Mr. Abbas spoke forcefully about continuing with the plan to gain a Palestinian state within three years on land still partly ruled by Israel. Abbas also was clear about his goals: "We look forward to stopping, ending, totally ending settlement, ending the siege, ending the separation wall, assassinations, the collective punishments, destruction of farms and the infrastructure and restricting the movement of citizens and Palestinian institutions and to set out to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners."
online.wsj.com
So far, what we've seen, is insincerity all around:
The Palestinian Authority has said they want a cease-fire with Israel. However, they are unwilling (and/or unable) to restain Hamas with anything other than press releases. Nobody is addressing the question of who will enforce the cease-fire that is Step 1 in the road map. Abbas is very specific about what he wants, but very vague about what he will do to deserve those rewards.
Sharon, too, says he to wants a cease-fire. But the main theme of his entire career has been settlement-building, continuing right up till a few days ago, when his government announced new building in Palestinian E. Jerusalem. The road map says this is supposed to stop (and then be rolled back in later stages), yet I haven't heard anything, not even any tiny token movement, on the settlement issue.
The U.S. says they are going to work hard for peace. Yet they are not using the available powerful levers, the kind they use when they are serious. On Iraq, they said. "do this or else, and we mean now." So far, all the pressure has been on the Arabs and Palestinians, and none on the Israelis. Even with the Arabs, we haven't taken on the Saudis, who are at least as guilty as the Syrians, in bankrolling terrorism. Bush2 probably remembers how Bush1 tried to tie aid to settlements, and how the Israel Lobby successfully thwarted the U.S. President. I will believe Bush2 is serious, when he ties progress on the road map (that is, Israeli compliance with the crucial settlement provisions), with U.S. aid. And then makes it stick. With every passing month, we get closer to the election, and Bush2 would like to get more than 10% of the Jewish vote (and a majority of the overall vote) this time. So, every passing month makes it less likely Bush2 does anything that loses Jewish votes.
Insincerity all around. |
