Case for Israel - Dershowitz Part 3

16) Israel is not serious about peace. Truth: Though provoked by Palestinian terrorism especially from 1968 on, Israel has offered serious proposals but Palestinians have rejected every offer. Dershowitz has another book, Why Terrorism works. He argues that the loser of war should not be equal partners and that any negotiation is based on each other’s right to exist. Nonetheless, the Oslo peace process led to an Israeli withdrawal from Palestinians towns by 1995. But Arafat is not prepared, is scared of Hamas and others, so is afraid to make a formal peace and achieve a formal 2 state independence.
17)Arafat was right to turn down the Barak / Clinton proposal in 2000 or at least all sides are to blame. Truth: In addition to arguments above, Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia even disagrees and blames Arafat. He was a crucial intermediary between Arafat and Clinton. Everyone knew it was Israel’s best offer, that unlimited Arab right of return and total contiguity could not be offered. The excuse of Sharon’s visit to the Temple Mount (September 2000) to resume violence is ridiculous.
18)Why have more Palestinians been killed than Israelis? Truth: It’s not for lack of trying – many terrorist actions including at least one documented one on scale of 9/11 have been stopped, also better medical care on Israeli side in emergency response prepared for suicide bombings. Also, many of the casualty lists are padded by the Palestinians to include the terrorists themselves, Arabs killed in their bombings or premature detonation, etc, etc.
19)Does Israel torture Palestinians? Truth: Israel Supreme Court has explicitly outlawed techniques of torture, some of which are legitimate as physical pressure in the US anti-terror campaign and for which we were “called on the carpet” for excesses and humiliation at Abu Gharib.
20)Does Israel engage in genocide? Truth: The Israel army has always targeted only military and terrorist targets. Again the military code and the Israeli Supreme Court specify much more stringent “rules of engagement” than does the US
21)Is Israel a racist state because of its right of return immigration policy? Truth: it is a non-racial policy that allows priority of immigration due to religious belief and family ties following from that. There is freedom of religion and much less discrimination than in the Arab countries. Other countries have “right of return” and explicitly ethnic immigration policies, including most Arab states.