Allan Wolman
Not only might the US have its second woman president but a Jewish one to boot. It’s also five years since Israel withdrew to the pre-1967 lines and over half a million Israelis resettled within those borders.
Despite total withdrawal from occupied areas in terms of the Oslo Agreement as well as complying with US, EU and UN demands that Israel’s blockade ends, Egypt still maintains that blockade and rockets continue to rain down from Gaza.
The recent mortar and rocket attacks on Ben-Gurion Airport from Palestinian positions outside Ramallah causing the closure of the airport has had a telling effect on the economy this summer. The build-up of rockets and other more sophisticated missiles in Lebanon since last year’s war has our military commanders more than worried.
Has appeasing the West by withdrawing to the 1967 lines, handing over the settlements to the Palestinian government and ending the occupation five years ago, resulted in the promised peace and coexistence?
Has Europe eased up on sanctions against Israel? Has the UN Human Rights Council ceased its constant demonising Israel? And has peace come to the Middle East as all the world was telling us – end the occupation and all will be well in our region. Oh dear what has gone wrong?
Jerusalem is again a divided city without Jewish access to its holy sites as was guaranteed under the international treaty establishing the state of Palestine and now those Jewish Voices for a Just Peace together with SA Jews for a Free Palestine demand that Haifa, Jaffa and huge swathes of the Galilee be turned over to form part of Palestine. BDS is now recognised by the UN as a legitimate NGO with a seat on the Human Rights Council.
But ending the occupation has certainly brought peace to the world. ISIL is now in full control of what was Iraq and Syria and recognised by the UN.
The Iranian centrifuges are spinning at high velocity and the ayatollah tells the world that Iran is about to test its first nuclear device – neither John Kerry nor Federica Mogherini are available for comment. One wonders how Chelsea will cope with a nuclear Iran and a politically correct world.
Rosebank, Johannesburg
