Strong Words in A Soft Tone

On May 11, 2011, I advised Prime Minister Netanyhu that in his meeting with Pres. Obama, he should say strong things in a soft tone, not weak things in a strong tone. I asked him to stress that Israel will not commit national suicide, no matter how good the intentions are of those who advise us to "take risks for peace".

Here are the talking points I suggested to him:

My advice is opposite to the advice you will probably receive from most if not all others. I think I’m right. The service I can render you is to tell you what I think, and not what I think you want to hear.

            Theodore Roosevelt said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” I think your job in the meeting with Pres. Obama is to say strong things in a soft tone not weak things in a strong tone:

1.      Israel will not commit national suicide, no matter how good the intentions are of those who advise us to “take risks for peace.”

2.      We will not leave 500,000 to 600,000 Jewish Israelis behind Palestinian lines without the protection of the IDF. Neither will we force them to abandon their homes. The experience of what happened in Gaza after our disengagement ensures that we will not repeat that failed experiment on a huge scale.

3.      We have learned the lessons of history and we will not pretend that “it will be different this time”

4.      The “1967 lines” are nothing more than the temporary armistice lines from 1949, which the Armistice Agreements provided would not be regarded as permanent borders

5.      The UN is a lost cause for Israel. Only a U.S. veto will prevent any anti-Israel resolution in the Security Council. Nothing will prevent such a resolution in the General Assembly. We will not keep proposing new Israeli concessions in the hope of preventing such a resolution. We will set out our positions clearly, and let the chips fall where they may.

6.      Neither will we propose new Israeli concessions just to entice the Palestinian Arabs to negotiate directly with us. Mutual concessions can only be a result of direct negotiations.

7.      We will not agree to any international force in any of the territory between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. Our historical experience, most recently with UNIFIL, proves that such a force does not prevent terror, but only makes it more difficult for Israel to defend its people and itself.

8.      The rapprochement between the P.A. and the terrorist organizations does not bring negotiations and reconciliation with Israel closer but pushes them further away.