The Sadat Solution

THE SADAT SOLUTION
Irwin Garfinkle
January 2003
After World War II, I was in law school concentrating on my career aspirations and on the Boston Red Sox who lost the World Series when Enos Slaughter scored the winning run for St. Louis with a daring dash from first, when Johnny Pesky held the ball. I despaired that the Red Sox could never win the World Series.
Of course, I was also concerned about my people, the holocaust survivors, but I never entertained the thought that the United Nations would partition Palestine, and that the British would leave. I rejected the idea of a Jewish state in Palestine as an impractical, if not an impossible, solution to the “Jewish Problem”. How could a few hundred thousands Jews survive amid millions of hostile, well armed, and British army trained Arabs? I was certain that we were about to witness a “last stand”, but the impossible happened, and I was very proud of my people. I was proud to be a Jew.
After the 1948 Israeli victory, an Arab leader said that the Arabs could lose many battles, but to win the war, the Arabs need to win only one, the last one. He said that the Arabs could wait. During the 54 years that Israel has been a state, Israel has had to win many battles. I am confident that Israel will win the battle that is raging now. But if there is no peace, there will be more and more battles, and still the Arabs have to win only the last one. This time the Arabs have new weapons, boys and girls with bombs strapped to their bodies.
Is peace possible? I’m sure that Palestinian mothers want peace. Most reasonable Palestinians want peace. But, if I were a young Palestinian, would I want peace? No. I would want to be liberated from 54 years of humiliating occupation. I would fight.
When the parents and grandparents of these young Palestinians fled to Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria during the 1948 war, they expected a quick Arab victory, and their immediate return after the Jews were driven into the sea by the victorious Arab armies. But that didn’t happen. Instead, the Arab armies were humiliated and the refugees were pent up in camps of countries that refused to absorb them. Those Palestinians who couldn’t leave have been living with anger.
The Jews were not responsible for the events that caused the occupation and Arab humiliation. It was the Arabs who started the 1948 war. It was the Arabs who were massing their armies in 1967. It was the Arabs who attacked on Yom Kipur in 1973. It has been the Arabs terrorists who caused Israel to launch the ill-conceived invasion of Lebanon. It has been the suicide bombers who have prodded Israel to invade again.
The Jews are not without fault. The settlements do not bring security. They add to the humiliation. They add to the Palestinian rage. An independent Palestinian state could have been offered before there were massive settlements on the West Bank.
As a Jew, I despair when I read the Hamas Charter that teaches the religious obligation to kill infidels, especially Jewish infidels. On the other hand, if I were a Young Palestinian, I would join Hamas. If I were a Palestinian youth, I would not negotiate peace with the infidel Jews. I would fight.
What then is the solution? I suppose the Israelis could find a new homeland. That would probably satisfy the Arabs. Or the Israelis could continue to fight until the Arabs win the last battle. Or, more likely, worldwide Arab terrorism will result in a broader war with the modern world fighting the Muslim world. In any case, the outlook for the Israelis is grim.
I offer a solution, which seemed to have worked with Anwar Sadat. Sadat’s air force and army were routed by the Israelis. The Egyptians were humiliated, but in peace negotiations, the Israelis gave the Sinai back to Egypt and Sadat claimed victory, thus eliminating Egypt’s humiliation and restoring Egypt’s honor. My solution now, is for the Israelis to declare a Palestinian victory, and agree to negotiate the return of the occupied lands, including the most of the settlements. There are many proposals on the table that are probably acceptable to both sides. A negotiated settlement is better than a “last battle”.
I am not a pessimist. I even have hopes the Red Sox will win, maybe next year. I still have diminishing hope that a meaningful path to peace can be found for the Jews in Israel.