Haavara FAQs: Watch this encounter between Prof. Edward Said and Bibi Netanyahu in the 1980s

In the early 1980s, the renowned Palestinian-American scholar Professor Edward Said was reportedly invited to debate Benjamin Netanyahu, who was then Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations. Netanyahu declined the invitation, and when asked why, he allegedly responded with a chilling remark: "I think he might try to kill me."

The core question this incident raises is not whether Netanyahu's fear was justified, but why such a fear exists among some Israeli leaders. The argument can be made that this fear stems from a psychological projection—a belief that Palestinians, if they had the power, would act in a manner similar to how they perceive their own actions. This idea finds support in the statements of some former Israeli officials who have publicly reflected on what they might do if they were in the position of a Palestinian. For instance, a former head of Israel's Internal Security Service (Shin Bet) once offered a hypothetical scenario of his own potential actions if he were born a Palestinian.

This perspective challenges the conventional narrative. How can a state with a formidable military and technological advantage express such deep-seated fear of a population it holds a significant power advantage over? This paradox leads to a critical examination of Ze'ev Jabotinsky's "Iron Wall" theory. This doctrine posits that a strong, unassailable military presence is necessary to force Palestinians to accept the reality of a "Jewish state".

However, recent events, particularly the October 7th Raid, have brought the foundational premise of the "Iron Wall" into question. The idea that a trillion-dollar defense apparatus could be breached with relatively simple weapons demonstrates that an impenetrable wall is, in fact, a myth. The event suggests that the security paradigm based solely on military superiority may not be as effective as its adherents believe and that a different approach is necessary to achieve lasting peace and security.