‘We must have peace’

Unfortunately, some of my friends cannot accept the fact that Barack Obama is president of the United States, and they stir up fears about what his position may be as it affects the Mideast.

So let us look at the facts: When England gave up its mandate over the area in part of the Middle East, the United Nations established two separate entities – for a Jewish state and a Palestinian state. The Jewish people accepted the decision and ultimately declared the State of Israel, which was accepted by the United States, and six Arab states declared war on Israel and invaded this small state.

A truce was arranged, Egypt and Jordan remained as occupiers, and Israel was allowed to keep the areas she has attained, and again this was recognized by the United Nations and much of the world. Jerusalem was declared an international city whose status was to be settled when a full peace occurred.

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There was then and is now no Palestinian people because there still isn’t a Palestinian State. From 1948 until the 1967 war neither Egypt nor Jordan nor any other country allowed for the formation of another state.

After the 1967 war, the United Nations formulated Proposition 242 in which Israel agreed to give back “territories.” Not all territory, not some territory, just territories. That passage was deliberately put in to create no specifics.

George W. Bush presented his “road map,” actually based on the Saudi Arabian suggestion, and he was the first U.S. president to speak of the “two-state solution.”

When the senior President Bush refused to guarantee a $10 billion loan to Israel, Israel promised to stop building settlements and to destroy all illegal settlements. The promise has not been kept. Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert emptied Gaza, not Obama. They also fostered the two-state solution, and 60 percent of Israelis agreed. Hamas rules Gaza, because George Bush urged an election in Gaza, and the same happened in Lebanon, with Hezbollah now in the parliament. The killing goes on.

We now have President Obama, who is devoting valuable time and jeopardizing his popularity to force a decision for peace. Yes – I said force. Let me quote President Obama while speaking to the prime minister of the Palestinian Autority: “The U.S. is a stalwart ally of Israel.” Yes, he challenged Israel to stop building the settlements. We must have peace or a 100-year war, a war that nobody wins, and we all are losers.