| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"tokugawa" |
| Date: |
19 Sep 2003 03:24:12 PM |
| Object: |
Israel Destroys Chances for Peace |
Israel Destroys Chances for Peace By Destroying Palestinian Leadership
by Ira Chernus
Let's review the recent events in the Middle East. The first
Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, quit. Ahmed Qureia said he
would take the job, warning that he would not be the kind of puppet
that Israel and the U.S. had hoped Abbas would be. The next day, top
Israeli government officials starting dropping public hints that it
might be a good idea to kill Yasir Arafat. A few days later, the
Sharon government made it official policy that Arafat must go. "By any
means necessary," some Israeli officials added privately, keeping
alive the possibility of a targeted assassination.
This week, President Bush virtually endorsed the Israeli decision to
oust Arafat. At the same time, Arafat said that he will offer a truce
agreement. Before he could announce the terms of the offer, Israel
responded that it would be rejected outright, no matter how generous
it might be, simply because it came from Arafat.
Is this sequence just coincidence? Not likely. The Sharon government's
greatest fear is a strong Palestinian leadership that can unite the
Palestinian factions in effective resistance to Israeli occupation.
The Israelis know that only Arafat can provide that leadership. Their
policies all aim to keep him weak and all Palestinian leaders divided,
hoping that this will keep the Palestinian people divided and
therefore weak.
The strategy worked quite well during Abbas' short tenure. He quit
because he could not do the impossible task assigned to him-to satisfy
the desires of both the Palestinian public and the Israeli government.
To satisfy the Palestinians, he had to get along with and show respect
for Arafat, the only Palestinian leader with broad and genuine public
support. To satisfy the Israelis, he had to oppose Arafat on a number
of crucial issues. More generally, he had to act as if the Israeli
image of Arafat were accurate: chief sponsor of terror; irrelevant to
the peace process; the main stumbling block on the roadmap to peace.
The Israelis started creating this image of Arafat nearly two years
ago. It is the linchpin of Sharon's strategy. He hopes to delegitimize
Arafat and undermine his power, unleashing a power struggle among
other top Palestinians. As long as they are fighting among themselves,
they can't lead a unified struggle against Israel.
The long public humiliation of Abbas showed how well the strategy can
work. No doubt the Israelis would like to play the same game with
Qureia. Apparently, they were not so confident they could pull it off.
Sterner measures were called for. Hence the clear message to the new
prime minister: there is no advantage in teaming up with Arafat, since
he is on the way out. With the shadow of expulsion or worse looming
over Arafat, the Palestinian political process will be filled with
uncertainty and thus paralyzed. At least that's what the Israelis
hope.
The Israelis were surely prepared for the backlash of criticism
stirred by their announced plan to oust Arafat. They were willing to
take that risk, figuring that as long as there is no effective
Palestinian leader, the backlash can not translate into effective
action. It's a calculated gamble, whose outcome is yet to be seen.
Of course, Israeli officials take the high moral ground, claiming that
Arafat is the number one villain in the piece, because he refuses to
dismantle the Islamist groups that attack Israelis. These officials
know full well what would happen if Arafat mounted a full-scale
assault on those Islamist groups. He would divide his own community
against itself-which is just what the Israelis want.
In fact, years ago the Israeli government funded and supported the
fledgling Hamas movement, to achieve that same goal. Back then, Arafat
could have and very possibly would have destroyed the Islamists. But
Israel made sure it didn't happen. They intended to create a political
alternative strong enough to challenge Arafat's grip on power.
Some observers think Israel has continued to play the same game.
Israeli leaders must know that their own policies largely determine
the fortunes of the Islamists who use violence. Whenever support for
the Islamists has waned, the Israelis have done something that
outraged Palestinian opinion and made moderate Palestinian doubt that
peaceful steps can end the occupation. That builds up the Islamist
groups and prevents Arafat from unifying all his people under his
leadership.
Rejecting a truce offer, in advance, is just the latest example of
this strategy. Then, of course, the Israelis turn around and blame
Arafat for everything. They long ago declared him "irrelevant" and
demanded new Palestinian leadership. Now they announce that they will
get rid of Arafat once and for all.
It all makes sense-as long as you assume that the Israeli government
is not seeking peace, but only seeking to keep the Palestinians
politically divided and weak. That policy, in turn, makes sense-as
long as you assume that Arafat, the Palestinian Authority, and most
Palestinian people are out to destroy Israel, not because of anything
the Israelis have done, but simply because they have a blind,
irrational, ineradicable hatred of the Jewish state. If that were
true, then the Israelis would bear no blame for helping create the
conflict. Nothing they could do could bring peace. Keeping the
Palestinians weak and divided would be the only logical strategy to
pursue.
In fact, an endless stream of opinion polls, writings, and statements
from Palestinian leaders and masses alike shows that the Israeli
assumption is mistaken. Most Palestinians are quite willing to accept
the existence of Israel and leave it in peace, if they get their own
state on all the land captured in the 1967 war, including East
Jerusalem.
As long as Israeli leaders refuse to recognize the Palestinian desire
for compromise, they will continue to undermine any Palestinian leader
with whom they might make peace. That means every roadmap for peace
will lead to a dead end. More Israelis and Palestinians alike will
find their lives cut short in a tragically dead end.
No roadmap can lead to peace unless it includes strong effective
leadership on both sides. Weak leaders cannot negotiate peace. The
best contribution anyone can make to Middle East peace is to work for
a strong Palestinian leader who has a chance to unite all the factions
in his community. It is not our place to tell the Palestinians who
their leader should be. They have been telling us, for many years now,
who their leader should be. Whether we like it or not, his name is
Yasir Arafat.
[Ira Chernus is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of
Colorado at Boulder]
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0918-12.htm
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| User: "Jonsa" |
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| Title: Re: Israel Destroys Chances for Peace |
19 Sep 2003 03:47:45 PM |
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"tokugawa" <truth_seeker227@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fb0ae2f1.0309191224.3f68aeb7@posting.google.com...
Israel Destroys Chances for Peace By Destroying Palestinian Leadership
by Ira Chernus
<snip spin>
Of course, Israeli officials take the high moral ground, claiming that
Arafat is the number one villain in the piece, because he refuses to
dismantle the Islamist groups that attack Israelis. These officials
know full well what would happen if Arafat mounted a full-scale
assault on those Islamist groups. He would divide his own community
against itself-which is just what the Israelis want.
So everyone knows full well that there can be no compromise with Hamas and
the rest of the terror groups. As long as they are allowed free reign under
the current excuse "it would lead to civil war", how can the PA make peace?
Oh yes, its all the Israelis fault that arafat has created a climate where
armed thugs of every stripe can operate with impunity.
Let's forget that the PA REFUSED to dismantle the terrorist groups. Arafat
REFUSED to cede control of his 50,000 armed militants. All this posturing is
rather pathetic attempt to shift the blame for the mess arafat has created
within his own community.
Remember, he has never renounced the PLO charter calling for the destruction
of Israel (contrary to the Oslo fake out) and has never renounced the PLO
ten step plan. He and his cronies share a common goal with Hamas and the
PFLP and the rest of the terrorist assholes and that is the destruction of
Israel and the genocide of jews. Oh sure, ask him in english what he wants
and he'll say "peace". Ask him in arabic and he says "the liberation of
palestine" (that includes Israel).
But no, its all the fault of Israeli manipulation and attempted
marginalization of Arafat and his minions commitment to making peace. For
those of you that actually believe his *****, I have some nice waterfront
property for sale - cheap.
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| User: "Susan Cohen" |
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| Title: Re: Israel Never Destroys Chances for Peace |
25 Sep 2003 06:10:08 PM |
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I don't think I've seen a better summary of just how impossible it is to
trust or deal with the PLO et al. Terrific post, Jonsa.
Susan
"Jonsa" <jonsa123@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:RXJab.45465$Ch2.29849@news02.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
"tokugawa" <truth_seeker227@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fb0ae2f1.0309191224.3f68aeb7@posting.google.com...
Israel Destroys Chances for Peace By Destroying Palestinian Leadership
by Ira Chernus
<snip spin>
Of course, Israeli officials take the high moral ground, claiming that
Arafat is the number one villain in the piece, because he refuses to
dismantle the Islamist groups that attack Israelis. These officials
know full well what would happen if Arafat mounted a full-scale
assault on those Islamist groups. He would divide his own community
against itself-which is just what the Israelis want.
So everyone knows full well that there can be no compromise with Hamas and
the rest of the terror groups. As long as they are allowed free reign
under
the current excuse "it would lead to civil war", how can the PA make
peace?
Oh yes, its all the Israelis fault that arafat has created a climate where
armed thugs of every stripe can operate with impunity.
Let's forget that the PA REFUSED to dismantle the terrorist groups. Arafat
REFUSED to cede control of his 50,000 armed militants. All this posturing
is
rather pathetic attempt to shift the blame for the mess arafat has created
within his own community.
Remember, he has never renounced the PLO charter calling for the
destruction
of Israel (contrary to the Oslo fake out) and has never renounced the PLO
ten step plan. He and his cronies share a common goal with Hamas and the
PFLP and the rest of the terrorist assholes and that is the destruction of
Israel and the genocide of jews. Oh sure, ask him in english what he wants
and he'll say "peace". Ask him in arabic and he says "the liberation of
palestine" (that includes Israel).
But no, its all the fault of Israeli manipulation and attempted
marginalization of Arafat and his minions commitment to making peace. For
those of you that actually believe his *****, I have some nice
waterfront
property for sale - cheap.
.
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| User: "William A. Levinson" |
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| Title: Re: Israel Destroys Chances for Peace |
19 Sep 2003 04:25:51 PM |
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Jonsa wrote:
"tokugawa" <truth_seeker227@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fb0ae2f1.0309191224.3f68aeb7@posting.google.com...
Israel Destroys Chances for Peace By Destroying Palestinian Leadership
by Ira Chernus
<snip spin>
Of course, Israeli officials take the high moral ground, claiming that
Arafat is the number one villain in the piece, because he refuses to
dismantle the Islamist groups that attack Israelis. These officials
know full well what would happen if Arafat mounted a full-scale
assault on those Islamist groups. He would divide his own community
against itself-which is just what the Israelis want.
So everyone knows full well that there can be no compromise with Hamas and
the rest of the terror groups. As long as they are allowed free reign under
the current excuse "it would lead to civil war", how can the PA make peace?
Oh yes, its all the Israelis fault that arafat has created a climate where
armed thugs of every stripe can operate with impunity.
Let's forget that the PA REFUSED to dismantle the terrorist groups.
Which is why any Palestinian "peace proposal" should be answered with a
generous allotment of lead and steel. http://www.omdurman.org/hudna.html
"We are not the tribe of Quraysh."
--Bill
http://www.omdurman.org/
.
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| User: "Passerby" |
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| Title: Wrong! |
19 Sep 2003 04:57:01 PM |
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They should be answered with a generous amount of soap and rope.
"William A. Levinson" <wlevinso@ix.NOSPAM4MEnetcom.com> wrote in message
news:zvKab.43453$Aq2.2650@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
Jonsa wrote:
"tokugawa" <truth_seeker227@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fb0ae2f1.0309191224.3f68aeb7@posting.google.com...
Israel Destroys Chances for Peace By Destroying Palestinian Leadership
by Ira Chernus
<snip spin>
Of course, Israeli officials take the high moral ground, claiming that
Arafat is the number one villain in the piece, because he refuses to
dismantle the Islamist groups that attack Israelis. These officials
know full well what would happen if Arafat mounted a full-scale
assault on those Islamist groups. He would divide his own community
against itself-which is just what the Israelis want.
So everyone knows full well that there can be no compromise with Hamas
and
the rest of the terror groups. As long as they are allowed free reign
under
the current excuse "it would lead to civil war", how can the PA make
peace?
Oh yes, its all the Israelis fault that arafat has created a climate
where
armed thugs of every stripe can operate with impunity.
Let's forget that the PA REFUSED to dismantle the terrorist groups.
Which is why any Palestinian "peace proposal" should be answered with a
generous allotment of lead and steel. http://www.omdurman.org/hudna.html
"We are not the tribe of Quraysh."
--Bill
http://www.omdurman.org/
.
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| User: "Jeff" |
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| Title: Arafat Destroys Chances for Peace |
19 Sep 2003 11:01:54 PM |
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Fixed your subject line for you since it was so totally wrong. No need to
thank me.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Israel Destroys Chances for Peace |
19 Sep 2003 08:14:08 PM |
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On 19 Sep 2003 13:24:12 -0700, (tokugawa)
wrote:
Israel Destroys Chances for Peace By Destroying Palestinian Leadership
by Ira Chernus
What leadership ? Arafat has always claimed he has no control over
the terrorists, and Abu Mazen admitted he never had any intention of
cracking down on them.
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