Akiva Eldar is an “obstacle to Zionism”

By Ted Belman

A leftist acquaintance of mine smugly referred me to a recent article Another obstacle to Zionism by Akiva Eldar appearing in Haaretz as if it proved anything.

When I read it I wanted to throw up. Not one negative word did he have to say about the Arabs. All his scorn was directed at Israel. In effect he believes that everything is Israel’s fault and makes no allowance for the fact that the Arabs want to destroy Israel not because it is not moral but because they want to destroy it. He calls on Israel to be live up to its promise and be moral without any regard to the threats Israel faces both physical and existential and without regard to its rights. He ignores the New Demographic Study and the possibility of ameliorating the numbers by voluntary emigration. He also ignores the negative consequences of withdrawal.

Akiva Eldar is a well know journalist. I am surprised he got his facts wrong. On the other hand leftists often get their facts wrong. Isseroff is one who doesn’t.

He writes,

“That chapter of the Zionist struggle ended on May 15, 1948. The Declaration of Independence laid the moral foundations for the state of the Jews – the realization of the Zionist vision.”

Actually the legal right to a state was established by the Palestine Mandate in 1922. But he prefers to focus on the “moral foundation”. Why was that any more moral than then Mandate itself?

“The constitutive Zionist document guarantees that this state will provide “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants.”

This declaration means that if the territories are annexed, Israel is obligated to grant the rights of citizenship to Palestinians as well, including the right to vote and to be voted into the Knesset.”

The Mandate only granted “civil and religious rights” to other inhabitants. The Declaration of Independence went further and declared that “it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions;”

And so it did.

“This declaration means that if the territories are annexed, Israel is obligated to grant the rights of citizenship to Palestinians as well, including the right to vote and to be voted into the Knesset.”

This only follows if Israel doesn’t change the law which it can, with or without a new constitution. A number of Parties already have new citizenship laws in their platforms even for all citizens of Israel.

Besides the Declaration of Independence promised citizenship to its then inhabitants. Such promise doesn’t apply to the Arabs in the territories.

“According to demographic forecasts, the separation of Israel and the territories would guarantee that in 2020, too, the Jews will retain their relative advantage. But annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem – whether officially or de facto – makes the territory between the sea and the Jordan River a bi-national state even now (54 percent Jews, 46 percent non-Jews).”

Here he shows his ignorance. I have been studying the new demographic study. For the foreseeable future (next 25 years), Jews will outnumber Arabs by a ratio of 2:1 if we exclude Gaza.

If Gaza is included it is 6:4

Now Arab residents will be compensated to emigrate thereby improving the ratio. It will be cheaper to compensate them then to compensate Jews to leave.

“The settlement in the heart of the territories has for 40 years denied freedom to millions of people, including the freedom of movement.”

At the moment the territories are not part of Israel and Israel’s first obligation is protecting its citizens. It is nonsense to suggest that we owe them freedom when they are at war with us.

“How does the enormous growth in the number of settlers since the signing of the Oslo Accords (from 100,000 in 1993 to 270,000 today) square with the 60-year-old declaration, “We extend our hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness.”? “

It is ludicrous to make this argument when our neighbours are trying to destroy us. Israel has taken over the territories because the Arabs forced a defensive war on Israel.

“Were it not for its fear of the settlers, Israel would not be ignoring the extended hand of the Arab League, which offers peace and good neighborliness within the June 4, 1967, borders.”

This is another lie. No one has offered anything of the kind. Besides the settlers are Israelis and are supported by the populace. It is the government, only, that is afraid of the settlers and this is because they are supported by the majority.

“The settlements and the course of the separation fence, which was tailored to suit their needs, have drawn the largest number of UN condemnations and international protests against Israel.”

It lies ill in the mouth for any friend of Israel to quote the UN on anything. It is Israel’s enemy. Israel will never receive justice there. These resolutions are recommendations only in a forum controlled by the Arabs. It is extremely biased and should be shunned.

And the biggest lie of all was uttered by Olmert and repeated by Eldar

“if a two-state solution is not reached soon, the State of Israel is finished.“

In 2001, Andrea Levin of CAMERA wrote Ha’aretz Fuels Anti-Israel Bias

Akiva Eldar too, despite a record of factual sloppiness and twisted interpretation, is often cited. A May 23, 2001 New York Times story quoted him declaring that Ariel Sharon’s “shelling of Jibril Rajoub’s house removes any remaining doubts. Ariel Sharon has decided to turn the Palestinian Authority into the enemy.” Thus eight months into an unprecedented mini-war launched by Arafat’s PA, Eldar points the finger at Sharon.

Like many of his colleagues, Eldar joins the outside world continuously in wagging his finger at the Jews. A Washington Post story (July 21, 2000) quoted him saying that Israeli public opinion against the division of Jerusalem is indicative that, “there is something about Jerusalem that addles the brain.”