by uzi landau
Dear Condoleezza Rice,
I don’t know what the weather is like in Maryland these days, but in any case, kindly accept my suggestion: Even if it rains, do not use a black umbrella.
My name is Uzi Landau, I served as a minister in two Israeli governments and have been a Knesset member for 22 years, but I write this letter to you as the son of Olga Perle, who escaped Nazi Germany with her family in 1937. Her parents realized that the Nazi monster’s evil government could not be satisfied. To the Western world’s regret, then-British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was not wise enough to understand this.
Chamberlain’s appeasement policy and attempt to curry favor with Adolf Hitler reached its peak at the 1938 Munich Conference. Even though Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles, armed the Wehrmacht in violation of agreements, and took over Austria through the famous Anschluss, ahead of Munich, he did not hesitate to demand the dismantlement of Czechoslovakia and annexation of parts of it to Germany.
Chamberlain sacrificed his ally. Upon his return to Britain, with his black umbrella, he declared, “I believe it is peace for our time.” And the rest is history.
Today, Nazi Germany has been replaced by Iran and al Qaida. Instead of Hitler, we have Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Osama bin Laden. Ms. Rice, would you like to be remembered as the Chamberlain of the 21st Century?
Iran and al Qaida stimulate global terror. Palestinian terrorism is their ally. The ideology that motivates them is a desire to defeat and occupy the West in order to see Islam reign supreme. If you doubt this, apparently you have not listened to Ahmadinejad’s speeches at the United Nations and Columbia University: He has not merely a vision of a world without Israel, but rather a world without democracy.
Just like Germany, which armed itself to the teeth, Iran too neglects the welfare of its poor citizens and invests in the planned production of dozens of nuclear bombs a year and the development of ballistic missiles that can reach the United States. For Iran, Israel is merely Little Satan. America is Big Satan.
The scent of Munich is in the air. Can’t you smell it?
Against this backdrop, the various parties have arrived in Annapolis. The Palestinians, who since Oslo violated every agreement, and who despite the Gaza withdrawal continue to shower Israel with Kassam rockets, are again demanding extra rights. Israeli representatives, under heavy pressure exerted by the U.S. State Department, are willing to accept the establishment of a Palestinian state largely based on the 1967 borders, Jerusalem’s division, and negotiations on the question of allowing Arab refugees into the country.
Of course, the current government has no chance of convincing the public to support a decision that pushes the country into boundaries that Abba Eban characterized as “Auschwitz borders.” This is no longer a question of ideology; it’s a question of existential danger.
However, I cannot understand what motivates you to grant Iran and al Qaida a prize in the form of advancing the notion of a Palestinian state. This will be a state of citizens who screamed with joy on Sept. 11 when the Twin Towers collapsed. These are the same people who in the last elections entrusted their government at the hands of Hamas terrorists, who are cooperating with Iran and al Qaida; these are the same terrorists who took over Gaza through a bloody coup and turned the region into the Mideast’s largest terror base.
“But Mahmoud Abbas is the leader of the moderate camp,” you must be saying now. Very funny. While he talks peace at the conference, his education system will continue to fan the flames of hatred to you and to us far away from the
Annapolis spotlight and to prepare a new generation of suicide bombers.
Do you think Abbas’ country could serve as a basis for democracy that will develop throughout the Arab world, or will it turn into an outpost of anti-Western terror? And how about the Gaza port? Will it be serving Western fleets or those belonging to Iran and Russia?
Yes, the scent of the 1938 Munich Conference is in the air again. History, it appears, is repeating, but you still have the power to change it. Pass over Chamberlain’s disastrous legacy. Forget the black umbrella. At this time the free world needs determined leadership of the type offered by Winston Churchill.
Respectfully yours,
Uzi Landau
Uzi Landau is a former member of the Knesset. He wrote this piece for ynetnews.com.
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