At the movies: 'Straw Dogs' (1971)

In his column today, entitled “Israel Will Never Have Peace”, Bret Stephens (WSJ) makes the point by citing among other things UN resolution 194 which states that Palestinian “refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date”. Clearly, this hasn’t happened. Why?

Has it not become clear that a majority of Palestinians that have been shut out would not live peaceably within a Jewish State? Let’s say that Switzerland had been created (for the Swiss) in some barren Alpine region. Would it have to build a fence to protect itself from its neighbors (Germany, Italy and France) who were intent on nothing less than genocide? Or would life go on peaceably, neighbor visiting neighbor and abiding by the relatively simple rules of good neighborly graces?

I’m reminded of Sam Peckinpah’s film, “Straw Dogs” (1971) I saw way back when it first came out. It was one of a handful of films I remember seeing with a pounding headache which progressed towards a crescendo throughout. A young couple had moved to what they both thought would be an idyllic place for them to live: a remote cabin near the village in Cornwall where she had grown up as a child. It turns out through a series of unfortunate incidents that the couple is targeted by townsfolk. Rotten Tomatoes says this: (The film) “expresses the belief that manhood requires rites of violence when a young couple's idyllic life is disrupted and forever changed when the violence and savagery they sought to escape suddenly engulfs them.” As all Peckinpah’s films, this one is violent alright. I sat tensed up from start to finish.

The reason for this (or any) violence was ignorance. Palestinians are fed hatred for Jews from birth. It’s there in their mothers’ milk. Reason plays no role in it. Israelis understand this. If they were to open their borders – as our border with Canada is essentially open – Palestinians would immediately stream in and wreck the place. At least, this is the assumption. And Palestinians have done nothing to show it to be otherwise.

The same way we don’t open the tiger cages in a zoo, Israel does not dare to open her borders. Unfortunately for Israel, the situation is reversed. It is Israel that lives in a cage. Of the estimated 7.6 million living in Israel, 20% are Arabs who also enjoy representation in the government. Their standard of living is markedly higher than that of most Arabs living outside of Israel.

The world has turned its back on Israel and decided to side with the tigers. Like David in “Straw Dogs”, it will be up to Israelis to protect themselves. Even if Israel should win – another myth those mildly sympathetic to Israel usually comfort themselves with – the resulting losses would be insurmountable all around.

The enmity between the Palestinians and Israel is a trigger. We have put our worst elements in charge of it. Once tripped, there is no turning back. Even if Netanyahu decides not to fight (or decides only to go through the motions of fighting) the world will never again be the same – no matter the outcome. Washington keeps mouthing off about its infantile ‘reset’ button. War in the ME would definitely qualify as ‘reset’.

At the end of the film, David (Dustin Hoffman) is driving the injured Niles (the village idiot) to town, when the latter turns and says, "I don't know my way home." David smiles and says, "That's okay. I don't either."