Barely 24 hours had passed since Monday’s Palestinian suicide attack murdered 5 Israelis in Netanya, but that didn’t stop a leading left-wing figure from calling for further surrender to the terrorists.

Speaking to a group of students, former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon, who is running in the Labor Party primaries, _called_ (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/654533.html) for the uprooting of all Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria that lie beyond the security fence currently being constructed by Israel. Moreover, he asserted, it is “immoral” for Israeli soldiers to be defending these areas since they will be handed over to the Palestinians anyway. (http://freund.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/stink_1.jpg) It is hard to decide what is more troubling about these comments – their timing, their content or the person who said them. Coming so soon after a lethal suicide attack, Ayalon’s remarks will only reinforce the terrorists’ belief that violence will break Israel’s spirit and result in further withdrawals.

In addition, they back up what so many observers have been saying for so long – that the left will inevitably try to transform the security fence into a political border, as a means of effectively transferring some 95% of the territories to the Palestinians.

Lastly, these remarks come from a man who until recently was charged with the task of defending all of Israel’s citizens – including those “settlers” who live beyond the fence. For him to suggest that it is “immoral” to protect them only confers legitimacy upon those who seek their demise. The bottom line here is that anyone who thought the security fence would only be a “temporary” measure, and would not necessarily create political facts on the ground, should wake up and start smelling Ayalon’s coffee. His remarks should serve to dash any fantasies people may have been entertaining about the true nature of the fence which, though it might be saving lives in the short-term, will only serve to create a Palestinian state that will threaten Israel’s existence in the long run.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 8th, 2005 and is filed under opinion. You can leave a response.