THE CASE FOR ISRAEL – SYNOPSIS OF DERSHOWITZ BOOK -- PART II

8)The UN Plan in 1947 was unfair to Palestinians. It was imposed on them to allow Zionist colonization to be formalized. Truth: The plan was fair, would have allowed for mutual self-determination and the outlines of such a 2-state plan are now the consensus of world opinion.

9)The Jews were a minority in Israel and should not have been granted any territory. Truth: The Jews were a substantial majority in the portion portioned by the UN.

10)The existence of the Palestinian victims of Israel is the core of Arab Israeli conflict. Truth: Arab rejection of Israel’s right to exist is the chief cause.

11)The War of Independence in 1948 by Israel was expansionist aggression. Truth: Israel defended itself against a genocidal war of extermination. As soon as Israel declared independence, the Arab states declared war to drive the Jews into the sea

12) Israel by its expansion in 1948 created the Arab refugee problem. Truth: The Arab states started the war, they exacerbated the refugee problem by panicking and deceiving the Arab villagers, and the Arab states have refused to integrate the Palestinians into their nations. The UN redefined its refugee program to keep it going these 40 plus years. Any excesses by Israel militia in defending their land that could be termed massacres, were dealt with promptly. The only true thing is that if Israel had lost, there would have been no Jewish refugee problem.

13) Israel started the Six Day War. Truth: Yes, it fired the first shots but Egypt, Syria and Jordan mobilized for Israel’s destruction and provoked attack by closing the Straits of Tiran.

14) There is no justification of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Truth: Israel was willing to trade land captured in a defensive war for peace, as it did with Egypt and Jordan. Almost immediately after prevailing over the Arab armies, Israel agreed with the principles of UN Resolution 242, which for the first time in history ordered a nation to return territories lawfully captured. But neither Syria or Palestinians have been willing to offer peace for land!

15) The Yom Kippur War (1973) was Israel’s fault. Truth: the unprovoked attack was unjustified and in violation of the UN charter. The only good thing it accomplished was both a restoration of Arab honor and a grudging admission by at least Egypt and Jordan that more could be accomplished by negotiation (the return of the Sinai!!) than by battle.