Monday, July 18, 2005

Notes on the Withdrawl

I knew I liked Google. The Google Hador that is. Finally, he's opened his snarky mouth about Politics, and, as with Slifkin, he's on the side of angels, or as the angels themselves put it, "he agrees with Dober."

Though I'd prefer not to see Googely on my turf going forward, I'm very glad to know he's a bedfellow.

His view on Gaza

My view on Gaza:

Israeli settlers have made many arguments against Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw(a) from the Gaza strip.

I've heard their theological arguments (1) their political arguments (2) and their sentimental arguments.(3)

But is seems clear our legal argument (4) trumps them all.

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a: I'm not picky. Sub in a euphomism for withdrawal if that makes you smile: You can say "disengagement" or "relocation," or "running scared" for example.

1: The theological arguments:
(a) God won't know we love him if we give up one inch of the land that lies adjacent to David's former kingdom.
(b) The Messiah won't come before we've re-conquered every inch of the land that lies adjacent to David's former kingdom. He's a prima donna, that Messiah.
(c) The era of peaceful prosperity we've long-awaited won't begin until David's former kingdom and the land lying adjacent to it has been made free of Arabs.
(d) God always acts in the best interest of the Jewish people. It's called hashkofa pratis you kofer, with the exception being when something I don't like happens. In that case it's not the work of God but of the sitra acher/liberals/secularist/media/ bogeyman under my bed.

(e) God gave the land to us. So there. Phhhhbtt.

2: The political arguments:
(a) If we make concessions, the Arabs will become more violent.
(b) Retreat = defeat
(c) Maximum borders are our best, and some would say only, protection
(d) We have lots of guns and nuclear bombs. Ergo, we'll do what we want and you'll like it.

3: The sentimental arguments
(a) I was born here, raised here, kissed my first girl here, etc, and therefore I can't possibly permit myself to be separated from this land.
(b) I feel very strongly that God wants me here. So there. Phbbbbt.
(c) Our fathers fought, and in some cases died for this land. So there. Phbbbt.

4: The winning Legal argument
I know beans about Israeli law, but in America we have something called eminent domain. This is government's right to appropriate private property for public use, with compensation to the owner, as required by the Fifth Amendment. If the government has decided that it is in Israel's best interest to put the Gaza Strip to another use, and is willing to pay the owners a fair price, isn't that eminent domain? The democratically elected governement thinks this withdrawl is in the best interests of Israel. Who but a wild-eye conspiracy nut, or the selfish sort of nut who ferverently believes that God only acts in Israel's best interests when His actions coincide with your desires could object?