Weekly Commentary: Photo ops cannot take the place of centuries of effort

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 21 June 2012

I have no doubt that by the end of the century, militant Islam will be
defeated.
PM Netanyahu's Remarks to the President's Conference 21 June 2012

There’s a western fantasy that deeply embedded disputes between peoples can
be resolved with the stroke of a pen and a handshake – preferably at a photo
op on the White House lawn.

But that’s all it is.

A fantasy.

So it is refreshing to see Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recognizing
that the time frame in our neighborhood isn’t measured in days, years or
even decades.

The Arab world today sees Israel as no more than a fleeting episode – like
the Crusaders. And that “fleeting episode” was measured in centuries – not
decades.

Do the math.

It is going to take many generations for us to prove that we have more
staying power than the Crusaders had.

Sobering thought.

Then again, it is not as if the Jewish People had a cake walk surviving over
the centuries in the Diaspora.

We persevered. And we can indeed persevere.

This is not a philosophical matter.

It is something that should serve as a basic underpinning to policy making.

First and foremost it means that the working assumption must be that,
regardless of the text signed in some photo-op, that our neighbors do not
actually accept our existence here and if they had the opportunity they
would act to end it.

This working assumption, by the way, is what Israelis consistently tell
pollsters.

For the sake of the very survival of the Jewish State, policy makers must
apply this crucial working assumption when they analyze any prospective
agreement, understanding or unilateral move.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il