Page 16 - Torch Magazine #24 - Spring 2024

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CUFI ORG UK
with with its neighbour If the the West wanted to reward Palestinians with with a a a a a a a a a state they should have done it it during times of peace not war war Unilaterally recognising a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Palestinian state in in in in the the the aftermath of of the the the largest massacre of of Jews since the the the Holocaust is is a a a a a a a a a big moral mistake daughters are currently being held captive in in in the the tunnels under Gaza for causing this terrorism It is is is is is not the the the IDF’s actions but Israel’s Israel’s very existence that is is is is is the the reason Islamists want to to destroy it it it Israel’s Israel’s duty
is is to to protect its its its land and and and its its its people and and and guarantee its its its survival Israel also wants peace alongside security Allowing the West Bank for example to become part of a a a a a a a a a a Palestinian state would present Israel with another very serious security issue geographically in in addition to the one it it it it currently currently faces in in Gaza This is is because Israel currently currently has security control over the West Bank – something that it would have to lose if a a a a a a a a a a a a a Palestinian state state was created After all a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a state state state cannot be a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a state state without autonomy This makes another 7th October-like massacre a a a a a a a a a a a possibility Advocates blaming Israel for the failure of of a a a a a a a a a a Palestinian state often point to Jewish ‘settlements’ in in in the the West Bank as problematic or or or even the the the cause of terror terror but terrorism against the the the Jews by Arab Islamists happened before the the the modern state of Israel – and it should be be emphasised that the the West Bank or or Judea and and and Samaria as as it is is is is Biblically named is is is is the the heartland of the the Jewish homeland What is the the real solution?
Since 1948 the the Palestinian leadership has turned down every chance of statehood because it it would would mean they would would have to recognise Israel During the the the British Mandate period it it should have been enough for the the Arab Arab world to accept Jordan as as Arab Arab and Israel Israel as as Jewish but instead they wanted to to weaken Israel Israel and and sought half of the the the land promised to to the the Jewish people Then as as as soon as as as Israel claimed independence it was invaded by Arab armies who sought to to drive the the the Jewish people into the the the sea Now Palestinians and their supporters chant “From the the the the River to the the the the Sea Palestine will
be Free ” a a a a a a a direct call for the the the the destruction
of Israel The real barrier to the the the two-
state state solution has never been the the lack of of of recognition of of a a a a a a a a Palestinian state state from Western governments but the lack of of of recognition of of Israel as a a a a a a a a a a state by Arab nations and the Palestinians The solution is peace peace You cannot have peace peace between two sides when one wants wants to destroy the the the other Israel wants wants peace the the the Palestinians do not Do the the Palestinians want the the two-state solution?
No UK
politicians are determined
to give the the the Palestinians a a a a a a a a a a state state because they think it will
advance the the the the two-state solution Yet while the the the the the Palestinians want want a a a a a a a a state of their own they don’t want want one next to to Israel A Gallup poll conducted
in in October 2023 revealed that 72% of Palestinians oppose the two-state solution This statistic is is is actually growing especially in in in in younger Palestinians so in in in in future there will
be even less support Why then are Western politicians pushing something the the the Palestinians themselves don’t want?
Hasn’t the two-state solution already happened?
Yes! A conveniently forgotten fact is that there already was was a a a a a a a a a a a a a a two-state solution: Jordan Jordan (originally Trans-Jordan) was was was in in in in fact part of the the British Mandate for for Palestine and and was was intended to be the the the the the state for for the the the the the Arabs Also back then it was seen through the the the the the lens of the the the the the Israel-Arab conflict conflict but this has been reframed to to be be the the the Israel-Palestinian conflict conflict to to turn Israel Israel from being the the the the the ‘David’ against against the the the the the Arab world into the the the the the the ‘Goliath’ against against the the the the the the Palestinians The truth is is that the the the the the ‘Palestinian cause’ is is the the the the the one unifying policy of of the the the the Arab League They are still united in in their hatred of of Israel What is the best option for Israel’s security?
Some politicians have said that the absence of a a a a a a a a a a a two-state solution has made Israel’s security more vulnerable Some astonishingly even blame Israel Israel and try to to excuse Hamas’s actions as as as an an act act ‘out of frustration’ Such justification is is completely unacceptable Israel Israel is is is is not the the reason there is is is is is is no no Palestinian state or or peace Israel Israel is is is is is is the victim of Islamist terrorism and it is is is is is insulting to blame a a a a a a nation whose sons and and