As the Uberstupidity of the Israeli government has produced yet another set of gravestones in the Beilingrad cemetery, that political graveyard in which are buried those human sacrifices offered up to the Oslo pagan idol by the government of Israel, perhaps it is time to take a few steps back, a deep breath, and reconstruct the distinction between myth and truth in the Middle East.

MYTH: There is a Middle East War because the Israelis are denying to the Palestinians the right to self-determination and independence.

TRUTH: There is a Middle East War because the Arabs are denying to the Jews the right to self-determination and independence.

MYTH: There is Arab violence because there exist Jewish settlements in the "territories."

TRUTH: There are Jewish settlements in the "territories" as a direct result of Arab violence (the Six Day War and 33 years of violence thereafter).

MYTH: Jewish concessions and goodwill measures cause Arab violence to diminish.

TRUTH: Jewish concessions and goodwill measures cause Arab violence to increase.

MYTH: The Arabs are seeking to have two states for two peoples alongside one another: Israel and Palestine.

TRUTH: The Arabs are seeking to have two states for two peoples alongside one another: Palestine and Jordan.

MYTH: Oslo produces the pacification of Arabs.

TRUTH: Oslo produces the nazification of Arabs.

MYTH: Israeli Arabs are oppressed and denied human rights.

TRUTH: The only Arabs in the Middle East who are NOT oppressed and denied human rights are those in Israel.

MYTH: The PLO will use its territories to create a homeland for the Palestinian people.

TRUTH: The PLO will use its territories as a large bomb factory and as a base for attacking Israel.

MYTH: Egypt and Jordan can be relied upon to refrain from aggression against Israel.

TRUTH: There is no reason to believe Egypt and Jordan will "sit out" the next war and every reason to believe they will participate in it.

MYTH: The daily violence in Israel is the fault of Arab terrorists.

TRUTH: The daily violence in Israel is the fault of Israeli politicians.

MYTH: Arab violence is the result of Israel using excessive force.

TRUTH: Arab violence is the result of Israel using insufficient force.

MYTH: Israeli Arabs are systematically denied their basic democratic rights.

TRUTH: Israeli non-Leftist Jews are systematically denied their basic democratic rights.

MYTH: The public enunciation of the political opinions by Israeli Rightists encourages violence.

TRUTH: The public enunciation of the political opinions by Israeli Leftists encourages violence.

MYTH: Israel’s policy of self-restraint leads to reductions in violence.

TRUTH: Israel’s policy of self-restraint is THE cause of all anti-Jewish Middle East violence.

MYTH: Oslo is a failure because it is being improperly implemented.

TRUTH: Oslo is a failure because its raison d’etre in the eyes of the Arabs is to destroy Israel.

MYTH: Israeli leftist intellectuals are simply naive, well-meaning and over-optimistic.

TRUTH: Israeli leftist intellectuals are self-hating psychopaths who want to see their own country destroyed.

MYTH: Israel’s pursuing peace prevents war.

TRUTH: Israel’s pursuing peace causes war. Its pursuing war can ultimately produce peace.

MYTH: Israeli Jews are racists.

TRUTH: Palestinians are nazi-wannabes and Israeli Arabs are by and large their supporters.

MYTH: Violence breaks out when Israel makes offers of concessions too slowly.

TRUTH: Violence breaks out because Israel makes offers of concessions.

MYTH: Most Arabs want peace.

TRUTH: Most Arabs want war.

MYTH: Most Arabs oppose terror and violence.

TRUTH: Most Arabs support terror and violence.

MYTH: Israel has no moral right to extend its sovereignty to the West Bank and Gaza.

TRUTH: The Palestinians have no moral right to exercise sovereignty in the West Bank and Gaza.

MYTH: The Middle East conflict is the history of 100 years of injustice perpetrated by Jews against Arabs.

TRUTH: The Middle East conflict is the history of 100 years of injustice perpetrated by Arabs against Jews.

Copyright © 2000 by Steven Plaut.
All Rights Reserved.

-Published with permission