Naomi Ragen Pt 1
As an Israeli, I don't always feel IÕm living in the same universe as
the rest of the world. We seem to be in parallel universes.
In my universe, Yasir Arafat has violated the Geneva Convention on
Human Rights -- which calls the murder of noncombatants a crime
against humanity-- in 11,326 terrorist attacks over the last 18
months that has left hundreds of Israelis dead and thousands injured.
In my universe, that makes him a war criminal.
But in the parallel universe, it makes him a great freedom fighter
who deserves visits from diplomats, sympathy, and the offer to head
his own state where he can conceivably continue his activities with a
formal cache of even more deadly weapons. In the parallel universe,
the people who think this way consider themselves liberals and
humanists.
In my universe, Saudi Arabia, is a totalitarian state which cuts off
the limbs of thieves and stones women suspected of adultery, and
drowns young daughters in swimming pools to preserve family 'honor'.
In my universe, it is a place where woman are nonpersons who cannot
work, or drive, or go out unaccompanied by men. In my universe, itÕs
exhibited medieval antisemitism: In Saudi ArabiaÕs government daily,
Al-Riyadh, columnist Dr. Umayma Ahmad Al-Jalahma of King Faysal
University in Al-Dammam, wrote on March 13, 2002 (yes, today) that
the special ingredient in Jewish Purim holiday cake is human blood
from non-Jewish youth.
In the parallel universe, this same Saudi Arabia has suggested that
Israel withdraw to its '67 borders for more empty promises of
'peace' and this is considered a serious 'peace initiative' which is
soberly discussed by reporters, politicians, talk show hosts, and
editorial writers.
In my universe, following ten years of 'talking peace', signing
agreements in which the Palestinians agreed to renounce the use of
terror in exchange for Israel turning over 95% of the West Bank and
all of Gaza to Yasir Arafat's Palestinian Authority, giving the
Authority millions of dollars and thousands of guns to 'control the
terrorists', Israelis were rewarded by having their children blown
up in pizza parlors, discos, bar mitzvahs, and cafes; being shot in
their cars, having rockets destroy their homes and watching
Palestinians, who were our peace partners, celebrate these deaths in
their streets. In my universe, after wringing its hands, and risking
our lives, and making useless appeals to Arafat to reign in his
terrorists, our government finally sent in soldiers to gather up the
weapons. These terrorists, who are ready to make 'brave' forays into
Israel in order to shoot nine month -old babies and grandmothers,
engaged in a short gun battle until forced to surrender when
confronted by armed combatants.
In the parallel universe, Israelis are condemned for 'humiliating'
Palestinians, and calls go out for international observers to protect
these same Palestinians.
In my universe, the United States, which has always seen itself as
Israel's greatest ally, and which has itself suffered thousands of
casualties from terrorist attacks by Muslim extremists, calls on
Yasir Arafat to stop the terror on Israelis, and is ignored.