(Weekly Standard) Elliott Abrams - It is probably correct that Palestinians have been feeling left out, as the attention of the world and of their Arab brothers turns to reform, politics, revolts, elections, constitutions, criminal trials - everything but the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So, this Nakba Day had to be used to recover the stage and demand attention. Also, the Syrian regime and Hizbullah were seeking to use this Nakba Day to divert attention from the revolt in Syria, so they organized trouble. The worst aspect of Nakba Day 2011 was the continuity. The catastrophe being commemorated was not the Arab defeat in the 1967 war, and not settlement expansion. The demand of Nakba Day is that the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 be reversed. This is what Palestinian leaders continue to feed their people and teach in their schools. For Israelis and all those who seek peace in the Middle East, this is the real catastrophe.
2011-05-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive