The two-state solution – Deputy Consul General Paul Hirschson

Tampa Tribune – May 24, 2010

We understand the rules: There is a natural tendency, particularly in academia, the media and human rights organizations, to support the weak against the strong. I tend to do the same thing.

This is without reference to the substance of the claims of the parties to a dispute. For the most part this is with some legitimacy. For the strong has usually been in the wrong.

In that part of Palestine (a Roman name chosen to disassociate the land from the Jews long before today’s Palestinian Arabs came to the region), handed over by the British to the United Nations in 1947, there are now two peoples – the Jews and today’s Palestinians.
Two peoples with competing, some say conflicting, claims to one piece of land.

The government of Israel, as the previous three Israeli administrations before it, has endorsed what is called the “two-state solution” to the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

What Israel has embraced is the idea of two states for two peoples. What the Palestinians propose is two states. The difference is in the nuance.

Israel proposes a situation that includes the finality of claims and an end to the conflict. The Palestinian Arabs, together with and incited by others, talk about two states without mention of “for two peoples” with reason.

Their continued refusal to recognize Israel as the Jewish state is no coincidence. What they foresee is the creation of a Palestinian Arab state alongside a second state, Israel, whose national character will be determined by the ongoing course of history.

When you encounter someone advocating a resolution to the Israel-Arab conflict, ask whether their vision includes the finality of claims and the end of conflict. If not, be on guard.

The real intent is to undermine the legitimacy of the Jews’ right to national self- determination. For the most part they have nothing but contempt for Palestinian individuals, the vast majority of whom want nothing more than the end to the conflict.

Make a note of it here. The day Israel reaches an agreement with the Palestinians, the campaign to undermine Israel will change focus and continue.

The radical left cannot stand the idea that the Palestinians would be better served by taking responsibility for themselves, developing the infrastructure of state and nurturing a productive economy rather than hold out their hand for charity.

Israel has more hi-tech companies traded on NASDAQ than any country other than the USA. Israel is producing film, dance, music and other arts at the highest possible standard.

Israel is the antithesis of that school which thinks the ailments of the world will be treated through remunerations. Nice as the idea may be, it doesn’t hold water. A Palestinian state, free of terrorism and radicalism, could also be a miracle of innovation and culture.

There may be some solace in the idea of old European colonial powers paying off others for the brutality of years gone by (or perhaps Japan for invading China way back when). The chance of this leading to something better is negligible.

It’s only in taking responsibility for oneself that progress comes. The Jews did it in establishing Israel, and it drives some schools of thought crazy.

Those who would undermine the very legitimacy of the Jews’ claim to national self- determination, of the right of Israel to exist as the state of the Jews, do themselves no good by aligning with the likes of Hezbollah, Hamas or others.

The darker regimes of the Middle East practice gender apartheid, hormone treatment of gays and human trafficking. We may end up imputing these ideas onto the radical left, which is comfortable in partnering such regimes in opposition to Israel.

We in Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, are the stronger party. And we intend to remain so. The alternative, in our neighborhood, would be particularly unpalatable for us.

This doesn’t mean that we are in the wrong, for the substance of the claims should be taken into account.

Paul Hirschson is deputy consul general of Israel

Consul General Ofer Bavly in Puerto Rico

Just returned from Puerto Rico where I have been discussing with the authorities a number of topics having to do with ways to strengthen the excellent relations between Israel and Puerto Rico. We are on the verge of signing a cooperation agreement that will further enhance our ties.  While in Puerto Rico, I met the Secretary of State, Mr. Kenneth McClintock, with whom I discussed the possibility of bringing some interesting and ground-breaking “green” Israeli technologies to the Island. Israel, a world leader in solar energy, water technologies and more, can and should collaborate with Puerto Rico in these areas and others.

 Consul General Ofer Bavly

The real obstacle to peace

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have begun their “proximity talks” with the mediation of former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell. The objective of the talks, as far as Israel is concerned, is to reach a permanent two-state solution whereby a future Palestine will exist alongside Israel with peace and security for both. Peace is necessary because the peoples of the Middle East deserve it. It will bring stability to the region. It will give the Jewish state security as well as internationally recognized borders. Time does not favor us as radicalism continues to spread around the world. The obstacle to peace is not Israel. In the course of the past 15 years, Israel has taken tremendous and painful steps for peace including making substantial and painful territorial concessions, and taking grave security risks.

Over the past year, since the Palestinians walked out on negotiations, Israel unilaterally declared a 10-month moratorium on new construction in the West Bank. We dismantled dozens of checkpoints and roadblocks, facilitating free movement of Palestinians.

The steps we have taken enabled the Palestinians to achieve an amazing 8 percent economic growth in a year of global recession. These and other steps were taken in order to show good faith and convince the Palestinians to resume negotiations.

The constant obstacle to peace is the weakness of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (P.A.) and the violent takeover of the Palestinian Gaza Strip by the Iran-backed Hamas terror organization. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas still refuses to even recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland, not to mention our right to peace, security — and life.

The Palestinian reluctance to recognize Israel as a Jewish state stems from the P.A.’s weakness as well as its ideology. The P.A. hides behind the Arab League and other external players who are only too eager to keep the conflict going by pressuring the Palestinians not to make concessions and not to negotiate as long as there are any settlements.

Past experience shows that settlements were never an obstacle to negotiations — or, indeed, to peace accords. Both Egypt and Jordan negotiated peace agreements with Israel in spite of the settlements. Israel proved it could dismantle settlements and evacuate its citizens during our unilateral disengagement from Gaza in 2005. Perhaps more important, the same Palestinian president, Abbas, had no difficulty in negotiating with Israel in the past — while settlement activity was going on.

The P.A.’s habitual addition of new preconditions postpones resumption of negotiation and precludes the creation of necessary trust between the two sides.

In order to reach peace, what is necessary is a negotiation process that is conducted in good faith, in a reciprocal manner and only once both sides recognize each other’s right to exist. It must be agreed that the negotiation process has to lead to a final and permanent agreement.

Negotiations are not a rest area on the road to Israel’s destruction. They must include permanently renouncing Palestinian violence and the complete dismantling of all Palestinian terror organizations. Those organizations only aim at destroying Israel, destabilizing the P.A. and ruining any chance for peace.

Only direct negotiations will create the necessary mutual trust and confidence that are so lacking in our region. Without mutual confidence, there can be no advance in any peace process.

The pressure now directed at Israel is therefore misdirected. It is aimed at the easy target rather than at the necessary target. The international community should mobilize its force and influence around the understanding that resolving our conflict is in the interest of the international community.

Those who seek peace should be telling the Palestinians that just as Israel has abandoned its maximalist notion of a “greater Israel” along the lines of the Biblical Promised Land, so should the Palestinians renounce their maximalist dream of a Palestinian state usurping Israel and destroying it.

Only political and military realism brought Jordan and Egypt to renounce violence and the idea of Israel’s destruction in order to reach peace. Only realism and a courageous Palestinian leadership will lead to direct talks, to the creation of mutual trust and ultimately to true and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Ofer Bavly is the Consul General of Israel to Florida and Puerto Rico.

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/14/v-print/1628659/the-real-obstacle-to-peace.html
 

Israel’s 62nd Independence Day Festival

On Sunday April 25, the Consulate organized, along with a large group of volunteers, the third annual Indepence Day festival at Haulover Park. Close to 5,000 members of the Israeli community in South Florida joined together for a day in the park, a celebration of Israeli culture, food and sheer fun. The yacht parade brought over twenty boats, all carrying the Israeli flag. They sailed in single file through the Intercoastal and were cheered by people along the banks. The ten mile Bike ride through the streets of Sunny Isles Beach and Aventura drew over 100 bikers. The motorcycle ride, acoompanied by four police riders, drew 86 Israeli bikers all carrying the Israeli flags. Their roaring entrance into Haulover park was cheered by thousands of participants. The stage at the park hosted many Israeli singers, and dj’s encouraged the people to dance throughout the sunny afternoon. Food vendors made sure the crowd was well fed with Israeli Falafel and Shawarma. Hundreds of barbecues filled every available spot. Children enjoyed inflatable recreation rides and a climbing wall.

Next year’s celebration promises to be even bigger and better with the addition of a mini-marathon run. Join us as we will celebrate israel’s 63^rd Independence day!

______________

Ofer Bavly

Consul General of Israel

Florida and Puerto Rico

 

www.miami.mfa.gov.il

Remarks for Holocaust Remembrance Day 2010

Consul General Ofer Bavly

April 11, 2010

Dear survivors, Rabbis, Leaders of the Jewish Federation, Mr. Braman, friends,

We are here, once again, to remember that most heinous crime against the Jewish people and indeed, against humanity itself. The Shoah will forever be remembered as the pinnacle of human cruelty, the most extreme example of how far man will go to exterminate his own species. It is proof that along with its ability to show kindness and compassion, humankind is also the most evil of all life forms on earth.

As we reflect on the meaning of the Holocaust, there are three lessons that we have learned.

The first lesson is that we must remember in order not to repeat history. By gathering, here and elsewhere, with the survivors, with their children and grandchildren, we must make sure that every subsequent generation, in every country on earth, is taught the history of the Holocaust, so that history will never repeat itself. The lessons of the Holocaust must be an integral part of every school system’s syllabus, must be taught to every child as a universal lesson about mankind and how far humans will go when incited by hatred and racism.

The second lesson is that we must remain moral above all else. As one Israeli journalist noted this week, the Holocaust shifted morality from the national level, from the collective, to the individual. The Holocaust taught us not to rely on nations doing the moral thing; we must make sure that the individual does the right thing, because only he is capable of standing up to the evil of his fellow man. Every man and woman, every individual, knows the difference between good and bad. It is therefore the responsibility of every individual to stop evil and to make sure that it does not take place. During the Nuremberg trials after the Second World War, the Nazi leaders and their officers claimed that they were only following orders, only acting according to the moral standards that were common in their country and in that time. That excuse did not absolve them from guilt. The Nuremberg judges found them guilty of not having exercised their individual morality and not standing up to the obviously demonic orders of the Nazi regime.

The third lesson we take from the Holocaust is that we, the Jewish people, must do absolutely everything in our power in order to survive. We must do everything, because no-one else will do it in our place. We must rely on ourselves because the Holocaust taught us not to rely on others. When it came to defending the Jews, very few righteous individuals were found in the world. Very few countries were there to lend a hand. Most countries shamefully pushed away the Jews, turned them back to the furnaces and the gas chambers. Even the United States turned away the St. Louis, a ship carrying survivors, and sent them back to Europe where most of them were later massacred.

The Jewish people must never rely on the kindness of others. We must never trust that nations and people will do what is moral. We must be ready to do what is necessary in order to ensure that our people will never again have to go through another Holocaust.

The Jewish people established a homeland that would be the safe haven for every Jew, the one place on earth where we will never be afraid to practice our religion. The Israeli people built an army that is there to defend every Jew, every Israeli – because in the words of the wise – אם אין אני לי – מי לי – if I am not for myself, who is for me? If the Jewish people and the people of Israel do not defend themselves, then make no mistakes about it: nobody will defend us.

Consider these lessons when you read about Iran’s latest nuclear breakthrough, announced this week. Here is a nation with a leadership that is openly calling for the extermination of the Jewish people. Their leader repeatedly denies the Shoah, while preaching for a future Holocaust of the Jews. And while he does so, he is accelerating a nuclear program and the development of missiles to back up his desire to wipe every Jew off the map of the earth. Let us take his threats seriously. The Jews who thought that Hitler was bluffing now fill the cemeteries of Europe. We must remember the past so that it does not repeat itself. We must preserve our morality and stand up to this evil – each and every one of us. And we must be prepared to defend ourselves, no matter what it takes, because when the chips are down, nobody will defend the Jewish people except for the Jewish people itself, and the State of Israel.

Thank you.

Independence Day Festival April 25th

Check out Consul General Ofer Bavly on youtube iniviting you to our Independence Day Celebration on April 25th!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iljEKbzf90A&playnext_from=TL&videos=06wZVM9l2X4

Elected Officials Inscribe the Bible, Amos Rolnik in Tallahassee

Up in Tallahassee last week I had the opportunity of launching, together with Amos Rolnik, the new project he thought up – lawmakers of the world inscribe the bible. His original project, “people of the world inscribe the bible”, gave people of all nations and all religions the opportunity to take part in a truly global project whereby each person wrote one verse from the Bible. Once completed, each Bible book was then bound and sent to a central archive in the “Valley of the Bible” in Israel.

The new project envisioned a whole bible written completely by elected officials. The world premiere for this project was in Tallahassee as Governor Charlie Crist wrote Genesis chapter 1, Verse 1. After him, many other Floridian leaders wrote their own verses in the Bible, including Attorney General McCollum Speaker of the House Cretul, Majority Leader Hasner and many other friends.

A truly beautiful project, and we were lucky enough to be able to launch it right here in Florida. Again, Florida is first!

~ Consul General Ofer Bavly

Consul General Ofer Bavly visits Tallahassee

Last week I visited Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, for my regular tour of meetings with the State’s leadership and lawmakers. I always come up there when the House of Representatives and the Senate are in session. It is the best time to meet the lawmakers, to tell them about Israel and the Middle East but also to listen to them, to understand what is on the minds of Floridians, to get a feel for the issues that are of most concern to the citizens of this State. I had excellent meetings with Governor Charlie Crist, who was wearing a green jacket (it was St. Patrick’s day) and with Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp. I also met Attorney General Bill McCollum, House Speaker Larry Cretul, House majority leader Adam Hasner and many good friends in the House and Senate, both democrats and Republicans.

 

After spending three days in Tallahassee, I came away with two main observations: one is the general quality of this great State’s lawmakers. Florida is truly blessed to be led by some very high-level politicians who clearly have the interests of their people in mind as they work, literally day in and day out, to make life better for all Floridians. Their deep sense of responsibility for the future of Florida and their efforts to balance Florida’s budgetary constraints with the welfare of its people is truly admirable.

 

The second observation I take with me from Tallahassee is that Israel is one issue on which there is truly a bipartisan consensus among lawmakers. It was very comforting to see how Florida’s representatives understand Israel’s desire to achieve peace with its neighbors and how they support the existence of Israel and its strategic alliance with the US. I found some lawmakers to be critical of some of Israel’s policies while others support them, but all – Democrats and Republicans – agree that Israel has a right to exist in secure and recognized borders as well as the obligation to defend its citizens against terrorism. This kind of understanding must not be taken for granted. There are States and countries in which people still put in question our right to have what every other nation on earth has.

Israeli Independence Day Festival

Join the Consulate General of Israel and the Israeli community of South Florida in a day of festivities in celebration of Israel’s 62nd Day of Independence. On April 25 we will meet at Haulover Park (between SunnyIsles Beach and Bal Harbour) for a day of fun for the whole family. There will be a massive bicycle ride and a boat parade, music, danicing and food. Join us!

Deputy Consul General Paul Hirschson’s visit to Orlando

I spent two days in Orlando this week which included giving four talks at UCF and Valencia College. In total almost 600 people attended although to be fair two thirds of that was at one lecture to the adult education program. In three separate discussions with students we spent most of our time addressing the Israel–Arab conflict although a fair amount of time was spent talking about the major issue of the Middle East, the Persian, Shi’ite (Iran) struggle with the Arab, Sunni world. It still surprises me that some people see the Israel-Arab conflict as the big issue of the Middle East rather than the big issue which Israel (and the Palestinian Arabs) faces. After all this time, especially in the USA with America so engaged in conflict in the Middle East, it seems to me that people would know that resolution of the Israel-Arab conflict, critical as the resolution thereof is to Israel, is not the major subject on the table when looking at the Middle East.

It is always great when Arab or Moslem students participate in my talks on campus. Beyond the fact that they know the region better, by nature, than students who have never been to the Middle East, they usually also bring another perspective. It is encouraging how many of them are willing to engage in honest debate and refreshing to find that most of them have little sympathy for human rights abuses prevalent throughout Arab countries. In many cases I find the Arab students better informed and more understanding of Israel than American students who have taken up the cause of opposing Israel, or Israel’s policies. Overall, it’s great to see how many students understand Israel’s position and support Israel.