Reply #15: No State Disarms, Mr. Fatwa [View All]

[The Magistrate]

The Roman maxim, "If you wish for peace, prepare for war," is among the best-distilled wisdom of history.

It is my view that a state of Arab Palestine ought to be entitled to a full panoply of arms, just as every other state. It would have, as a matter of practical fact, more to fear from Jordan and Syria than Israel, providing it did not host armed bodies dedicated to attacking the latter on its soil. Also as a matter of practical fact, it is unlikely a state of Arab Palestine would be able to afford much in the way of heavy modern weaponry. Aircraft, tanks, powerful artillery and missiles, are damned expensive, and nobody hands them out gratis for ideological reasons any more. The things that could be afforded, chiefly lighter anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles, are of most use in defense, not aggression.