I had the pleasure yesterday of seeing Dr. Daniel Pipes. He is the head of the Middle East Forum, and is one of the preeminent global scholars on the issue of Islamofacism. He is truly one of the brightest thinkers in America today.
At the Republican Jewish Coalition gathering in San Francisco this weekend, there were many speakers on several panels. Sunday was dedicated to Israel, with the theme being “Israel at 60.” The day started with the Consul General and Deputy Consul General of Israel. After that was a media presentation by Blue Star PR.
That organization is vital in helping fight the propaganda of Israel’s enemies. Israel is brilliant on the battlefield, and are now aggressively fighting the media war as well.
After that, Dr. Aryeh Green of Media Central spoke about Israel and the media.
David Meir Levi spoke about his book “History upside down: The roots of Palestinian Facism and the myth of Israeli aggression.”
As valuable as the entire day was, the highlight was Dr. Daniel Pipes. I have heard him lecture several times, and his message needs to be repeated over and over. He speaks calmly, never raising his voice at all. Nevertheless, his message is deadly serious, and he delivers his message masterfully.
I once asked him what it would take for liberal Jews to wake up and realize how severe the Arab-Israeli conflict was, and his sobering answer was “more deaths.”
Today I asked him a question that could have been perceived as an attempt at humor, but I prefaced it by stating that I was very serious. I wanted to know if the Geneva Convention allows Israel to take captured Palestinians and sterilize them. He said that would not be permissible. It is ok to execute people in battle, but not what I proposed. I ask this because many Palestinians have given up on a two state solution. They want a one state solution, which would end Israel as a Jewish state since Palestinians breed much faster. He did acknowledge that the Geneva Convention does not apply to Palestinians, but that my suggestion was untenable.
Before getting to his remarks, I want to say that because I have so much respect for Dr. Pipes, I conduct myself with dignity around him. I tend to clown around, and he does not seem to be a man that has use for tomfoolery. He is a serious intellect, so I restrain myself. Yet for those who read my blog, I have to admit that every time I see his name on a place card I think of that song involving his name.
“Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling…”
I think it would be best if I never sang that to him.
Anyway, for those that truly want to understand the Arab-Israeli conflict, Dr. Pipes provides a brilliant education. With that, I bring the wisdom of Dr. Daniel Pipes.
“Israel lives under a curse, that being the threat of extinction.”
“There is the crude form of threats and the polite form. The crude form comes from those such as Iranian President Armageddonijad (sic) saying that he wants to wipe Israel off of the map. The polite form comes in several ways. It involves the Palestinian ‘right of return.’ It comes from those that want to ‘liberate Jerusalem.’ It involves those supporting the ‘one state solution.’ It consists of world maps that do not show Israel. Other maps show an Arab state within Israel.”
Dr. Pipes divides Israel into two phases. The first phase was from its inception in 1948 to 1993. The second phase is from 1993 to the present. The second phase has been a disaster.
“So what went wrong in 1993? The rise of radical Islam, the rise of Iran, and the growing anti-Israeli left.”
“External Palestinians ranging from the Palestinian Authority Hamas is what determines Israel’s world standing.”
“From 1948 to 1993, Israel was concerned with victory. Victory was achieved through deterrence. Deterrence is demanding, slow, boring, and passive. Like the Cold War, deterrence ends when one side gives up. In 1993, the policy of deterrence was replaced with a peace process, which was a policy of appeasement. Israel grew weary of deterrence. They wanted immediate results, and felt a peace process would force peace. The United States allowed deterrence to eventually defeat the Soviet Union.”
“Yitzchak Rabin once said ‘You don’t make peace with your friends. You make peace with your enemies.’ He is wrong. You don’t make peace with your friends, but you make peace with your former enemies. You defeat the enemy, and then you make peace. One side must win. The Jewish state must be accepted or eliminated, but not both. Occasionally both sides in a war quit, such as when England and France ceased 70 years of war to unite against the looming threat from Germany. This is rare. Wars end when one side loses.”
“Deterrence is not about one side winning. It is about the other side giving up. The United States did not win the Cold War. The Soviets gave up. Israel must go back to deterrence until their enemies give up.”
“Palestinians must accept Israel as a Jewish state. Maps must show Israel, and Hebron must be safe from rocket fire.”
“Homicide bombers are not acting out of despair. They are acting out of exhilaration. They are exhilarated, not upset. They find strength in killing.”
“The Palestinian will must be crushed. America did not lose the Vietnam War on the battlefield. We lost Vietnam because we lost the will to continue.”
“Palestinians must taste the bitter crucible of defeat. They should get nothing until they lose. There should be no more pieces of paper. The answer is victory, not resolution. Oslo is fine after the Palestinians lose. Israel should win, which means triumph, not just defend.”
“The Iran threat would diminish if the Palestinians accepted Israel.”
“Palestinians can still send stiff diplomatic notes to newspaper editors. They just have to stop the violence.”
“This problem will end through victory, not diplomacy.”
“Palestinians are no longer pawns of the other Arab states. The states are tired of the conflict. They want no part of it. It is the people living in some of the states that want the conflict. Defeating the Palestinians is enough. It will not be necessary to go after all Arabs.”
“Relocating the Palestinians to Jordan is not possible. They do not want a homeland. They want to destroy Israel. If they were relocated to Jordan, they would simply invade Israel again.”
“A complete military victory is not necessary in terms of getting help from the outside world. The outside world except for the United States would not help in any situation. Israel has latitude. The strike on September 6th against Syria was met without a ‘boo’ from the world. Israel does not need to engage in mass killing. Israel must be clever, such as the targeted strike against Syria. It sent a message.”
“The U.S. or Israel must do something about Iran.”
“The Arab League gets upset when Israel breaks a Gaza window pane.”
“Islamists and the left are united. They are both anti-Bush and anti-west. This is a super thin short term alignment. The left is anti-religion and anti-family, preventing a long term association.”
“As for why Israel does not just cut off all water and electricity to the Palestinians permanently, I cannot explain the policies of Ehud Ohlmert’s government.”
A short video offered some frightening images. Also, if the Palestinians truly wanted a state, they would have accepted the chance to have one in 1948, and again in 2000.
Despite his calm demeanor, Dr. Pipes explains what many Jews are feeling…enough is enough.
There is no dialogue with genocidal lunatics. When their spirits are crushed, and they look in the mirror and say, “we can’t win,” only then will they come to the negotiating table.
If they fail to reach this point, then Israel must take any and all self defense measures. Any collateral damage will be the fault of the Palestinians.
The right of Israel to exist is not, and will never be, negotiable.
I thank God that Dr. Daniel Pipes is able to spread this message as effectively as he does.
eric
He ranks high with the other Anti-Islamist Terrorist Scholars.
Unfortunately they are mostly ignored by the MSM (Main Stream Media)
Excellent post!
Keep up the good work.
Ed
“Palestinians are no longer pawns of the other Arab states. The states are tired of the conflict. They want no part of it. It is the people living in some of the states that want the conflict. ”
As much as I respect Mr. Pipes, this statement I must disagree with. My father-in-law’s family was born in Jerusalem and considered Palestinian. They were convinced in 48 to abandon their home and moved to Syria. My father-in-law’s brother recently moved to the U.S. after decades of working for democracy from the inside, but he was never allowed Syrian citizenship. His government papers describe him as Palestinian and the the government would never allow him to become a Syrian. Additionally, for all the family members, any children born to males identified as Palestinian are also classified as Palestinian. This is a Syrian government action, not self-styling by Palestinians who think of themselves as exiles.
George is a great guy and I’ve enjoyed talking to him about the differences in culture and relationships between Christians and Muslims in Syria as well as the Palestinian question. He understands the impossibility of allowing Palestinians and their descendants back into Israel because of their overwhelming numbers. His suggestion is a quota of a certain number of time.
He seems a little more fixated on the issue of splitting Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians. He thinks it’s a big issue for Pali’s and I’ve told him that I don’t think Israel could ever consider such an option.
George and my father-in-law Tony are way past 1948. Tony doesn’t even want to discuss it because it has nothing to do with his life as an American since 196? (63 or 65 or something). George tries to write on the subject to other Arabs because he wants the conflict to end, but he largely doesn’t care either. He just wants to be able to get everyone past it. Considering himself more a Syrian, he focuses more on the need for true democracy in Syria.
I’ve advocated for some time that Israel needs to draw their own lines and enforce them. The fence is a great start, but I disagree with allowing Gaza to remain Palestinian. I figured Israel should annex Gaza, separate the west bank from Israel and say that’s the way it is. Palestinians should be relocated from Gaza to the west bank and the Israeli government should announce that they recognize the new state of Palestine and try to get other governments to do likewise. Then, move on with life, including reprisals against terrorists. That’s just me, though.
Incidentally, George told me what I heard in the news. The election of Hamas wasn’t support of them, but a reaction against the incredible corruption of Fatah that has siphoned money and care from the Palestinians.
Personally, I think Tony and George are exceptions and that too many Palestinians are willing to die for a misplaced ideal. The fact that Tony and George are Christians probably allows them more mental flexibility in the consideration of the Palestinian question.
Anyway, I wanted to point out that the Syrian government is standing in the way of Palestinians getting past 1948. The women in the family have married Syrian men, therefore becoming Syrians themselves, and don’t really care about the issue except to the extent that their husbands do. I’ve seen that, also, with the visits of some of them. It’s all anecdotal, but I think it’s true.
P.S.: Their old home is now some sort of government building, I think a consulate for a foreign government, maybe Belgium.
Daniel Pipes really scares me. Not personally but geopolitically, he really scares me. His rhetoric reminds me of some pretty deadly programs of the past. It’s his right to speak his mind, and I’m thankful for it, but man ‘o man does he say some pretty scary things. His words read like the beat of the drums of war – aggressive war.
JMJ
Excellent post. Pipes, along with Frank Gaffney, really understand this stuff. They “get it”. Unfortunately our own President and Secretary of State Condi Rice, don’t “get it’. What boggles my mind is that some uninformed or misguided folks actually want Rice on the ticket with McCain. As it is now, I really feel there is no candidate to support. If McCain puts Rice on the ticket with him, well, there is no way I could support such a ticket. Would have to make a write in, or set the election out altogether.
Eric, Interesting article. Too much to cover in too little time, but from the gates, his comment, “Israel lives under a curse, that being the threat of extinction.” is a non-starter from the get-go. Yes, Israel lives under a curse, but it’s because of past sins – not eradicating all non Israelis when directed – that they are cursed which is likely why they don’t cut off the power and water – because it’s a self-inflicted burden. Having said that, he provides catchy tidbits that capture nuances relevant to the Arab/Israeli/Christian struggle and recovers nicely with, “The right of Israel to exist is not, and will never be, negotiable.” They will be there until the end – whether the US is there or not…
Until the end of what, Eagle?
JMJ
Daniel Pipes is scary because he is telling the unvarnished truth. There is no solution that won’t cost many lives. Foreign aid sent there buys more weapons than food, and is probably seen as tribute rather than humanitarian aid. The mosques spread hatred and glamorize martyrdom. The venom is fed to children as soon as they can talk. What can you do with people like that?
Jersey, This is a Biblical thing to which you don’t subscribe – many faiths have different variations, but they all agree that Israel is the chosen nation and will be in existence during the end times. If one is not disposed to believe in one or any of these variations, that’s fine by me!
I’ve had the privilege of attending speeches by Dr. Pipes in 2001 as well as last year …He tells it as he sees it in his professorial style…
Very few understand or are willing to articulate the bottom line as clearly as him…We may not like it, but he’s right on…and his knowledge of Islam is far greater than the vast majority of those representing Muslim groups in North America…he is a true scholar…
But Eagle, it’s just sooooooooooooo insane. I hear you, Iget what you’re saying, but it’s sooooooooooooo unreasonably, irrationally, unintelledgibly (sp?) insane. I guess it’s sorta fine by me too, but I wish we could at least put it in coherent cantext. (Sorry, I was reading Dawkins earlier today and I’m feeling annoyingly critical).
Brian et al, we are the West. We are the most prosperous people on Earth. We’re lucky to have been born into it and we’re deserving of more when we add to it (rather than just leech it like Baby Boomer Laizzez Fairers). We have our problems, but we usually resolve them relatively peaceably. We need not fear the poor, resource-centric, unenfranchised Third World. All this talk of fear of Islam strikes me as completely and utterly pointless.
I really don’t care what most of the world thinks of America, as long as I stay out of their business, they can just stay out of mine. Israel is the sticker here, not America. We are and should be their friend, but we should never be so misguided as to believe that the problems we face here in America are exactly the same as those in Israel. This isn’t apples and oranges – this is grapes and watermelons. America is a massive empire, Israel is the small Jewish country. Speaking as an ostensibly Catholic atheist who never had a problem with “Jews,” Israel has a big problem. A really, really, really big problem. It’s like if a bunch of educated suburbanites suddenly moved into Camden, NJ, tried to gentrify the whole town, and then complained about the neighborhood! And this after leaving a bad situation in the first place! I would never begrudge Judaism Israel., but I often wonder if it was worth it.
JMJ
Hamas leader Yunis Al-Astal proclaims Islam will soon conquer Israel & Rome. Hamas playing bad cop; Fatah good cop here. Pope Benedict XVI will be addressing the United Nations soon elevating terrorist Abbas to PM status and Bush will be grinning before the cameras. Bush chose May 60th year of Israel’s independence to give east Jerusalem freely to the terrorist Abbas. 60 minutes showed Bush’s democratic Iraq at work. One billion in US dollars is missing. This money the Iraqi government can’t find is being used to kill US soldiers. US state department is investigating. Condo & Bush seem determined in destroying Americas security and Israel’s security before January 20, 2009. Even Israeli generals wonder about Bush when Bush moves to sell the latest jet fighters and radar technology to the Saudis. Is Bush really interested in democracy? Ask the Tibetans who are abused by the Chinese. Bush is still going to the Olympics in the true spirit of his grandfather Prescott Bush. President Bush is like a Trojan Horse inside Jerusalem’s gates; Trojan horse will become activated upon Bush’s return visit to Israel in May. Good show. Abbas & pope Benedict XVI meetings behind closed doors then before the anti-Semitic UN the infallible pope pleads Abbas’s case. Jewish homes on fire won’t matter, Darfur won’t matter and the Tibetan crisis won’t be considered. Tony Blair, Bush, Abbas, Putin, Condo, Moon and the pope shall make Abbas the butcher of 11 athletes in Munich a saint crowning him with east Jerusalem and Samaria. Criminals on USA’s Death Row have to be asking themselves when looking at Abbas’s crimes, “What the hell am I doing here?” People in the USA are executed for crimes far less than what Abbas did. When all these anti-Semites are coming together against Israel, one might believe the best answer is a quick change in Israel’s government where a new party would come together to represent Israel’s 6,000,000 Jews.
I totally agree with Eric when he wrote “I thank God that Dr. Daniel Pipes is able to spread this message as effectively as he does.” Of course there is always the opposite response to Dr. Pipes with those who do not agree with him; therefore his message is out of step with some of the more liberal-minded people, or the more misinformed, as I prefer to call them. There is nothing frightening about Daniel Pipes, he is not a scare-monger as some have labeled him, nor is he such a “neocon” that he isn’t able to bend a little. However he is a prophet of sorts, and some of his predictions have come true, and in retrospect many should have listened to him. As for Israel, it is a sad day when the jewel of the earth seems to be discarded by the world, and the survival of Israel, not just as an ally to the United States, but as its own sovereign state, seems to be a saga of never-ending wars, political struggles and fence-building. As long as there are humans inhabiting the earth, there will be the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as there has been for thousands of years. Only God can end this and He will one of these days. Oh, by the way, I have also met Daniel Pipes and know he is most sincere, serious and although might possess a certain sense of humor, I don’t think he would welcome anyone singing “Danny Boy” to him! But I understand so well the temptation . . . !