Dr. Guy Bechor
The “security arrangements” the Americans are talking about may have been relevant for the 1980s. The Salafi Spring changed everything. The Salafi gangs, al-Qaeda terrorists, have turned into one of the main threats. Using shoulder-fired missiles, they can bring Ben-Gurion Airport to a standstill, and in fact – the entire state of Israel. No force of “peace” or “security” will stop these terrorists, who are undaunted by regular deterrence; especially not the “security” systems of the Palestinian Authority, which no one in Israel trusts.
Would the Americans be willing to hand a large part of their capital Washington DC to al-Qaeda terrorists and place the White House under the threat of missiles?Then why are they suggesting that Israel do that? would any country in the world be prepared to do that, what with the Salafi storm raging all over?
The Arab Spring turned out to be a Salafi Spring. The Fatah movement has already turned into a museum exhibit in Judea and Samaria, a remnant belonging to the past, and so has Hamas to a great extent. They are both hated by the local public.
A new force is growing in the territories: The Salafi movement, part of which is called the “Party of Liberation” (“Hizb a-Tahrir”) and whose center of activity is in Hebron. Two huge demonstrations of force held by the movement in central cities in Judea and Samaria were attended by tens of thousands, carrying the black al-Qaeda flags. They hate “the Authority” more than they hate Israel, and they hate Hamas too. They reject a Palestinian state and refuse to recognize any borders or negotiations. Their proclaimed aspiration is to establish Islamic caliphate all across the Middle East, and their point of solidarity is the Salafis in Syria,Lebanon and the rest of the Arab countries.
Even Israel may become dangerous for Kerry
This week the al-Qaeda movement announced the establishment of its first branch in the Judea and Samaria territories, and the IDF has already killed three activists of this Salafi organization. The Salafis accused the Palestinian Authority of passing on the intelligence on their location to the IDF. Al-Qaeda admitted that the terrorists killed belonged to the movement and vowed to carry out additional acts of terror.
Let’s just imagine a reality in Judea and Samaria without the permanent presence of the IDF and the Israeli security establishment. Within several days the territory will turn into Salafland. Will Secretary of State John Kerry rush to defend Israel with the “security arrangements” his experts suggest? Not to mention the fact that the Palestinian leadership has announced that it plans to import to the independent territory hundreds of thousands and maybe even millions of “Palestinians” from Syria and Lebanon – in other words, trained Salafis with their weapons. What will the reality of life in Israel look like then, if there even is a life? and what about Jordan and the Palestinians themselves?
So please bring security which is relevant to the present time; not to history or archeology.
And what will be the fate of the last Christians still left in the Palestinian Authority territories? Expulsion and brutal oppression, just like what is happening to the few Christians still left in the Gaza Strip. And Christianity’s holy places? It’s enough to see what happened this week to a monastery in Christian Maaloula, north of Damascus. The Salafis cleansed it, and the poor nuns hiding inside. Perhaps Kerry’s experts could bring a “security” plan for Syria. That would be a refreshing change.
The Salafi movement is taking over more and more areas in the Middle East: In Lebanon, in Egypt, in Iraq and in North Africa.Can Secretary Kerry visit all these places? The only place he can afford landing safely in is Israel, thanks to the Israeli security. If the Salafi expansion continues, he won’t even be able to visit the Palestinian Authority territories, and even Israel may become dangerous for him.
So please bring security which is relevant to the present time;not to history or archeology.
