Arab Leaders Speak of Peace ... but Pen Anti-Israeli Rhetoric
By Fred Jackson and Chad Groening
March 27, 2002
(AgapePress) - A report says the Arab leaders gathered for their summit in Beirut appear to be talking out of both sides of their mouths.
Most of the news media has been focusing on the so-called "Saudi proposal for Middle East peace." It says that in return for Israel giving up control of all the areas it captured during the 1967 war, including the strategic Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, the Arab nations will commit to having normal relations with Israel.
But according to The Washington Times, while the Arab leaders are telling the public of their desire for peace with Israel, they have also been working on a separate communique that is filled with anti-Israeli rhetoric.
For example, it calls for an activated Arab vision holding Israel totally responsible for what it calls "subversive acts against the Palestinian people." It then goes on to use the term "heroic" to describe Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's intifada campaign, which has included the murder of Israeli citizens.
The communique goes on to promises to raise an additional $150 million to support Palestinian military groups leading the 18-month-old uprising.
Appeasement vs. Strength
Meanwhile, a conservative publisher and activist says the U.S. needs to accept the fact that Arafat is a terrorist and a murder, and cannot be trusted. David Horowitz, president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, says Arafat is a terrorist who has no desire for peace with the Israelis.
"Arafat invented suicide bombing," Horowitz says. "That's where the terrorist training camps began. The United States should have smashed Arafat after the Gulf War because he sided with the enemy ... because he is a murderer."
Horowitz says appeasing Arafat is the wrong idea. He believes President Bush should continue to take a strong approach in dealing with the Palestinian leader. "It is appeasement that's got us in trouble," he says. "The whole history of the twentieth century shows that appeasement gets you war and being strong -- in the way that George Bush is being now -- will eventually get you peace."
Arafat is notably absent from the summit in Lebanon. He decided not to participate after Israel's prime minister set some very difficult conditions for him to be able to attend.
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