The “Arab Rejectionism” Dodge
Defenders of Israel’s policies often short-circuit any meaningful dialogue on the Arab-Israeli conflict by reducing the problem to the Arabs and their alleged “rejectionism,” i.e. their refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist.
This argument conveniently removes Israel’s actions from the realm of moral consideration because it implies that changes in Israeli policy will ultimately have no impact one way or another on the ongoing conflict. It is quite difficult for a moral, thinking person to justify Israel’s treatment of the subjugated Palestinians. But the Arab rejectionism dodge allows AIPAC liberals to avoid confronting those uncomfortable questions — “they will hate us no matter what we do!”
The rejectionism dodge is not credible for three reasons:
1) In practice, Israel itself maintains a rejectionist attitude toward a viable Palestinian state. Under both right-wing and center-left governments, the settlements have multiplied and expanded and the attending network of settler roads and IDF security have left the West Bank riddled with Jewish enclaves and checkpoints. These “facts on the ground” make a territorially contiguous, socially functioning Palestine impossible.
2) Cries about Israel’s right exist distract from the sturdy reality of its ongoing existence. Despite the noisy hysteria of the Commentary crowd, Israel faces no immediate existential threat because, quite simply, Israel is a Washington-backed nuclear power with one of the most sophisticated armed forces in the world and its enemies are militarily pathetic in comparison. Israel ain’t going nowhere.
3) Even if the false premise of the rejectionism dodge were true, that the Palestinians and/or their leaders would reject a peace “no matter what,” this would not excuse immoral Israeli behavior. The world demands that Israel dismantle the settlements, not because it will be rewarded by Palestinian good will, but because it’s simply the right thing to do.
