Respected Israeli historian Prof. Benny Morris started out as a hard-line leftist advocating a complete Israeli surrender to Arab demands in the name of peace.
Over the past decade, like many other "peaceniks," Morris has seen the error of his ways, and now realizes the Palestinians are not genuinely interested in peace, but rather remain dedicated to Israel's eventual destruction.
Writing in The National Interest last week, Morris lamented that more intellectuals and political leaders in the West and even Israel had failed to come to the same realization.
Slamming a new group of Israeli leftists who have called for the immediate establishment of a Palestinian state, Morris explained:
"Palestinian strategy is rather simple (and not particularly clever, though it does manage to take in a surprising number of Westerners): Because of the demographic threat (an Arab majority in a Jewish state) and because of international pressure for self-determination for the Palestinians and an end to Israel's military occupation, Israelis will eventually accept, however reluctantly, a Palestinian state encompassing the Palestinian-majority territories of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Israel will eventually unilaterally withdraw (as it has already done from the Gaza Strip)."
[Ed. Note - The presumed "demographic threat" is actually a falsehood used to advance this strategy.]
Morris lambastes those purportedly working for peace for playing right into the hands of Israel's enemies, and actually perpetuating the conflict.
"Once this [Palestinian state] is achieved, unfettered by any international obligations like a peace treaty—and having promised nothing in exchange for their statehood—the Palestinians will be free to continue their struggle against Israel, its complete demise being their ultimate target," warned Morris.