Equating Israeli Sensibilities with Arab Sensitivities

"'Balance' [on the part of Canadian diplomats stationed in the Middle East] implies that the opinions of two antagonists should be regarded as morally equivalent. It would mean that our ambassador would consider that Israel and the Palestinian Authority are similar entities, with similar goals and similar methods, to be taken seriously in a similar way."
"I was in Israel during the Second Intifada in 2002, and I was astonished by the fact that the Israelis were so calm. They had more than the usual amount of security, but otherwise they went about their business. They weren't particularly interested in discussing the terror. They were excited, in normal ways, about sports, politics, TV and [a special interest of many Israelis] archaeology. They were not letting fanatics from the West Bank interfere with real life. They were acting as citizens of a democracy should act. 'Intifada' means 'shaking', but the Israelis chose not to be shaken."
Robert Fulford, columnist/journalist, National Post

PA leaders applaud at the unveiling of “Monument for the heroic Martyr 

Prisoner Ahmad Jabarah Abu Sukkar” - terrorist killer of 15 

Canada's diplomatic community self-congratulates on its traditional role as 'honest broker', portraying itself as neutral and unbiased, on the side of truth and reality, depicting itself as a stalwart in a liberal society that takes no sides, merely presents as a reasonable advocate for peace wherever assignments take them, to represent their nation's values and priorities. In a sense, their stance is one that reflects a smug set of beliefs similarly expressed by Great Britain. Why stop at Great Britain; this is an attitude common throughout Europe altogether.

When, in fact, a bias does exist. And it is an expression of institutionalized anti-Semitism. Canada's foreign service is permeated and always has been, with an aura of romanticism regarding the Middle East's Arab population, somehow managing to overlook the fanaticism of tribal antipathies and sectarian hatreds and the violence both engender. And that the population-dense Arab nations have always fulminated over the paltry-in-numbers presence of Jews in their midst seems to sit particularly well with them.

A Conservative-government-era appointee as Canadian ambassador to Israel has now been recalled to Ottawa and in her place, another diplomat assigned, one whose sensibilities lean more traditionally heavily toward sympathetic views of the Palestinians rather than the Israelis which in effect does not produce a 'neutral' balance, but a preference. The newly-removed ambassador was perceived as being too supportive of Israel, at the expense of the Palestinians.

"She showed no balance at all", declared a veteran diplomat who didn't mind sharing his thoughts with the news media at the news of her recall, and who was feeling "total, total elation" at the fact. It is this perception of "balance" that veteran journalist Robert Fulford waxed on about, and his indignation at what that perceived balance actually represents. In his opinion it is a blithe acceptance of the Arab penchant toward violence to solve problems being on an equal par with the Israeli dedication to rationally solving mutual problems.

Israel, he points out, is a democracy with all the dedicated values and assurances of a democratic nation, extending the guarantees of equality and fairness to all its citizens of varied derivation, ethnicity and religions. How does that compare in 'balance' with a nascent nation that rejects diversity for 'one nation under Islam', achieving their goal through incessant violence bred of resentment, anger and hatred?

The Palestinian Authority encourages its population to bank the embers of resentment and anger so that at any given time they can be fired into a state of unbridled violence targeting the subject of their hatred. This is a cradle-to-grave commitment which the leaders of the Palestinians never fail to remind their citizens they must never forget and always be prepared to demonstrate through 'resistance' to 'occupation', an occupation brought to bear as a method of defence against ongoing attacks.

The vicious low-level, sub-conscious hatred is prepared to flare at any moment that authorities deem appropriate and from time to time an intifada is declared to allow the suppressed, smouldering hatred to express itself as a reminder to Israel that it cannot afford to become too complacent, that their 'partners for peace' are unprepared to sue for peace on an equal footing with their perceived enemy, and judging from a century's worth of conflict, may never be prepared.

If evidence of this is a requirement one need look no further than the organized attacks against Jews, whether they are group efforts at suicide bombings for maximum carnage, or single individuals' sudden murderous lunges at innocent passersby to exact vengeance on what the attackers believe is the malign intent of those they attack, themselves to be recognized as Palestinian patriots rounding on malicious Jews.

Whether the attackers succeed in their mission to kill singly or collectively, they are fondly regarded as heroes, martyrs for the cause of 'Palestine', a geographical station in the Middle East that was always in history a reflection of Jewish Palestinian inhabitants, co-opted by Arabs to express their 'timeless' presence in the geography that exists in their imagination, not in reality. Like Islam that owes much of its background where Mohammad lifted freely from the Old Testament and the Talmud for his new religious construct, Palestinian Arabs see fit to alter history to replace 'Jew' with 'Arab'.

The blessed martyrs, identified as such for their staged eagerness to commit their lives to Islam by murder-suicide, have their exploits celebrated and honoured. Dead or alive they are heroes; financially compensated for their great sacrifice, and honoured through memorials dedicated to their great deeds. Like the most recent celebration when a monument to Ahmad Jabara who murdered 15 and injured 60 Jews, with explosives in Zion Square in West Jerusalem.

Sentenced to life in prison for murder and serving 27 years, released by the government of Israel as a gesture of peace to the Palestine Liberation Organization whose name says it all; the liberation of Palestine from Israeli/Jewish presence, a commitment that will never -- regardless of the number of goodwill gestures and peace offerings the Israelis commit to the effort -- succeed in pacifying the PLO. He died at age 78 of a heart attack, in 2013.

But he is a Palestinian hero of celebrated repute and a bust in white marble now resides in a square in Ramallah, West Bank, labelled "Monument for the heroic martyr prisoner Ahmad Jabarah". A Palestinian official declared at the recent unveiling ceremony that the manifest purpose of the monument is "to implant in the minds of our sons and daughters that we are continuing to be loyal to the path of the martyrs".

And this is the balanced humanity and enlightened judgement that reflects the values of the Palestinian Authority, transmitted to the population at large, young and old, to ensure that peace will never prevail between Arab and Jew, if they have their way.