When news surfaced that three Jewish Israeli teenagers had been abducted, the Arab world broke out in celebration, showering Palestinian children with candy and revering the kidnappers as heroes.
Two weeks later the bodies of those high school students would be found in a shallow grave. And once again the Arab world celebrated and Palestinians rejoiced in the slayings – pelting with rocks the ambulance carrying the bodies.
Days later a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was brutally murdered, allegedly by six Israelis.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the father of the slain teen and offered his condolences – vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Unlike the Muslim reaction to the murder of Jews, the entire gamut of Israeli and Jewish life, from the dovish to the extreme, condemned the attack.
In less than 130 words, I just summed up the essence of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. One side mourns the death of all children; the other celebrates the killing of all Jews and honors the perpetrators.
For decades Progressive intellectuals and so-called “human rights” groups have claimed that Israeli settlements, security checkpoints and the right to self-determination are the source of the conflict.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
The world needs to come to terms with what deep down they already know: Hatred of Jews – inculcated into Palestinian and Muslim children across the globe – is the most powerful obstacle, and perhaps the only obstacle, standing in the way of peace in the Middle East.
But the truth is not always politically correct – almost always isn’t politically expedient even though it’s undeniable and right in your face.
Palestinian society does not hide its true feelings. Video has surfaced showing them celebrating rockets landing and exploding in Jerusalem. The mother of one of the suspects in the killing of the aforementioned Israeli teenagers told Israeli media, “If he truly did it — I’ll be proud of him till my final day.”
The U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas has released a video in Hebrew that warns Israel to “wait for suicide attacks on every bus, café and street,” and to “start counting the number of coffins you’ll need in these months.” The same production asks the Jewish state if they “remember the rockets that made Tel-Aviv and the Israeli Parliament tremble. We just wanted to tell you that we have thousands of them.”
Hardly a call to end violence and come to a sustainable agreement over grievances!
The U.S. taxpayer can take executive producer credit for this disturbing propaganda. Hamas is a partner in the Palestinian Unity Government that receives nearly $450 million from the United States.
And unlike recent history when both Presidents Clinton and Bush regularly sent the Jewish state public messages of support, the Obama White House has emboldened the Palestinians by undermining Israel at almost every possible opportunity.
As rockets are raining down on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, White House coordinator for the Middle East Philip Gordon told attendees at an Israeli peace conference, “How can Israel have peace if it’s unwilling to delineate a border, end the occupation?”
In what can only be regarded as a disturbing break with reality, Gordon went on to preach that, “Jerusalem should not take for granted the opportunity to negotiate such a treaty with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who has proven to be a reliable partner.”
Abbas’ Fatah party has joined Hamas in launching attacks. The “reliable partner for peace” actually blamed Israel for the rocket attacks against her citizens, stating “it all started when Israel fired back.”
Imagine the audacity of the Jewish people defending themselves.
A poll conducted last month by the Washington Institute for Near East Studies revealed that 64 percent of Palestinians residing in Gaza and the West Bank believe “resistance should continue until all of historic Palestine is liberated.” Less than one third support a two-state solution and an end to the conflict.
Civilized society refuses to believe that so much animosity truly exists. Despite the horrors of the last hundred years, free people still can’t fathom real hate.
But Israel knows it all too well.
How can they not? Their neighbors are launching rockets at civilians and using the death of her children as an excuse to break out into song and dance.
Paul Miller is an op-ed contributor to the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity. He serves as principal of Pauliegroup LLC, a Chicago-based new media and political consulting firm.