Echoes of Betrayal: International Peace Pledges Ignored History’s Blood Lessons

By Tony Perkins

The United Nations Security Council has approved a new resolution drafted by the United States aimed at bringing lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The intentions behind such diplomatic efforts are understandable; we all desire peace, especially after decades of conflict.

However, pursuing peace with clear eyes demands more than simple goodwill declarations. It requires grounding in historical truth and acknowledging lessons from past events that speak volumes about the consequences when certain assumptions fail to hold. Over the last 53 years, numerous international frameworks have been built upon a flawed premise: Israel agreeing to relinquish territory for Palestinian statehood.

Each major proposal rested on this false foundation, promising peace by reducing Israel’s control over its land in exchange for sovereignty arrangements with other nations like Egypt and Jordan. These agreements were supposed to be the key unlocking opportunity – yet tragically, they have repeatedly failed where mutual vulnerability leads inevitably towards further bloodshed, not lasting tranquility.

The international community continues to dangle promises of peace while ignoring reality.
This signals a dangerous message to Palestinian leadership: that Israel must concede land and security for peaceful coexistence. But this approach dangerously ignores the weighty price history exacts when nations betray their sovereign rights, especially when such betrayal precedes violence against innocent civilians.

I recall being present during a meeting in Washington D.C., where then-Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert presented an ambitious peace plan centered around Israel’s willingness to withdraw from key territories. At the time I questioned if this path disregarded crucial historical and religious continuity, signaling that such concessions would merely repeat past errors.

The events of October 7th stand as a stark confirmation.
I walked through the blood-stained walls of a kibbutz, witnessed devastation at ground level after what could have been an early warning or prevention. This tragedy underscores how international policy decisions must align with sober reality: that true peace cannot be achieved by Israel yielding essential land security simply because “it is peaceful to agree.”

Jeremiah’s words ring especially true today:
“They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.”