מכתב לג'ק למון…
המכתב הבא הינו מכתב אשר אמנון כתב לג'ק למון, מהנדס הטיס של חברת אייר פרנס אשר הטיס את המטוס שנחטף לאנטבה, יחד עם הקברניט מישל באקוס. השניים הפכו לחבריו של אמנון ושמרו עמו על קשר הדוק משך כל השנים מאז מבצע אנטבה. בשנת 2002 כתב ג'ק מכתב לאמנון במסגרתו ביקר את מדיניות ישראל כלפי הפלשתינים. אמנון, השיב לג'ק במכתב בו התייחס לפלשתינאים בפרט ולעולם המוסלמי בכלל על הסכנות הטמונות בו. אמנון תיאר את הסכנה הרבה שבטרור האיסלמאי לעולם המערבי כולו וזאת 3 ימים בלבד לפני קרות "אסון התאומים" – כמעט כמו נבואה איומה שהתגשמה.
Ramat Hasharon 8 Sep. 2002
Dear Jacques,
1. I wish to point out some historical notes.
The land of Canaan was taken by the Jews, led by Joshua Ben-Nun, around 1250 BC. Please see the book of Joshua, chapter 10, 40-42.
The kingdoms of Saul, David and on lasted until 586 BC when the Assyrians took over Jerusalem and destroyed the 1st Holy Temple.
Since then, many empires conquered our land: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arabs, Crusaders, Mongolian, Mamelukes, Ottomans (Turks), and lastly British.
The Greek and Roman conquests were not just a military occupation but were followed by the transfer of all Jews from their land to exile in Greece, Italy, Spain, North Africa and Europe, where they were never granted equal rights and most of the time where oppressed and persecuted.
Throughout history they always hoped to go back to their land but most of the rulers of our land never allowed it. Some of them destroyed our holy places and all other symbols of Jewish sovereignty.
Even in our times, the British never allowed Jews to come back. Not even those who survived the Holocaust in Europe. They called them "illegal immigrants", hunted them in the sea with their destroyers, sending them back to the land of their execution. Please read about Exodus, the ship with Jews survivors of the Holocaust seized by the British and sent back to Hamburg – Germany!
By the way, when most of Europe was occupied by Nazi Germany, it was U.S.A and Russia helping the British to free Europe. Among those, in the Allied Forces and the Red Army were about 500.000 Jewish soldiers.
Considering all the evil Europe as a whole (Greeks, Romans, crusaders) did to this land of Israel, and what European nations did to the Jewish people while being there in exile, I say Europe has no moral right to further intervene here. I can't see a German chancellor tell me what "right", "wrong" or "human" means. They have no moral right to do so, or to exercise power against this country, Diplomatic, Military, or Economical. They should leave the roll of intervention to the only power that has no historical evidence of personal involvement here. That is U.S.A.
But with no surprise, the line of diplomacy of most of the European countries is against Israel and its "Territorial aspirations". Observing the attitude of most European Foreign offices, I identify time and again the desire to master and put the Middle East under European influence as they always did throughout last 2000 years. Only now they do it mainly by economical power. We do not want that.
It was not our business to criticize European / British or the U.S.A and what they did to safeguard their Civilians and troops against guerilla attacks in Africa Asia or in the far east, and it is not their business to tell us how to defend ourselves from suicide bombs or other "Human and rightful" behavior of the Arab religious fanatics of "Hizbullah" " Hamas" and others.
Commenting on massacres and human rights, Better if the Belgian court put Mr. Puttin on trial for what Russians did and do in Chechnya or the Chinese in the "Tien an men" square or may be the commander in chief of the US army for what was done in MAY-LAY, rather than Mr. Sharon for what the Christian Mr. Eli Hubeika and his Christian "Falangas" did in Lebanon to their Muslim friends in the Sabra and Shatila camps.
2. Some words about the Biblical story. Is it real or mystical and should it be taken into account while judging who has the right over this land.
In my opinion the Bible is not only the story of the monotheism but also their history. Our forefathers are common to Jews, Christians, and Muslims too. We did split apart when Christ was born, and later, with the birth of Mohamed, but the foundation is the same and it is the Holy Bible. That includes the Biblical story of the "promised land to the Jewish people" made to Abraham. One may question the Biblical story about the creation of the world. But, I don't think that many will question the historical story in the bible, as there are so many archeological evidence to support it.
I believe that he who neglects his past — has no future.
French people more than many others, appreciate their history. Beginning with the conquest of their land by Julius Caesar, Emperor of the Roman Empire on 51-58 BC.
I am told that Every French child knows the story of Vercingetorix, and read the book "Les aventures d'asterix et obelix", was told the tale of how "Nos ancetres les Gaulois vivaient dans des huttes de branchages" and learned about King Clovis, Charlemagne etc.
Why shouldn't we remember Jerusalem, king Saul, David, the Maccabian, and Massada, the ruin by the Roman of our Holy Temple? What if it happened 1000 years before Europe? Our history begins just over 2000 years ago.
All that happened about 1850 years before Mohamed was born…. So what on earth do the Arabs have to do in this land at all?
Now, if the reasoning is the force and occupation by the Muslim Empire around 700 AD, well, we have been attacked by the Arab world a few times already. Last time by all of them by surprise, in
The 1973 "Yom Kippur" war. But, we won. And now we are at long last back at our land, taking by force what was rightfully ours and was taken from us by force.
You should be able to recognize that Jerusalem for me is what Paris is for you, and London is for the Englishman. Even if during history all of these places where frequently conquered by some other forces. Paris by Hitler just recently.
It can be all said in one sentence: Israel is my land by the power of right, not by the right of power. This is not the Falkland Islands.
3. The "Palestinian people".
The name of our land is Canaan. If you read the "Webster's Dictionary" under Canaan, it says: "The promised land of the Israelites. A region roughly corresponding to modern Palestine."
The name Palestine was given to this land by the Roman Empire, after the name of the ancient Palestinian tribe that was here. None of the ancient tribes of that time survived. Most of them defeated by the Egyptian Kings around 1300BC. When the Jews came from Egypt, led by Joshua Ben-Nun took the land over there were no ancient tribes left. Neither Moabites nor Palestinians. But that was 1250BC. The Arabs came in here as late as 600AD. So, nobody claims that the "Palestinians" of today have anything to do with that ancient tribe.
As for the present Palestinians. They are no different in any way whatsoever from any Jordanian. Most of them came as Bedwins or Sheppard's from the surrounding countries like Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia etc. Some of them carry family names related to their place of origin, region, or village. These people do not constitute a nation. They are no different in religion, language, tradition culture, or anything else than their brothers in the neighboring countries. That is why I do not consider the Arabs in Somaria Judea or Gaza, as a "Nation" or "People".
When I was born here there were around 485,000 Jews, 995,000 Arabs, 127,000 Christian and 13,000 Druz. Upon the declaration of the UN of the right of the Jewish people to come back to their land of Israel everyone knew that there are Arabs here. We offered them to stay with us. Most of them did not. Most of them ran because of fear. Their leaders promising them that after "the victory" they will return and "share the Jewish towns villages and houses" have persuaded some. Only about 120,000 stayed. They became Israeli citizens. They are now about 1.200.000.
Arabs never agreed to any proposition made by England or France. They refused in 1917 and in 1936.
The Arab nations did not sign the proposed UN agreement in Nov. 1947, refused the UN resolution, and opened war against the newly born Israel. They lost. The same happened a few times later.
But have no mistake. It is not a fresh story of the last 55 years only. Arabs slaughtered Jews settlers all through the years 1850-1947. All the Jews in the city of Hebron were murdered in the 1936 raid. Arabs joined Hitler hoping to get his help in annihilating the Jewish people in Israel too.
Another point worth clarify. There are many cases where populations were transferred by historical processes like: Between Turkey and Greece, Austria and Czechoslovakia, in the Soviet Union itself, red Indians by European invaders in the US, a few millions in Africa recently, etc.
Upon the declaration of independence of Israel, about 1.500.000 Jews were expelled from the Arab states such as Iraq, Egypt, Syria, North Africa etc. Most of them had to leave everything behind. Most of them came to Israel barefooted and with pants only. We did all our best to absorbed them, built houses and work places for them and they are all now here and well.
Please ask yourself why in heavens name, the surrounding Arab states did not do the same with the 1 million Arab refugees from Palestine? The only Arab country that took in refugees from the war with Israel, and made an effort to settle them down is Jordan. Where are the rest? Isn't it cynical? And what is wrong in the exchange of the Arabs from Palestine against the Jews from the Arab countries and " Finito La Comedia"?
There are 22 Arab states in the world. There are about 200 million people in them. With their financial and oil resources, they could have easily solve the problem. It could have been considered as an "Exchange of population" Jews from the Arab states with Arabs from the Jewish state. It could have been done.
But no. The Arab "Brothers" confined them in refugee camps, in disgraceful conditions to keep the problem alive and to get the constant financial aid to the camps from the UNRWA.
It is "grotesque", all a political game, and not a matter of justice.
4. I would like now to expand the view to the greater danger from the whole Muslim world to the free world.
Without dealing with the question why, – the Muslim world is in general part of the illiterate underdeveloped third world.
Its significance is in Religious fanatics, Dictatorships, Prevention of human rights, Poor or no education, uncontrolled rate of birth, etc. A real time bomb. The Islam is an extremely missionary religious. Its final goal is to impose the Islam over all and rule the world.
Its social status along with religious fanatics leads it to a further and greater retreat in their socio-economical status. Instead of trying to solve their own problems they tend to blame the rest of the world in their setbacks. Islamic leaders have the resources but they do not divide it to their people.
The leaders point their frustration of their situation to a "valid" scapegoat based on religious
Foundations. Namely the Jews and the Christians. It serves as a "pressure relief valve". The danger is that all that is about to run out of control. It has become a threat to the world
The Islamic terror is the mean and military arm of the Islamic world to "punish" the free world for being developed rich and industrialized while they remain as in the dark ages. It is the same as the ugly envy's the beautiful and wants to punish him as if he is responsible for it's ugliness.
The Islamic world contributed very little to the world's progress. There are very few Arabs on the list of Nobel-price winners in science or any other field. This is a result of the social structure and opportunity that the individual is getting there. It is the matter of their own social structure and not a matter of what the free world did at that time.
As they are now close to have weapons of mass destruction in their arsenal, the world has no alternative but to stop playing games of the past. It must use its might, so long as it still can, and use all its force in order to change the ruling system in these countries.
China did it from the inside. Thanks to MAO, he put this enormous people in a discipline that they are now on the way to become modern, technological, educated, and offer decent life to their people.
It looks like the Muslim world is not capable of doing so, but is capable of destroying all of us.
I will not be surprised if a biological or other warfare will hit the US again or any other place like London, Paris Stockholm, or Berlin. It is not only we in Israel now. It is you, your religion, culture, achievements, and your way of life. In the eyes of a Muslim we are all atheists and must be killed by the great peoples of the Koran.
The 20th century was significant by great conflicts, revolutions, and wars on civil ideological grounds. It looks like the 21st century is going to be known for great conflicts on religious and cultural grounds. Hence, with the powerful weapons of today, it is a real threat to the world's existence.
5. A few words about a possible agreement with Arafat.
Indeed it is impossible to make peace with him,
NOT because he is a cheat and a liar,
NOT because he is a professional terrorist who knows only how to destroy,
NOT because he refused every opportunity given to him by all Israel's premiers except Sharon,
NOT because he declared he wants "Palestine to be born through fire and fights not through a signed agreement". He wants to be remembered as a winner not as one that "settled for" anything but the whole cake.
BUT BECAUSE I do not think Arafat is the figure we should deal with. There are already many other leaders of different extremist groups who openly say that they will not be committed by any agreement Arafat will sign. Take Nasralla of the Hizbulla for one.
We will be ready to sign a total peace treaty with the top leaders of the Arab world like Egypt, Saudi, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya and all the rest of them in the Arab league, all of them, together with IRAN. Otherwise the treaty is not worth the paper it is signed on. Like the paper Mr. Chamberlain brought back, signed by Hitler.
For a comprehensive and lasting peace agreed and committed by all of them, I am ready to make concessions. I am not sure that I am willing to give all what Mr. Barak offered Mr. Arafat. However, I am willing to give up some parts of my land, heavily populated with Arabs to their "Autonomy Administration" as late Mr. Begin lay out.
I was born in a village, like Sharon, just a few kilometers north. I don't know him personally, but I understand what he means and what he feels. You should be raised among Arabs to know their way of thinking. If I look to their eyes I know if they tell the truth. That seldom happens.
You Europeans do not understand it. If you say you did not see something, well, you did not see it. With an Arab it depends, – what thing? When? Why do you want to know and for what purpose? Etc. etc. and if it serves the Arab cause, than truth or lie is out of consideration.
6. Last but not least
Sorry dear Jacques and Genevieve. I know my letter is too long. But the matters you raised are too important as to answer superficially. You may disagree with many things I say. It is OK with me. But, I feel that there is only very little time left for the free western world to do something in order to safeguard its survival. When a single madman, with mass destruction capability can ruin us all it is real urgent. The urgency is not the wish to conquere or master. The urgency is the basic human instinct of survival.
It is the duty of the free world to change the social structure of the Muslim world, educate it raise its socio-economical status and turn it into democracies. They are not capable of achieving that by themselves.
It is the Jewish New Year now. Tirza and myself like to wish you and your family:
All the best, Health happiness, and all the rest.
I love you both
Amnon.