The Power Rangers and the death of two-states

I grew up very close to my uncle David. Back in those days he was a bachelor and one of those “cool uncles” (not that he isn’t cool now, it’s just that a wife and three kids can hurt a man’s street cred). Often, David would take me to work with him just to hang out.

I was around 10 years old when he got a job working for the creator of The Mighty Morphing Power Rangers, so it was only natural that I would want to spend every second I could in his office trying to figure out how to get a glimpse of Zordon.

After many failed attempts to at least get my hands on Billy’s morphing belt, I settled on playing with toys around the office. One of the toys I got my hands on was a fun yet practical puzzle box. With Uncle Dave in another room I dismantled the box and began trying to piece it back together.

My uncle returned shortly after, and when he saw what I was doing, he went white as a ghost. It turned out the puzzle box belonged to his partner, a former boxer and a bit of a “wild card,” and touching any of his things – let alone dismantling them – was a big-time no-no. And this “wild card” was on his way back to the office.

Unable to grasp the gravity of the situation, but understanding that my uncle wanted it fixed, and fixed right away, I hurriedly began to put the puzzle back together. There was just one tiny problem: one piece wouldn’t fit. So naturally, like any brilliant 10 year old, I forced the piece in. It was jammed in there real tight, and looked very, very wrong.

We panicked.

Both of us took deep breaths, gently dislodged the stuck piece, slowly dismantled the box again and finally figured out how to piece it back together properly. In the end his partner was none the wiser – unless he’s reading this article, which is doubtful considering he’s currently in prison for beating a man nearly to death in an elevator.

The intriguing thing is that it was fear that gave us the courage to calm down and figure out what the right thing to do was. It was the pure, unadulterated fear that gave us courage.

While this may sound contradictory, I truly believe that we derive courage from fear. Thus, it is fear of annihilation that gives me the courage to admit the ever-unpopular realities that Israel faces. I am not the first, and will not be the last, to beat this drum, but let me make my beliefs very clear: The two-state solution is dead.

THE INTERNATIONAL community is in a panic. The Arab Spring has taken unforeseen turns that have taken a devastating toll in human lives. The world economy is crumbling like a house of cards. Radicalization among communities worldwide, but especially in the Islamic world, has skyrocketed in response to these pressures and of course, the Middle East has become the focal point of these issues.

The United Nations is panicked and thinks Israel better start working on bringing the stubborn and ungrateful Palestinian Authority (now apparently, and hilariously, referred to as “the State of Palestine”) to the negotiating table.

The Obama administration is panicked and would like to see the Netanyahu government do more to bring us closer to a two-state solution.

The Left-wing Jewish communities of the world are panicked and thus harshly criticize each and every Israel action for fear of upsetting the Palestinians who are shooting rockets into our cities day and night and plotting to wipe us out as you read these words.

The Israeli government reiterated its commitment to a two-state solution just days ago with elections looming, although whether that was due to panic or votes remains to be seen. However, either way it is unacceptable.

Honesty is the best policy.

There is no partner for peace here.

Hamas is in a constant state of war with Israel, with or without a “cease-fire,” and all the PA can focus on is uniting with Hamas, Israelis be damned. PA President Mahmoud Abbas and chief negotiator Saeb Erekat are not partners for peace. Don’t take my word for it, just take a few short minutes to read some of the blatantly inflammatory statements they make to their own people and the rest of the Arab world.

I strongly believe this is all a grave mistake born out of panic and denial. Forcing Israel into a twostate solution for these reasons is as perilous a move as the world can make. It just doesn’t understand it.

IN HIS brilliant book The Gift of Fear, Gavin de Becker explains that only real, honest fear gives us courage. Not everyday anxiety, but genuine fear. In fact, once you deal with this fear in an honest and open way, de Becker explains, a newfound confidence in your intuition and decision-making abilities is established.

He also explains the dangers of ignoring this fact, as the promoters of the impossible two-state solution do on a daily basis.

“Denial has an interesting and insidious side effect,” de Becker writes. “For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn’t so, the fall they take when victimized is far, far greater than that of those who accept the possibility.

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme.”

I cannot appeal to the entire international community, but I can plead and beg with all my passion and all my soul to every single Jew of every denomination, from every corner of the earth – especially the passionate people of this glorious Jewish state – to recognize reality, no matter how frightful it is.

The two-state solution is the wrong wooden piece jammed into the puzzle box. We’re now stuck as a result. Only if we calm down, take a deep communal breath, and allow our fear to guide us to courage can we come up with solutions we can trust in. Otherwise Israel will become the bloodied man on the floor of the elevator (and don’t you dare for a second think that this is not what our enemies want).

We must calmly put the pieces of the puzzle box back together, but only after internalizing the eternal words of legendary basketball coach John Wooden: “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”

I pray that whoever ends up leading this country next understands that they must dismantle the puzzle box, and with the ever-present fear hanging over them, allow themselves the honesty and integrity needed to put the pieces back where we belong.

Any jamming and forcing of the “missing puzzle peace (no, not a typo)” will make the fall harder and more devastating for our people.

The writer is currently studying for his MA in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security at the IDC Herzliya, a researcher for the International Institute of Counter-Terrorism and writes a politics blog, E-TONE, which can be found at http://blogs.jpost.com/users/e-tone.