No Building No Israel

It is a Middle Eastern trait to NEVER accept what you originally asked for, and always ask for more. When we first moved to Israel, we saw a property that cost $40,000 for the land. We agreed. As soon as the handshake was done, the owner called us back and said, "For me, $40,000 is good, but now my partner wants $45,000." This kind of Middle Eastern negotiating continued hourly with the price rising every time we said, "It's a deal," all the way up to $100,000. Our last response was, "You know what greedy people get? Nothing!"
Don't worry. B"H, we later bought a different lot and built a house that we love, surrounded by neighbors that we love, respect and admire.
It has always been evident that as soon as Israel agrees to the Arabs' demands, they demand more. Just like with our "house" story.
Israel has agreed to freeze settlement in Judea and Samaria (and who knows if it will end up a freeze or a total halt, chas v'shalom). Israel has begun destroying homes in different Yesha towns, and who knows if chas v'shalom, this is not a prelude to destroying towns altogether.
Well, all of this is not enough. The construction freeze is not enough. Israel's renewed hateful attitude toward the "settlements" is not enough. Today, the JPost reported that PA President Mahmoud Abbas said he would only return to negotiations if before negotiations, Israel agrees to give up all of Judea and Samaria.
Well, if they do that, what's left to negotiate?
Actually, quite a lot. The Arabs are not interested only in Judea and Samaria. If you read any of their newspapers, watch their TV, or even look at their children's text books, they want more. They want ALL of Israel.
You might say, as some of our Prime Ministers have, they can want whatever. What they get is a different story.
That reasoning might be good for regular people, but for Arabs...no, they usually hold out for what they want. They are a very patient people, they're willing to wait for years and even generations, while they have some terror, murder, bombings, stabbings on the way just to remind us, that they're not waiting THAT quietly.
Itamar Marcus' site, "Palestinian Media Watch" is a lesson in Middle Eastern reality. In an article on the site, by Vincent Carroll DenverPost.com - Nov. 22, 2009, Caroll writes, "[Marcus] will show you snippets from TV quiz shows for Palestinian kids predicated on the non-existence of Israel."
"Host: 'Which mountain is the tallest in Palestine? ...' Child contestant: 'Mount Meron (in Israel).' On another show, a host asks, 'Which Palestinian city is called 'the flower of Galilee'?' and then names three Israeli cities! Then Marcus will show you school geography lessons that use maps on which Israel is missing. Do any Palestinian textbooks acknowledge the existence of Israel, I wonder. 'No,' Marcus replies."

PA GOAL=NO ISRAEL

The goal of the Palestinian Authority, as its predecessor the Palestinian Liberation Organization, is simple - NO ISRAEL. Not, no Gaza, no Judea, no Samaria, no Eastern Jerusalem. The goal is NO ISRAEL. They want Jaffa and Haifa, Lod and Pisgat Ze'ev, Katamon and Ramat Aviv. They want it all.
But they are very smart. They know how to play us against one another, and have us do their dirty work, breaking up a town here and a town there. Dividing us physically and emotionally until the day that their plans come to fruition, chas v'shalom.

THE ANTIDOTE=UNITY

The only antidote we have to the loss of our Land and our Existence is unity. Unity despite our differences. Unity at every level. Honest (not lip service) unity.
And unfortunately, that's no easy task. Really, it's harder to smile at the person (who's a little different from you) on the other side of the bus, or waiting on line at the check-out counter, or sitting behind the desk in some office, than it is to stand out in the cold at a demonstration.
But this ahavat chinam (wholehearted love of other Jews) is the only hope. United we stand. Chas v'shalom, divided we are destroyed.