I never before responded to a comment made in response to another comment I made a month earlier but so important, troubling and truthful are your observations, I am compelled.
The decision by Truman to support the establishment of the State of Israel, was by Truman’s own admission the most difficult decision he ever made, even more difficult the decision to drop the A-bomb on Japan. The decision put Truman at odds with his most trusted and respected advisor and at the time his Secretary of State, General George Marshall who almost resigned over Truman’s decision. (“Mr. President, a man does not resign because a president who’s job it is to make decisions, made one.”) I agree with Marshall in that at this time we cannot question that decision.
But in regard to where that decision puts us, thanks to Jimmy Carter, who started the process at Camp David of bringing peace and acceptance of Israel to its neighbors, I still believe peace is possible. In fact, had Yasser Arafat at Camp David in 2000 made the same decision as two other terrorists, Sadat and Begin in 1979, to be a statesman first and a terrorist second, we would already have peace.
But the problem today is that Israeli right wing politicians are exploiting divisions in America to dictate American foreign policy and spend American blood and other treasures instead of doing what is necessary to make a peace that will allow the world to go forward. That is I believe that peace is possible but not until the politics, at this time mostly on the side of Israel but even if Israel was willing, would be on the other side, to except where we are today and make peace.
I mean I agree that the Muslims, as you so rightly pointed out are the aggrieved party. Just read about the actions of the most religious Ottoman Sultan Bayazied II in regard to the Spanish Inquisition to understand just how aggrieved. The historic not only tolerance but protection of Jewish minorities throughout the Islamic world from the Muslims of Spain to the great Jewish hero Saladin to the Ottomans is the only reason why in 1946 there was still one place in the world with enough Jews for a Jewish homeland and in my view is the most important aspect to remember when discussing the current state of Israel and its relations with its neighbors. But the situation today is as it is and to undue it would be a humanitarian disaster that would make the Holocaust pale in comparison. Therefore, it is necessary to stop demonizing Islam and through flattery and whatever else it will take to get the Muslim world to accept as a price for it tolerance one of the great injustices of history least an even greater injustice, the destruction of Israel today, will result.