from Pournelle's Web site (volatile link):

A letter to Pournelle:

Jerry,



In the current mess in Palestine/Israel, the wall that you propose will do more harm than good. It is the tool of a previous civilization, as are Sharon's tanks and bulldozers. They are all doomed when facing a human spirit that has been driven to not fear death. And for the U.S. to only supply that kind of "help" to Israel will ultimately destroy Israel.

The only chance for Israel's survival beyond the next twenty years is for Israel to help Palestinians rebuild Palestine.

In that way, they can become economically inter-dependent with Israel instead of Israel merely using Palestinians for unskilled labor, as they do today.

The United States did this with Germany and Japan, and without insisting on the territorial transformation that Israel is doing with the Palestinian Authority. Of course, the best way will be to establish contiguous Palestinian territory so as to foster Palestinian self-esteem instead of hatred of Israel.

The choice seems pretty clear.

- dunc



Pournelle's reply:

There is enough wrong with this that it's worth posting to comment on. Israel can survive, and will, and they don't need to help Palestinians rebuild Palestine. It might be neat if they did that, and in fact for a while it looked like that is what would happen, but Arafat has thrown that away in a shower of blood.



If Israel occupies Judea and Samaria and rebuilds as the US did in Germany, there will be such a storm of protest as to end their efforts before they start. They might have done that once. I can't think they can do it now. I wish they would, because it would be useful to have one legitimate government in the Middle East, but there is just too much history. France could not have rebuilt Germany, as an example. Or Korea have rebuilt Japan.

As to self-esteem the Palestinians have done little to be proud of themselves for unless you count talking your children into blowing themselves up on busses and in supermarkets and hotel dining rooms as part of your self-pride. And as to the number who don't fear death, make sure you are counting correctly: and while one can screw one's courage to the sticking point for a while, having to climb a damn big wall and evade the guards before you can kill yourself puts a damper on that.

Palestine was offered a better deal than they will now get. Had they taken it, Israel would eventually have been in trouble, I think; but they did not take it. And now it is down to war, war to the knife, and there is little doubt as to who will win it.

Saladin despite overwhelming numbers defeated the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem only because the Christians were commanded by an idiot. Had they faced Robert of Normandy they would have lost.

I have more sympathy for the Palestinians caught in this web than perhaps it appears, but I don't make the mistake of considering the girls in the supermarket to be morally equivalent. One went to the story to buy peppers. The other went there bent on murder. I'd have more sympathy if she went to an Army camp.

It is now war to the knife, and I do not believe Bush and Powell can prevent it. Nor am I any longer certain they should.

Widen the streets and build a wall. What else can they do?