УAn Unheard SpeechФ
"Gentlemen, all of you have experience in war.а As senior officers, all of you have studied the history of warfare.а All of you know that since the end of World War II, and despite the United Nations, there has hardly been a week without as many as ten wars raging on this planet.а Hence war is the norm of international relations, and peace is merely a period of preparing or blindly waiting for the next war.аа Perhaps this is why the word УwarФ -- УmilchamaФ -- appears 52 times in the Torah, whereas the word УpeaceФ -- УshalomФ -- appears only 26 times.
ааааааааааа "Now gentlemen, political scientists think they are being very original when they define politics as a struggle for power.а Yet, when discussing the Arab-Israel conflict, the same political scientists would have us believe in "conflict resolution," a notion opposed to the Islamic concept of jihad.а Thus, while war may be too serious a matter to be left to generals, it is certainly too serious to be left to morally neutral and sheltered academics.
ааааааааааа "Gentlemen, you know that this century is the most violent in human history.а You yourselves have witnessed implacable hatred and unmitigated barbarism.а While tired democratic politicians intone 'peace, peace, peace,' Yasir Arafat, EgyptТs patron, brazenly declares:а 'Peace to us means the destruction of Israel!'
ааааааааааа "Peace has become the mantra of democracy, of people steeped in comfort and comforting illusions.а The same individuals who enjoy the most violent cinemas are among the most vociferous anti-war activists who believe man is basically a tame and peace-loving animal.а Politicians know better, but their lust for power impels them to treat people like children.а Then, when war comes, democracies are ill-prepared and suffer unnecessarily greater initial losses.
ааааааааааа "Now let us focus on Israel.а Although Israel has never been defeated on the battlefield,а she has yet to win a single war.а No war is won unless the victor prescribes the terms of peace to the vanquished.а Hence victory in war has always alluded us.
ааааааааааа "What prevents Israel from winning a war?а Almost any housewife will tell you that the United Nations, but primarily the United States, will not let Israel win a war over Arab regimes.а Why not?а A three-letter word:а oil.а Political scientists will give you the same simplistic answer, although some may also mention the Arabists or anti-Semites in the American State Department.
ааааааааааа "Gentlemen, has it ever occurred to you that these external factors obscure what is more fundamental, namely, Israel's internal defects?а Has it ever occurred to you that Israel's political system is not conducive to victory in war and that her political leaders lack the moral courage and wisdom required to win a war?
ааааааааааа "Regarding Israel's political system:а both Arabs and Jews can vote and hold office.а As a consequence, almost all parties in Israel seek Arab support before and after national elections.а Which means that Israeli politicians cannot base their domestic and foreign policies on the truth regarding Arab hatred of Jews.а
ааааааааааа "On the one hand, Israeli politicians--Left and Right--tolerate the disloyalty of Israel's Arab citizens.а On the other hand, they pander to Arab regimes.а Moreover, by failing to expose the mendacious and militant character of Israel's enemies, Israeli politicians undermine the vigilance and realism of their own people.
ааааааааааа "Furthermore, given one adult/one vote in a state where Arabs comprise 20% of Israel's population, Jewish politicians must not display Jewish pride or Jewish national honor. аIndeed, Israel's left-wing parties disparage the heritage of the Jewish people--a convenient way to curry the favor of Arab voters.а
ааааааааааа "Now, what kind of Jewish politicians are to be expected in this bi-national state?а Who or whose heritage will they represent?а Will their paramount loyalty be to the Jewish people?а Will they possess confidence in the justice of Israel's cause?а Will they possess the will and wisdom to go on the diplomatic offensive vis-à-vis Arab dictatorships?а Will they possess the moral and intellectual stature to neutralize Arabist influence in the American State Department?а Hardly!а Jewish self-effacement will be and has been the rule.
ааааааааааа "This being so, Israel is constitutionally incapable of winning any war.а But gentlemen, we all know that war will come sooner or later.а I can assure you we have the military capacity to prevent any combination of Arab states from defeating us on the battlefield, which is not to say we will not incur serious losses.а Of course, in the next war many Arabs between the Mediterranean and the Jordan will flee, as they did in the War of Independence.а We shall certainly not hinder their departure.а Indeed, we shall encourage them to live elsewhere among their kinfolk.а And one way of doing this is to have at hand, even now, plans for a Jewish Constitution in which only Jews, be they religious or not, make the laws of the Jewish state.
ааааааааааа "A Jewish Constitution would improve the quality of those elected to national office and enable them to pursue a coherent and truly national strategy.а It would increase the probability of advancing wise and courageous statesmen to the helm of state.а Such statesmen would dampen the militancy of Arab regimes and thus diminish the frequency of war.а And if a war should break out, such statesmen would have the capacity to win it!Ф
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