Radical Islam, by definition, will only make a deal with you if they are the weaker party. This is hudna. This is what it means. Interview.
In Israel, even the most secular people have faith, which is the basis of their success, according to Josh Reinstein. II. organized by the Center for Fundamental Rights with the President of Israel's Allies. During the break of the Pro-Israel Summit, Magyar Hírlap talked about what we can learn from the Jews, what the situation is like for Arabs with Israeli citizenship, and what their plans are after the war.
Israel is a small country surrounded by enemies; the population is diverse in every sense, its political life is quite turbulent, and yet: the Jewish state is amazingly successful. What's the secret?
I think the secret of our success is our faith. Faith is the reason we have many children. Faith is the reason we are in that country and we will never leave it. We believe and we believe that we will win. And this has always been the secret of Judaism throughout the ages. The second is a sense of responsibility. For 2,000 years, the Jewish people have lived scattered on earth, praying in the direction of Jerusalem, so that one day they will return there and become one nation. We are the generation that can do that. And we will not let future generations fail under our watch. This is very interesting because
if you look at Israel, it looks like a secular, moderate metropolis, but in reality, everyone from the most secular to the most religious person has a deep faith that God is on our side.
We are here because of the Bible, and I think it gives us the courage and strength to say no when everyone turns against us. We know what is right and we will do what is right.
Wherever we go in the world, we can meet Jews and Hungarians almost anywhere. However, the situation is that some people in our country dispute the Hungarianness of those living beyond our borders. Or at least they say that we don't have to support them because they are Slovak, Ukrainian, Romanian, etc. citizens. What do you think about this? Is appreciation of the diaspora also important for success?
Well, the Jewish diaspora is obviously beneficial to Israel. Jewish communities are eminently successful in business and academia, and in various other fields of importance to the world. We have a say in things. But I think that when we look at Israel, we look at it not as a country, but as a people. We are the children of Israel, as it says in the Bible. So when we look at other Jews in the world, they are automatically family members.
Many Jews see the misery of African Christians and ask, "Why don't Christians around the world stand up and say, Hey, don't do this to African Christians!" Well, that's because many Christians say, “Those Christians are different. They are not true Christians.” In Judaism, it doesn't matter whether you are orthodox or neologism or conservative.
If you were born Jewish, you are Jewish and part of the family. And everyone takes care of each other. It's a community. So I think that's definitely a strength.
As for Hungarians living abroad, some people here may consider them as not being real Hungarians, but I know that there are many Hungarians living abroad who are very proud to be Hungarians and proudly represent Hungary. They are proud of the country's successes and speak fondly of Hungary. I think they are the real strengths of Hungary.
It appears from the news that many Arabs in Israel feel uncomfortable, so to speak. Of course, we can try to blame this on religious or political brainwashing, but according to a Hungarian saying: The wrath does not rattle if the wind does not blow. What do you think, did Israel make mistakes in the past, and should something be done differently so that they can live together in peace?
Well… Look, 20 percent of Israel is Arab, and they are the most successful Arabs in the Middle East. They have a higher GDP than any other Arab population. They have free medical care, free education, like all Israelis. We have freedom of speech and religion, which is quite rare in that part of the world. I think the Arab population is generally satisfied with being Israeli. And they can really have their say.
I'll tell you a little story. There is a historian who met a sheikh in Jordan. He was watching Israeli TV and there was a kid on TV with a broken arm and he was saying “the Israelis are Nazis and they broke my arm. I protested against Israel and they attacked me” , and so on and so forth. The Sheikh looked at the historian and said to him, "Look, I would let the King of Jordan break both my legs and arms if I was allowed to talk about this on TV."
So I think that Israel prospers together with the Arabs, and the Arabs around Israel and the other countries see what their quality of life is like, what kind of freedom they have, and they want that too.
Israel shines a light on the nations. I don't see anti-Israel sentiment appearing en masse within the Israeli Arab population. I think they want to show solidarity with their Arab brothers in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. At the same time, they are very grateful to have Israeli citizenship.
And what will happen after the war? Israel's military is obviously stronger than Hamas and Hezbollah, but brute force is usually not enough for peace.
Israel's military is almost uniquely a defense force. A defensive force, not an offensive force. We only defend against attacks, we do not attack unprovoked. And we were incredibly patient in the face of the attacks that were directed at us. Look, the idea that radical Islam can be bargained with, agreed with, or cooperated with is one of the dumbest ideas coming out of Europe today.
Radical Islam, by definition, will only make a deal with you if they are the weaker party. This is hudna. This is what it means.
Let's see what actually happens! Iran is developing nukes so they can nuke Israel and they use Hezbollah: they put a gun to Israel's head with 150,000 guided missiles on our borders... Same thing with Hamas: they put a gun to our head saying "If you want to stop us from making nukes, then we will attack you and kill masses of Israelis.” That was the gist of the threat. And Europe entered this game. Europe has no problem with it. They signed the JCPOA, which guarantees that Iran will have nuclear weapons within 10 years no matter what. Israel knows that if Iran has nuclear weapons, it will use them.
They will use it to wipe Israel off the map. This is their official foreign policy.
Now that we finally have Hamas under our control and we have defeated Hezbollah, I believe that only a military solution can bring real peace. Peace comes from strength. First we must win and then there will be peace. The idea that we are making peace with terrorists is wrong. He can make peace with the terrorists he has beaten to death and who then have no choice but to make peace.
Or with rational thinking people…
Of course, you can also negotiate with countries, but not with terrorist organizations that want to destroy you. Thus, victory is the ultimate way to ensure peace. And we've seen that under the Trump administration. Everyone said when he moved the US embassy to Jerusalem that there would be blood in the streets and war everywhere. And what happened? The Abrahamic Covenant was born. How is this possible? How could everyone be wrong?
Because everyone bases their diplomacy on the idea that you can make peace with terrorists, but you can't.
People want to follow strong countries. People want to pursue moral purity. And the people will follow Israel when all this is over.
Featured image: Yemeni Shia Houthi rebels who support the Palestinians and their supporters demonstrate against Israel and the United States in Sana'a on June 28, 2024. Since the renewal of the conflict in the Gaza Strip between the Palestinian extremist group Hamas and Israel, the Houthis have carried out numerous drone and missile attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as British and American warships. MTI/EPA/Jajha Arhab
