November 13, 2002 

An Open Letter to Rabbi Michael Lerner (Tikkun Community)

 Dear Michael:

 As you may remember, my views are more right of center, while yours are at the extreme left. I am not certain, as things stand in the world today, that the model of the members of Metzer and their Arab neighbors can be applied to two peoples who live today in the historic land of Israel, as long as external forces manipulate the wretched “Palestinian” Arabs (you call them “Palestinians”). Without those external forces from Egypt, Saudia, Syria, Iran and obviously, Iraq, a modus vivandi could be reached between Arabs and Jews to the satisfaction of both peoples. Under those conditions I cannot see a rational reason that Jews could not live in Arab states, such as Jordan or the proposed “Palestine” just as Arabs live now in the Jewish state. Only then can a harmonious relation between the two peoples persist. The current position of the PLO that their Arab state must be Judenrein, guarantees continued hostility between the two peoples, with the Arabs continuing to push for the liquidation of the Jewish state.

 Unlike you, I strongly favor the overthrow of Saddam Hussein before he strikes a devastating blow to the Jews in Israel, without the use of his proxies in Ramallah. He would do this even if Israel and the Arabs in the Land of Israel would settle their differences in an amiable manner, after Arafat and his gangs are deposed. Saddam Hussein would then declare the Arabs who made peace with Israel traitors to the Arab Cause. He might even kill them en masse together with the Israeli Jews, as he did to the Kurds and the Iraqi Shiites.

 Once Saddam is gone, I hope that Iran is going to become more amenable to a coexistence with the West and friendlier to Israel. We see some indications of this already today. This might also mean a change of regime in Syria and the independence of Lebanon. The relationship between Israel and Jordan will become even closer than today, to the benefit of all parties concerned.  Once the Palestinian state will include Jewish citizens, Jews will be permitted to reside in Jordan, which is a prerequisite for genuine normal relations between two neighboring counties.  After there will be peace with the Palestinians and with Israel’s neighbors on the north and east, a dramatic change in the “cold” peace with Egypt will be inevitable. This is not a vision of “the end of times”, I hope – it is Realpolitik that is likely to follow the change of regime in Iraq. Think about that, please.

 Sincerely yours,

 Michael Anbar