Another Perspective on Sternhell

From Israel-Academia Monitor:

In Zeev Sternhell's latest article, he might consider some kind of apology to the Jewish "settlers" of Judea and Samaria for writing the following in his Haaretz column in 2001:

"...No doubt about the legitimacy of the armed resistance in the territories themselves. If only the Palestinians had a bit sense, they would have been concentrating their struggle against the settlements, not hurting women and children and would avoid shooting at Gilo, Nahal Oz and Sderot. They should also avoid detonating explosives on the western side of the Green Line. This way the Palestinians themselves would delineate the outline for a solution that will be undoubtedly achieved in the future".

Now Sternhell is saying:

"I explained my position regarding the settlers: The lives of Jews living on both sides of the Green Line are "equally precious."

However, Sternhell's views regarding the settlements remain problematic. Every group of individuals that immigrates to a new land whether in Israel or elsewhere, becomes a "settler" society; including the Bedouins who immigrated to the Negev desert, the Arabs who inundated Palestine when it was designated as a home for the Jewish people, and the Jews who fled persecution. There is no crime in building a home. Furthermore, Sternhell's deafness and blindness to Arab propaganda demanding to throw to the sea Jews like Sternehell himself from the "Jewish settlement" of Jerusalem and his colleagues from Sheikh Munis which Tel Aviv University is built upon, is very difficult to understand.

Sternhell's suggestion the attack against him was perpetrated by extreme right-wingers ignores the fact that it is very likely to have been done by the Palestinians. Sternhell probably can't remember, but just recently he has attended a Palestinian conference in Paris where he told his listeners that: "although it was morally wrong to expel Palestinians, it was necessary to do so". See Al-Falesteenyia's "New History, Old Ideas" 30 August 2008.

Sternhell, just like other unrealistic academics, forgets he is dealing with the Palestinians, who over the last one hundred years, have proven to be a very violent people even vis-à-vis themselves.

Lastly, Sternhell falls into the trap which many Palestinians try to lure Israelis: The choice between two options: A two-state solution or a bi-national state solution. Let's remind Sternhell, that most Jewish Israelis do not forgive the Palestinians for being amoral, untruthful and murderous, eliminating the bi-national option; and that the Palestinians have never been a "people", or a nation which explains why they were never able to create a Palestinian state, eliminating the two-state solution. The third option, which is the most likely, is a continuation of what has existed until now, a Jewish State alongside a non-state terrorist entity. Got that Sternhell?