Americans are steadily bombarded with the argument that Israel is in an existential struggle with the Arab world. The problem with this argument is that it assumes a unitary concept of Israel. This concept does not exist. Israeli opinion on the proper boundaries of the state of Israel ranges from the smallest viable patch of British Palestine necessary to secure a durable peace to a greater Judea almost double the size of the currently claimed territory.
The crisis facing Israel is not a military crisis, for Israel has sufficient power to protect itself. The real crisis for Israel is an identity crisis. Until Israel makes its identity clearly known to the world, there will be no lasting peace. Here are some questions that would help define which Israel deserves to exist:
1. Is Israel really an underdog state? If so, why does it have a nuclear arsenal capable of destroying all of its neighbors?
2. What is the purpose of the steady construction of "settlements" in the occupied territories?
3. What are the minimal geographic boundaries that Israel is prepared to accept to secure a lasting peace?
4. Do Israel's plans for economic growth assume the seizure of natural resources of neighboring countries?
5. Why does Israel refuse to repatriate the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs who were displaced during the founding of Israel?
6. Why does Israel conduct espionage against the United States?