it's about self determination.
Is it now? At who's expense? Does the right to "self-determination" (or the autonomy that Arafat currently posseses in the PA) include the right to incite one's people to destroy Israel?? Because Arafat is still declaring that he seeks the total destruction of the Jewish state. He just doesn't say so in English.
And so has Syria. Syria STILL has not offered any form of peace treaty with Israel. They claim they want the Golan back before they will negotiate which would effectively destroy Israel's leverage in achieving a lasting peace. The Israelis negotiated in good faith with Egypt and arrived a peace treaty (which cost Sadat his life), and Egypt saw the return of the Sinai. Syria would see the same for the Golan if they made peace with the Israelis.
And Syria lost the Golan because they were permitting Fedayun attacks into Israel where school children were held hostage, farms bombarded with artillery and rockets, and Israelis shot by snipers. How would you feel if a neighboring country was hosting guerilla movements that were killing your people located on the borders, or if this country were launching artillery strikes and rockets against you from geographical heights that look into the heart of your country? What incentive would you have to bargain with such indiscriminate terror against your innocent population??
Don't take that as endorsement of the Palestinian tactics. But I do understand whey they are doing this.
And I understand why the Israelis are taking the actions that they are. Note that in the news you see "Israelis SENDING military forces INTO the Palestinian territories". This means that they don't exist in Palestinian territory to begin with (or in any strength). They have to be sent there from Israel proper. Thus, if the PA is permitting their territory to be used for military action againsst Israel, they have to be held to blame for any punitive REACTION by the Israelis.
They indeed made great progress on this issue until they realized that Israel just wanted to keep negotiating.
My heinie they have.. They are permitting Hamas to operate because Arafat is afraid they will assassinate him if he doesn't let them carry out their Jihad against Israel. And the PA police chief stands accused of commissioning the manufacture of mortar shells for use against Israel.
Right now, the Israelis have declared a cease fire that has been in place for several days since they sent fighters to bomb targets. Yet, the Palestinans continue the violence and Israelis are forced to respond with force because the PA security forces are doing NOTHING to stop it.
And now we have another terrorist bombing which will REQUIRE some form of massive relatiation by Israel. We could even see a major military move into the PA over the memorial day weekend.
Well, knowing the famous torture tactics of the Israeli Mossad and police, what would you expect him to say?
As if Arab torture is somehow more humane?? Or how about Turkish interrogation? You don't resort to torture unless you're dealing with a professional guerilla that has critical information that could cost lives (and I don't advocate even then). This guy was a businessman who was just trying to make a buck manufacting mortar shell casings. He really didn't have much to fear by way of retaliation, and he has much to lose by not cooperating (his business).
But, hey, it's a paycheck, they got to feed their families in some way.
Yeah.. so is blowing yourself up in an Israeli mall, right?
But who's footing the bill? Arafat? Iran? Iraq? Syria? Do you think the Israelis are going to just stand by and watch a police force turn into a paramilitary outfit that threatens them from within? Would Hussein have permitted such a force to exist within Jordan (remember Black September?)
Would the US permit some Indian tribe to do the same on their reservation (their sovereign territory) and permit them to launch mortars and artillery against folks outside of the reservation? Would we permit some "Texas liberation movement" to launch attacks from Mexico into the US?
Well, it would be pretty tough to do it surrounded by such a strong military force relentlessly occupying them...
Occupying WHOM?? Like I said, the Israelis turned over security control of the West Bank to the PA. THEY CONTROL THEIR OWN TERRITORY (aside from maybe 5% of the territory controlled by Jewish settlements on the hilltops that were not previously occupied by anyone) 95% of the West Bank is now the complete economic and political responsibility of the PA and Arafat. We can see how well he's doing, can't we?
And, besides, if Palestinians got half of what the Israelis get annually in aid (what is it, 5 billion now)
The US also provides Billions to the Egyptians... How else do you think we were able to convince the two nations to reach a peace treaty? We paid for it. And USAID gave $75 million to the PA in 2000.
But even the Arab nations froze aid to the Palestinians this February because of concerns that money was being diverted to accounts unknown. Arafat controls the purse strings in the PA and folks are tired of his embezzlement of their assistance funds.
cephasministry.com
"A great deal of money sent to the PA, especially from Europe, the United States and Japan, after the establishment of the PA, did not reach its intended destination. Through the collection of arbitration fees, monopolies and numerous other schemes, a large proportion of that money ended up in the bank accounts of PA officials, including Arafat, himself, and his economic advisor, Muhammad Rashid.
Because the PA has evaded the current demands made by the Arab donors, the money - most of which is being held in the Islamic Bank in the Persian Gulf - has been frozen. Israel doubts the PA will accede to the Arab donor demands, because it wants control over the flow of money. imra.org.il "
And btw, US aid to Egypt and Israel amounts to the following (FY 2001):
"US military aid to Egypt in the current fiscal year amounts to 1.3 billion dollars, compared with 1.92 billion to Israel. Economic aid totals 735 million and 960 million dollars respectively."
Sharon was accused of allegedly trying to convince the US to cut off military aid to Egypt because they don't face any military threat comparable to that facing Israel. Of course, he denied saying it publicly:
timesofindia.com |
