So says Siniora in a New York Times Op-Ed piece.
Of course, what he’s not telling you is that when a state doesn’t recognize your existence or put you on maps, its pretty easy for them not to want to wipe you off the map. You never made it there in the first place. Cheap shots aside, the op-ed piece has some classic moments. For example:
Like the Israelis, the Arab people have legitimate security concerns, as evidenced by what Lebanon endured last summer. So often we have seen parties to the conflict use force in the name of self-defense and security, only to further aggravate the situation and compromise the very security they seek. These escalations also occur because there has never been full compliance with international law. Thus, illegal occupations, over-flights, detentions, house demolitions, humiliating checkpoints, attacks and counterattacks continue to heighten the anger and despair. Perpetuating hostility and distrust in this manner goes against the tide of confidence-building this region needs to foster stability. The conflict has persisted for so long, generating so many tangled consequences, that diplomacy remains the only option.
Here Muffti thought that the security concerns were partly due to allowing terrorists to run the southern part of your country, kidnapping soldiers and firing rockets into your neighbour’s unrecognized country, funding and arming terrorist groups within your country that prevent and stable situation required for peace talks, propagandizing the youth with jihadist propaganda (lately with a rip off of Mickey Mouse!) and most of all making (in some cases) belligerent and contradictory messages to the media about your intentions with respect to making war with Israel. But what does Muffti know?
So, if the Arab League doesn’t seek to wipe Israel off the map, what do they want?
Rather, we are seeking the legitimate goals of an armistice, secure borders and the ability of all of the region’s people to live in peace and security.
It sounds…so…plausible! Why does Muffti find himself incredulous?
