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Jennifer Babby
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1369860
A20
May 15 • 2008
Philadelphia
T
wo religiously identified new
states emerged from the shards
of the British empire in the after-
math of World War II. Israel, of course, was
one; the other was Pakistan.
They make
an interesting, if
little-compared
pair. Pakistan's
experience with
widespread pov-
erty, near-constant
internal turmoil
and external ten-
sions, culminating
in its current status
Daniel Pipes
as near-rogue state,
Special
suggests
the perils
Commentary
that Israel avoided,
with its stable, liberal political culture,
dynamic economy, cutting-edge high-tech
sector, lively culture and impressive social
cohesion.
But for all its achievements, the Jewish
state lives under a curse that Pakistan and
most other polities never face: the threat
of elimination. Its remarkable progress
over the decades has not liberated it from
a multi-pronged peril that includes nearly
every means imaginable: weapons of mass
destruction, conventional military attack,
terrorism, internal subversion, economic
blockade, demographic assault and ideo-
logical undermining. No other contempo-
rary state faces such an array of threats;
indeed, probably none in history ever has.
The enemies of Israel divide into two
main camps: the Left and the Muslims,
with the far Right a minor third ele-
ment. The Left includes a rabid edge
(International ANSWER, Noam Chomsky)
and a more polite center (United Nations
General Assembly, left-liberal political
parties, the mainstream media, mainline
churches, school textbooks). In the final
analysis, however, the Left serves less as a
force in its own right than as an auxiliary
for the primary anti-Zionist actor, which is
the Muslim population. This latter, in turn,
can be divided into three distinct group-
ings.
First come the foreign states: Five armed
forces that invaded Israel on its indepen-
dence in May 1948, and then neighboring
armies, air forces and navies fought in the
wars of 1956,1967,1970 and 1973. While
the conventional threat has somewhat
receded, Egypt's U.S.-financed arms build-
up presents one danger and the threats
from weapons of mass destruction (espe-
cially from Iran, but also from Syria and
potentially from many other states) present
an even greater one.
Second come the external Palestinians,
those living outside Israel. Sidelined
by governments from 1948 until 1967,
Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation
Organization got their opportunity with
the defeat of three states' armed forces
in the Six-Day War. Subsequent develop-
ments, such as the 1982 Lebanon war
and the 1993 Oslo accords, confirmed the
centrality of external Palestinians. Today,
they drive the conflict, through violence
(terrorism, missiles from Gaza) and even
more importantly by driving world opinion
against Israel via a public relations effort
that resonates widely among Muslims and
the Left.
Third come the Muslim citizens of Israel,
the sleepers in the equation. They benefited
from Israel's open ways to grow in num-
bers and to evolve from a docile and inef-
fective community into a assertive one that
increasingly rejects the Jewish nature of
the Israeli state, with potentially profound
consequences for that the future identity of
that state.
If this long list of perils makes Israel
different from all other Western countries,
forcing it to protect itself on a daily basis
from the ranks of its many foes, its predic-
ament renders Israel oddly similar to other
Middle Eastern countries, which likewise
face a threat of elimination.
Kuwait, conquered by Iraq, actually
disappeared from the face of the earth
between August 1990 and February 1991.
Lebanon, under Syria's control since
1976, could be officially incorporated by
Damascus at any time. Bahrain is occa-
sionally claimed by Tehran to be a part of
Iran. Jordan's existence as an independent
state has always been precarious.
That Israel finds itself in this company
has several implications. It puts Israel's
existential dilemma into perspective: If
no country risks elimination outside of
the Middle East, this is a nearly routine
problem within the region, suggesting that
Israel's unsettled status will not be resolved
any time soon.
This pattern also highlights the Middle
East's uniquely cruel, unstable and fatal
political life. The Middle East's deep and
wide political sickness points to the error
of seeing the Arab-Israeli conflict as the
motor force behind its problems.
Israel having survived countless threats
to its existence over the past six decades,
and it having done so with its honor intact,
offers a reason for its population to cele-
brate. But the rejoicing cannot last long, for
it is right back to the barricades to defend
against the next threat.
❑
Daniel Pipes (www.DanielPipes.org) is director
of the Middle East Forum and the Taube/Diller
distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover
Institution of Stanford University, Palo Alto,
Calif.
Volunteering from page A19
Americans to Israel through hands-on,
civilian volunteer work in hospitals,
nursing homes, and on non-combat
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bases.
The program began in 1982 in
response to a manpower shortage
caused by the first war in Lebanon.
General Aharon Davidi, who visited
us and gave a presentation, sent emis-
saries to the United States and other
countries to enlist volunteers to harvest
crops and help maintain the economy
while thousands of Israelis were serving
in the army. More than 600 volunteers
responded to this call for help.
Those initial volunteers were so
enthusiastic about this opportunity that
they asked General Davidi to continue
the program after the crisis had ended.
To date, more than 100,000 volunteers
from more than 36 different countries
have served. In Israel, the project is
known as Sar-El, the National Project for
Volunteers for Israel.
I felt like my short contribution was
a small way to express my sense of
solidarity with Israel and her people.
I volunteered for two weeks, but I will
remember it for a lifetime. ❑
Rene Lichtman is a West Bloomfield resident.
If you would like more information about Sar-El, contact Ed Kohl of West
Bloomfield: (248) 788-0551; e-mail, Michigan@vfi-usa.org ; Web,www.vfi-
usa.org . He is available to provide a firsthand account of his Volunteers
for Israel experience, to answer questions and to speak to individuals or
groups about the program.