"...a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 BC to 146 BC. At the time, they were probably the largest wars that had ever taken place. The term Punic comes from the Latin word Punicus (or Poenicus), meaning "Carthaginian," with reference to the Carthaginians' Phoenician ancestry.[3] The main cause of the Punic Wars was the conflict of interests between the existing Carthaginian Empire and the expanding Roman Republic."
The term, carthaginian peace, was most recently used to describe the peace terms the U.S. and its Allies imposed on Germany in the Treaty of Versailles, at the conclusion of World War I. Ironically, it was this unjust and vengeful carthaginian peace forced upon a defeated Germany that contributed to the rise of Hitler and the Holocaust in which six million Jews died.
If the U.S and Israel succeed in forcing Palestine to endure a carthaginian peace, it will be a peace sold to the world as necessary to protect the "security needs" of Israel, which will, on cue, claim that the peace agreement is needed to prevent the annihilation of the Jewish people, a trope that has lived well past its expiration date.
Rashid Khalidi, in Brokers of Deceit, points out that this "trope of imminent destruction effectively constitutes a sort of free pass for Israel that covers a multitude of sins and allows it to get away with behavior that otherwise would be considered outrageous and impermissible."
"Far from being defenseless, Israel has for most of its existence struck fear into its weak, relatively poorly armed, underdeveloped, and disorganized neighbors. None of these neighbors, without exception, singly or united, are particularly dreaded by Israel's tough and seasoned generals, however much fearmongering Israeli, and American, politicians may engage in." (p.75).
If Kerry and his team are to design a just peace, rather than a carthaginian peace, Israel would have to give up its "free pass" for its multitude of sins and learn to live like the good neighbor it claims it wants to be.
As long as the code of silence continues around the peace talks we may only speculate: Will the U.S. rid itself of its Zionist propaganda shackles and demand a just peace for Israel and Palestine? Or is the U.S. busy preparing a glossy cover for a carthaginian peace which would brutalize Palestine and assure no peace for decades to come.
A carthaginian peace would be a disaster for Palestine and Israel. A just peace is the only way to bring peace to the entire region.
The picture at top is from offshore technology.com.
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