Why Peace with the Palestinians Remains Elusive

In the previous article, we explored the origins of the Palestinians. My father asked, "Where did the Palestinians come from in the land of Israel? Why do they believe the land belongs to them? Is peace even possible?"

During the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the British conquered the land of Israel in 1917 and intended to divide it between Jews and Arabs. At that time, there were no "Palestinians." The Arabs residing in the land lacked a national identity, name, or common origin. Their unification in the land of Israel only occurred following the exit from Ottoman control. Some were nomads, and most were refugees from neighboring countries. The Arabs wished to establish a new state, akin to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

The British agreed to divide the land between the Jews and the local Arabs and refugees from neighboring countries. The UN proposed the 1947 "Partition Plan" to split the land into a Jewish and an Arab state. While the Jews agreed to the partition and a peace agreement, the Arabs demanded the entire land and sought to expel all Jews into the sea! Thus, the Jews established an independent state under the auspices of the British and the UN, ahead of the Arabs. It's astonishing how the unexpected details of history intertwine like a masterpiece, leading to the current situation.

The War of Independence and Dividing the Land

Even after the state was established, Israel could have possibly lived in peace with the local Arabs and refugees, had the Arabs not sought to destroy us and take control of the entire land. In 1948, upon the declaration of a Jewish state, the "War of Independence" (also known as the "War of Liberation") erupted. Major Arab nations launched an attack on Israel, aiming for its total destruction with the aid of the local Arabs. Yet, by divine grace, Israel defeated them against all odds (in these wars, the borders of the "Green Line" were captured, extending beyond the UN's partition plan).

The First Palestinians

A year after the victory, Israel divided the local Arabs, sending most under Jordanian control in the West Bank and under Egyptian control in the Gaza Strip (interestingly, despite claiming to fight for the refugees, none of the major Arab countries, except Jordan, granted Palestinians citizenship or allowed them to immigrate).

Only after the state's establishment in 1948 did these Arab farmers and refugees begin to collectively identify as "Palestinians," suggesting a connection to the Philistines who battled the Israelites 3,000 years ago!

Nineteen years later, in 1967, the "Six-Day War" broke out. Again, all Arab states rose to annihilate us (including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Sudan, even Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria in Africa), yet miraculously, they were defeated against all odds. At that point, Gaza returned to Israeli control.

Today, about 1.75 million residents live in the Gaza Strip. Though Palestinians were not historically a nation, today they undeniably are, under the governance of Israel.

No Peace Partner

Peace could have been achieved long ago with the Palestinians if not for their demand for control over all of Israel and their brutal terrorist acts aimed at our total destruction. Furthermore, internal conflicts have created divided factions in Gaza, battling each other without forming a unified government capable of a stable peace agreement (hence the expression "no partner for peace").

Ironically, despite the terrorist attacks, Israel currently provides Gaza with electricity and water, yet cannot grant them political independence (like opening airports and seaports, which could allow the transfer of missiles and weapons) due to their leaders' declarations of Israel's destruction.

(Photo: shutterstock)

Numerous attempts have been made to move towards a peace agreement with the Palestinians, such as the Oslo Accords in 1993 when the late Rabin handed over thousands of weapons to the "Palestinian Authority" to assist them in establishing their own independent state, or returning territories like Gush Katif in 2005. These failed attempts only increased terrorist activities against Israel, strengthening the enemy and bringing terrorists closer to us.

"Enlightened" leftists, both in Israel and abroad, argue that Israel should retreat from conquered borders to "free Palestine," granting Palestinians full and free independence in Gaza. Such an action, from any security standpoint, would lead, Heaven forbid, to the destruction of Israeli citizens, surrounded by missiles from all sides. Therefore, there is no real solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict until the coming of the Messiah.

We are thus left with an impossible situation, one that no other nation has faced historically. We exist miraculously, between a rock and a hard place, between numerous Arab states wanting our destruction and countless UN countries wishing to see our downfall, balancing precariously on a tightrope, where any small slip could lead to catastrophic ruin.

Moreover, consider the strange fact that in 2017, we, the Jewish people, were the sole nation on earth demanded to be completely annihilated without conditions. For example, the head of Hezbollah expressed that he hopes all Jews gather in Israel, so he wouldn't have to hunt them worldwide... Such claims are not made against any other people.

It is no coincidence that our sages tell us we are in the End of Days, a situation orchestrated from above in an extraordinary manner so we might recognize that we are on the verge of redemption, and it's most needed because we have no one to rely on but our Father in Heaven (Mishnah at the end of Tractate Sotah). And what should we do in this era? Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, guided us with this 3,300-year-old prophecy: "When you are in distress, and all these things have befallen you in the future days, you will return to Hashem your God and listen to His voice" (Deuteronomy 4:30).