World Opinion

I was speaking to a coworker today and the issue of the Gaza strip was broached. I opined how I feel the withdrawal is a mistake. That it will be viewed by terrorists worldwide as yet more proof that terrorism does in fact work against the West. I stated that the Palestinians will not be pacified by this ceding of territory, but will instead be emboldened by it.
He did not disagree. But he put forward this argument, one that I have heard before. He stated he too was sure the Palestinians would not stay peaceful for long. But that this would not actually be a bad thing. He pointed out that when the Palestinians resumed the suicide attacks and other acts of terror, they will have lost the high moral ground. That the world would then see it was not just the lack of land that made these Arabs hate the Jews, but simply the fact that Israel exists in the first place. And thus, ‘world opinion’ would turn from the Palestinians toward the Jews.
In a world of logic, I could not disagree with this argument. However, we do not live in that world. My friend seemed to think that a Palestinian attack on Israel would somehow change ‘world opinion’. Apparently he feels ‘world opinion’ is somehow based on some high moral standard. That finally the world would see the Palestinians for what they really are. This, however, is where I believe his argument breaks down. If the opinion of the U.N. and Europe were in actuality morally based, they would have seen this already. Yet ‘world opinion’ somehow ignores suicide bombings. It ignores the killing of children and innocents. Ignores the difference between the targeting civilians and the targeting soldiers. If ‘world opinion’ ignores these things, tell me how, then, it will not ignore one more case of Palestinian aggression.
It is my hope that this argument is null and void. That the Palestinians do take the initiative from this gift and from this point forward live in peace with their Jewish neighbors. That is my hope. But it is not my belief. We will have to just wait and see. I do not abide being wrong very well, but I pray in this case I am completely and utterly mistaken.