An historic moment!

Tuesday – May 24, 2011

An historic moment!

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had his moment with destiny, while he addressed a Joint Meeting of Congress today. A Joint Session of Congress is reserved for the President of the United States. The Prime Minister sounded more like what we would have expected from a U.S. President.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain had made the most appearances before a Joint Meeting of Congress, during the War years of WWII.

Both Netanyahu and Churchill gave rousing words of inspiration in the speeches they gave and were able to provide the guidance with the words they used.

Churchill denounced Hitler and the free world applauded. Netanyahu denounced terrorism, Hamas, and Iran and he was greeted with boo’s by the free world. The President addressed AIPAC and the audience was told not to boo the president, because of his remarks and requested that Israel give back the land they won to their pre 1967 borders. The land would then be given back to the Palestinians.

The Prime Minister said that Israel would give concessions, but indefensible borders would never be conceded. He then went to say that he would recognize a Palestinian State, if an Israeli State would also be recognized. His remarks were met by words of defiance from the Palestinian leader saying that the words of Netanyahu were words of a declaration of war.

The Prime Minister was greeted with great applause by the joint meeting today except by the Vice President. This was a symbol of the administration’s approach to the two state solution. This was also a symbol of where the administration is but not where our Congress is.
The Prime Minister said that Israel is not the problem, democracy is not the problem. "Israel will never give up its quest for peace," Netanyahu said, adding that he is "willing to make painful compromises to achieve this historic peace."

"Now, this is not easy for me. It's not easy, because I recognize that in a genuine peace we will be required to give up parts of the ancestral Jewish homeland,'' he said, referring to the occupied West Bank.

In outlining his peace vision, Netanyahu said Israel would not negotiate with terrorists and urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to rip up a power-sharing agreement that his moderate Fatah faction has signed with the militant group Hamas — which does not recognize Israel's right to exist — and shelve efforts to win U.N. statehood status unilaterally in September.
"I say to President Abbas 'Tear up your pact with Hamas and sit down and negotiate, make peace with the Jewish state.'"

"The Palestinian attempt to impose a settlement through the United Nations will not bring peace. It should be forcefully opposed by all those who want to see this conflict end," Netanyahu said.

I wrote last week that the opposition to Israel will never agree to peace until Israel is eliminated, this is the heart of the issue.

Just as Great Britain and the Winston Churchill were our allies during WWII, Israel is just as important to us now. It is delusional to think that democracy will thrive if Israel gives up land. It is delusional to think that peace will ever come to the mid east if Israel gives up land, their destiny and their state hood.

There are many references of our fight for independence in Israel’s own fight for independence. One such example is an exact replica of our Liberty Bell in Israel’s Liberty Bell Park. Is there an exact replica of the Liberty Bell on display in any nation in any other part of the Mid East?

This is the time to stand up and be counted among those who support Israel. Our nation has more in common with Israel any other country in the Mid East and possibly the world. The people of Israel carved out a state and a nation where there was none. The people of Israel carved out a democracy where there was none. The people of Israel have fought like any other nation to protect themselves from harm. This has been their story in history. It will continue to be the story until Israel’s safety is guaranteed and the enemies of Israel accept them like Israel has accepted their enemies and their right to exist.

“Israel is not what is wrong in the Middle East, it is what is right in the Middle East” this according to The Prime Minister today in the halls of our congress where he practiced democracy in the home of democracy. It is time we put that same practice on display in the Middle East before the Arab Spring turns into the Summer of fear!

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: An historic moment is a moment in time that can be recognized or dismissed. So far the Obama administration has chosen to dismiss the opportunity and they should be booed for that dismissal!