Both Democrats and Republicans have recognized that Israel stabilizes and fortifies the powder keg called the Middle East. This has been true for the past 75 years. America needs Israel and Israel needs America. It is, for all practical purposes, a mutual admiration society.
This past week, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), with the help of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), threw scalding hot water on that relationship with her “Nakba Day” hate-fest.
Every civilization survives on truth. When truth is replaced by lies and egregious falsehoods, civilization suffers immensely. Thus, by perpetrating the “Nakba” lie in the halls of Congress, Rashida Tlaib wounded America at its core.
The media likes to “fact check” everyone except Tlaib and her compatriots. The media has a responsibility to bring to the masses the true story of what happened in 1948. By hiding and at the same time propping up Tlaib, the media does a disservice to America, Israel and the world.
The media is fully aware that Israel accepted the U.N.’s 1947 Partition Plan. The Arabs did not. Instead of recognizing Israel’s right to exist, six Arab countries (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia) attacked Israel. This was not a “Nakba”(“catastrophe”) as Tlaib wants members of Congress to believe. It was an all-out blood-curdling war. Over 6,000 Israelis were killed. The fighting went on until 1949 when armistice agreements were signed.
The Arab countries that attacked Israel lost the war they had started. There had been no need for them to go to war. They could have accepted the Partition Plan, but refused to do so. Not one drop of blood had to be shed, but the Arab world wanted to drive the Jews of Israel into the sea.
Arab leaders told the Arabs living in Israel to leave in 1947. Israel did not expel the Arabs. They did it to themselves. Now the Rashida Tlaibs of the world want to blame Israel for their own mistakes and their own aggression.
Instead of recognizing the existence of Israel and making a true and lasting peace, the Rashida Tlaibs out there would rather spew hatred and lies. They follow the principle attributed to Joseph Goebbels: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” This is the nature of the “Nakba” lie.
If members of Congress fall prey to this ploy and the American people start believing the “Nakba” libel, America will be in danger. The rock-solid alliance with Israel will be shaken. In the end, this hurts both Israel and America. The American people must stand up to Rashida Tlaib before it is too late.
Dr. Joseph Frager is chairman of Israel advocacy for the Rabbinical Alliance of America, chairman of the executive committee of American Friends of Ateret Cohanim and executive vice president of the Israel Heritage Foundation.
