their naive ideology for hard, factual analysis.

Please make the point when speaking with family, friends, colleagues—or in letters to the editor—that if the U.S. really wants to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians, it needs to change its assumptions.

Emphasize that American aid to the Palestinians should be conditional on the Palestinians taking steps to promote peace with Israel. The U.S. also needs to stop demanding that Israel make concessions without reciprocity from the Palestinians. Finally, the U.S. needs to stop pushing the so-called two-state solution that neither Israelis nor Palestinians support.

I hope you’ll also take a minute, while you have this material front and center, to forward this message to friends, visit FLAME’s lively Facebook page and review the P.S. immediately below. It describes FLAME’s new hasbarah campaign—”Demand Justice for Jewish Students”—which exposes rising attacks on Jewish college students’ identity and how these acts of antisemitism can be defeated.

Best regards,

James Sinkinson, Publisher
Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

P.S.

You’ve surely seen headlines describing increasing attacks on Jewish students—in the classroom and in the public square—by radical anti-Zionist students, as well as faculty members. So far, university administrators have failed to prevent this kind of antisemitism on campus. At the heart of this discrimination, Israel’s enemies outrageously claim that Zionism is not part of being Jewish. No wonder more and more Jewish students are hiding their Jewish identities on campus. I think you’ll agree that we supporters of Israel need to speak out. FLAME’s new hasbarah—explanatory message—“Demand Justice for Jewish Students”—tells how recent law suits based on Title VI anti-discrimination laws are putting pressure on college administrators to protect Jewish students from such attacks. I hope you’ll review this convincing, fact-based editorial, which FLAME recently published in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Star Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Newsmax. This piece will also be sent to all members of Congress, Vice President Harris and President Biden. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel’s behalf is critical, I urge you to support us. As of today, more than 15,000 Israel supporters receive the FLAME Hotline at no charge every week. If you’re not yet a subscriber, won’t you join us in receiving these timely updates, so you can more effectively tell the truth about Israel? Just go to free subscription.