“The range of American policy options in the region is reduced to two alternatives, both disagreeable: Get tough or get out.” Bernard Lewis, National Review
The example of South Africa is inapplicable to Israel. African Blacks have a certain snobbish respect for the whites. The Blacks massacre one another but proved reluctant to annihilate whites even in Rhodesia; a stereotype of white masters is strongly imprinted on cognitive framework of African Blacks. South Africa, therefore, can so far pursue a policy of implicit apartheid where the Blacks are politically equal but economically doomed and thus unimportant. It remains to be seen whether that system is sustainable or the Blacks, like other nations, will eventually disregard economic advantages and do away with their masters. Arabs have two stereotypes of Jews: European colonial masters and submissive dhimmi. Israeli Arabs embrace the first stereotype, Islamic radicals – the last. Growing Arab nationalism quickly erodes colonial stereotype and encourages the Arabs to fight Jewish colonizers. Arab mentality is very different from the Black: a sudden smile is a common sight in Africa, but almost never seen among the Arabs. Arabs retain their Bedouin mentality of murderous hyenas and won’t follow the South African path of submitting to nominally binational state. And the real equality? It won’t happen both because Arabs are inherently underproductive and the notion of Jewish state presumes Jewish institutional dominance. A quarter of Europeans answers in polls that there are too many Jews around (something like 0.1%). The Jews in Israel are irritatingly many for Arabs.
Another crucial difference between Israel and South Africa is the mentality of whites. Boers are tough as early kibbutzniks and cynical as Hoffjuden. They consciously pursue white economic colonialism in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and other neighboring countries. Israeli ruling clique, from leftist academics to activist justices to politicians lacking a shred of strategic thinking – it cannot handle a cynical policy in regard to Arabs. Blinded by their own pronouncements, Israeli leftists demand real equality and even affirmative action for Arabs. Ben Gurion and a few later leaders conducted a very South African policy when they trumpeted equality and pushed Arabs out of Israel. Before the 1970s, Israeli left was economically left but politically right. The right wing’s rise to power prompted the left to shift to political left. In order to differentiate itself from Likud on Arab issues (how could it oppose Likud in elections if their programs are similar?), Avodah embraced political leftism and pro-Arab attitude. Originally, the leftist slogans of ethnic-blind democracy were only intended for Jewish masses, and Avodah beefed up the settlements and oppressed the Arabs. Eventually, pressure of Arab voters, leftist academics, and the politically correct public opinion abroad caused Avodah to accept total equality of Jews and Arabs; in order to achieve such equality from the status quo ante, Avodah conducted pro-Arab policies. Businessmen from Israeli security services act along the South African model of economic colonization, but overall the Israeli establishment succumbed to moral idealism and fear of politically incorrect moves.
Boers, who live in South Africa for centuries, are nationalists certain of their right to the country. Israeli politicians are contempt of their Jewish origin and biblical right to the country, and eager to please foreign political associates by trampling upon Jewish values. Boers have pioneer mentality, Jewish rulers – the mentality of petty frightened schemers. Jews cannot balance our country between nominal ethnic equality and actual economic differentiation, outward political correctness and practical segregation, declared peacefulness and ruthless economic imperialism backed by fighter aircraft.
Whether the South African model of pseudo-equality is sustainable or not, Jews are not up to practicing it. We need something simpler.
The transfer of Arabs, for example.
