MY CORRESPONDENCE WITH A LIBERAL AMERICAN FRIEND

  […] Dear Vadim, I again am impressed with your efforts to pull things together. Your paper on brain     monoamines and REM sleep covers a great deal that I am not familiar with as well as describing your ideas about Search activity.  Each time you write about search activity it becomes clearer.     What is most interesting to me at this point is how it applies to the survivors of the  Holocaust. I was at a meeting the other night     where a good friend of mine was talking about her  new book, "My Mother's Eyes". This is a series of   stories she wrote over the years to be read at   the Seder. They describe her experiences in  Auschwitz and in labor camps. She talked about  what it took to survive and here your ideas about   Search activity seem to have much to say about     which ones did survive and which ones in effect  renounced search and died.  You might want to read it.

Another difficult question has just occurred to me as I write this. You might choose to ignore     it. Could the suicide attacks by the     Palestinians, horrible as they are, be a form of     search behavior which enables them to survive and     not lapse into learned helplessness?   Best wishes…   

Dear friend, I will try to comment your hypothesis that the suicidal attacks  display an attempt of Palestinian Arabs to fight with their learned helplessness. I agree  that on the first glance this hypothesis may look out as a relevant one. The  economical and social status in Autonomy really may produce learned helplessness.  However, let us see  the situation in a broad context and discuss it in all details.  I totally agree that different Israel Governments were partly responsible for the  present situation. Before 1993 (before Oslo process) our Government has done  not enough to give a new impulse to the relationships with Palestinian Arabs and to solve the problem.   It was a big mistake to think that such a situation can continue  forever. It was necessary to select and support the peace-oriented part of the Arab  population, to help them to develop the middle class etc.  However: 

1. The situation was objectively very difficult: all attempts to solve the  problems of the camps with refugees were blocked by Arab countries who were   in a state of war with Israel. Due to this state of war it was impossible to leave the territories without peaceful agreement in order not to turn back to the position of 1967. Egypt refused to take control over Gaza.

2. In spite of it, the economical status of Palestinian Arabs was higher than in  any other Arabian country. 

3. The level of education was the highest in the all Middle East (Israel  supported Universities on the West Bank with hope that it will make educated Arabs our partners. However, Universities further became the main centers of terrorism). In spite of occupation, human rights have been protected better than in any other Arabian country (it is not a Zionistic propaganda, Arabs on territories  know it very good). The Jewish settlements (that were very important for our security) have been built only on the land free from Arabs. 

4. Contacts between Jews and Arabs step by step developed,  even between Jews in settlements and surrounded Arabs, although very slowly. 

5. The first Intifada (with stones) stimulated from abroad ( by Arafat) and from  Shimon Peres according to the very egoistic political goals became almost  exhausted up to 1992. Even after my emigration to Israel citizens more or less regularly visited Arab villages.   Of course, it was not a stable situation, a  lot of efforts had to be invested in order to improve it, but at least it was not a catastrophe  neither for Jews nor for Arabs. I remind once more that it was no peace between  Israel and Arab countries, except of Egypt.

  II. The Oslo process was not a mistake – it was a criminal action. Israel  Government according to its very special political interests invited Arafat  (see below  a part from my article “Alternative to war and capitulation”) 

“The left-wing establishment, in their majority, do not want to lose the country  and hand the power in Israel over to Arafat. This is why all the "architects of  Oslo" from Peres and Beilin to Sarid are categorically against the mass (!)  return of Arab refugees. The left-wing establishment wants to retain power.  Victor Fulmacht was absolutely right when he wrote in his article "Territories in return for power" (“Vesti”, 27 July 1999) that, in order to seize power, the  left-wing top echelon agrees to give up the territories under our control (and  necessary for our security) and destroy the settlers' movement because such  developments will deal an irreparable blow against the right-wing camp's  self-consciousness and will totally demoralize it. But it would be erroneous to assume that, once they become firmly established in power, the left-wingers of  today will change the course and become patriots like their predecessors  Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir. As a matter of fact, the present leaders are  incomparable with the founders of the state as far as the scale of their  personalities or the level of talents are concerned. More and more nonentities  break their way to power and, therefore, they are interested in the  demoralization of not only the right-wing camp, but of the entire population.  Their own level and their scale as personalities do not make it possible for  them to lead the nation on the basis of high personal dignity and high  spiritual and ethical values. They experience an inferiority complex with  respect to people who do possess such values. This is a psychological law. It  is precisely their inferiority complex that is behind their hatred toward the  settlers. This is the origin of their wish to devaluate and discredit the  entire history of the Zionist movement expounded by the "new historians" and  "new intellectuals" and supported by the left-wing establishment. Total  demoralization of the population, the formation of petty-minded, egoistic  psychology, the reduction of the entire population to the level of the  left-wing leadership: Such is the only condition under which these leaders may  feel quiet and confident of themselves at the top of the power structure.  Capitulation to Arafat's demands represents the easiest and fastest way to   achieve such mass demoralization of the people.  However, as it has been mentioned above, the destruction of the country was not  part of the left-wing leadership's plans. They simply believed that their own  goals and those of Arafat's Mafia coincided. Arafat was to get what he coveted  most, from the point of view of the establishment: Power and unlimited control  over the financial resources in the Palestinian state, while the left-wing  establishment would retain similar power over the demoralized Israeli  population which repudiated the ideals of Zionism. The left-wing leaders -- as  it often happens among Mafia members -- have a good flair for their like, and  they feel it instinctively that Arafat's comrades-in-arms are indeed close to  them, both by the nature of interests, the level of cynicism, and the scale of  their personalities. The left-wingers did not even need to act against their  conscience: they offered Arafat a deal profitable in every respect, one that  they would have readily accepted in his place. But they failed to take into  account the difference in national psychology, and this was their major  mistake. It is precisely what Jabotinsky used to warn about: In contrast to the  left-wing establishment, the Arabs have ideals, and the disappearance of Israel  is their ideal and not a propagandistic figure of speech at all. What the  left-wing leaders believed to be a mutually profitable compromise in a joint  business, was in fact nothing but a sign of weakness and a signal to the Arabs  for the intensification of pressure on us. The Arabs would never be able to  give up anything that already belongs to them in the name of good neighborly  relations -- be it their holy places or individual settlements -- if they are  not compelled to do so by force. If this is so, they are simply unable -- in  accordance with the laws of psychology -- even to imagine that others are  prepared to give up all this voluntarily. This means only one thing for the  Arabs: The "others" are unable to defend their interests and, consequently,  these interests need not be reckoned with. The Arab leaders may be as immoral  and cynical as our own left-wing leaders, but they are different, nonetheless,  and the left-wing establishment has been unable to realize this for a long  time. “  Arafat  is not a fighter for the freedom of Palestinians, even if your friends  still belief in it, but a killer and corrupted person, his collaborators are  also killers, however Israel government gave them power and weapons.

  As a result:  a.   All money that were sent from Israel and from all international organizations  to Autonomy for improving its economic were used either for terror (read the all  reports from European Society) or have been divided between Arafat and Co. and  corrupted persons from the Israel establishment, like Ginossar etc. It was also  a monopoly trade on hundreds of millions dollars that still continues even when  Sharon performs his so-called anti-terrorist actions (that are never complete).

The economical status of  Palestinian Autonomy tremendously dropped

The human rights in Autonomy are now much less protected than during the Israel occupation. Of course, all these factors cause a state of tension and  helplessness used by the terrorist organizations in order to increase the number of  terrorists. As you see, I principally agree that it is a guilt of Israel Government, but not because Israel still does not give up in front of terror  (as your friends in Israel and USA regularly suggest) but because it was a mistake  to give a power to Arafat and not to finish with his terrorist  organization until now in spite of the above mentioned terrible outcomes.

I would also like to remind you that Barak (together with Klinton) proposed  to Arafat 97(!) % of all territories and to exchange the rest 3%, to invite  part of Arab refugees on the Israel territory etc. -  and the last most bloody war  started just after this proposition. The main problem is that for leaders of terrorists who are on the top of the power in Autonomy the final goal is not the freedom of the “occupied” territories but the freedom of all this land, including Israel inside the Green line,  from Jews, and they proclaim this goal openly. It is obvious that in front of this goal we cannot give up – we have to prevent a new Catastrophe. Your friends in Israel and in  USA (those who hate Jews being often Jews by themselves) are making face as if  they do not know this goal. I am sure you do not belong to this group. 

Now let us speak more precisely about the comparison between the suicide bombers  and prisoners of the Concentration camps. 

Families of the suicide bombers regularly receive a substantial amount of  money from the terrorist organizations. By taking into consideration the  economical problems and some psychological attitudes (terrorists claimed: “We  will win because Jews love life and Arabs love death” – it is a real claim!) it  looks like that some families of suicide bombers are sailing them for money. Do you belief that something like this happened with fighters in Jewish concentration camps?

Terrorists are mobilizing children for suicide bombing explaining them that it is a most short way to enter the paradise. Israel soldiers with a great risk are trying to save Palestinian children and women, and many soldiers died in the process of this activity (what your friends never cite and totally ignore).  What about your comparison? By the way, may be you remember the story of a young Palestinian boy killed in the first days of the war in 2000. All mass media blamed Israel. Afterward a very careful investigation was performed, and it comes out according to objective analysis that this boy was killed by Palestinians snipers! European mass media were convinced with this analysis and in some countries the outcome of it have been shown by TV. What about your mass-media? What about the reaction of your friends? Have Jews in concentration camps killed their children in order to blame Germans?

During the recent period tremendously increased the number of young Arab girls  that participated in suicide bombing. Of course, from your point of view and from  the point of view of your liberal and humanistic friends these girls are  idealists and real heroes. The problem is, however  that  although not all but many of these girls became a victims of sexual abuse (from  their friends and relatives), or were in sexual relationships with their  boy-friends what is totally forbidden in the Arab culture. Usually in this situation girl has to be killed by her father or brother. Thus, in this condition girl have an alternative – to be killed with a reputation of prostitution or to die as a hero in suicide bombing. The terrorists recognized that it is a prospective way  – and now the sexual abuse is periodically specially used to recruit more suicide bombers. What about your comparison with concentration camp prisoners?

After every explosion in the bus when children, women and aged persons are killed the street of the Palestinians towns became  usually full of “peaceful” Palestinians that celebrate this action. Of course,  you will tell me that it is their way to compensate learned helplessness. OK.  But do you know that something like this happened also in some towns of USA  after the September 11, in the same day? I know from the first hand a story  from New-Jersey. Arabs come on the street, dancing, laughing, singing –  celebrating the death of 3000 people that were not guilty at all. These Arabs  were citizens of USA, with all rights and privileges, however their behavior was  absolutely the same as behavior of Palestinian Arabs after the explosions in our buses. Are they also suffering from  learned helplessness? Or may be they wish you to suffer from learned  helplessness and very reasonable consider the story with “twins” as a direct  way to your helplessness? And what about the comparison with concentration camp  prisoners? 

And the final point of this letter that became already very long. I know that  many liberals and fighters for human right exactly in Boston felt a strong  empathy to those who performed this cruel criminal action with “twins”. Their reaction was: “O,  my God, how much are suffering these people if they decided to do it!” But they had no empathy to the 3000 victims in buildings. From my point of view it is a sign of psychopathology, something is really wrong with the personalities of these liberals. However, their empathy creates a psychological atmosphere that supports terror. And if they will dominate in the society, the story with twins would be like a child action in comparison to further actions. I am sure, my friend, you have nothing to do with such people. But I am very afraid, that after reading this letter you will convince yourself that either I am an extremist or my arguments are not correct, and  you will forget everything instead of thinking seriously in this direction. Please, before asking me another question like  this (about the similarity between suicide bombers and concentration camp  prisoners) read this letter once more. 

6. I am finishing. Yes, our government is today a corrupted government that is making problems for the all world because it is collaborating with the only one terrorist organization in the world that can be accessed easily, and this organization is in Autonomy. If we will destroy this organization it will give chance not only for us but also for Palestinian Arabs before they all become suicide bombers. However instead of it Sharon is going to destroy our settlements, what will have a very bad outcome first of all for Israel and afterward for the all civilized world.  Your Vadim.