Bennet's analysis is totally stuck in the moribund peace process framework (now, there's a real quagmire for you!), in which he respectfully repeats the Palestinian claims, and unable to notice that there is a war on. Consider the difference between this
Israeli security officials acknowledge that, at least in the short run, strikes like the one on Mr. Rantisi boost the popularity of Hamas among Palestinians and further weaken the governing Palestinian Authority. But they say that, over time, Hamas may begin to crack apart under the pressure.
Hamas has been exploring taking a role in helping govern Gaza once the Israelis leave. Mr. Sharon's advisers argue that another advantage to the unilateral approach is that Israel no longer needs to care about how Palestinians run their own affairs.
Palestinian officials say that Mr. Sharon has worked to radicalize the Palestinians to avoid a peace agreement.
In the first two years of the conflict, when attacked by Hamas bombers, Israel retaliated against institutions of the Palestinian Authority. Israel said it was trying to goad the Palestinian Authority to act against terrorism, but Palestinian officials said the real intent was to destroy any legitimate Palestinian government.
Having undermined Palestinian moderates, they say, Mr. Sharon is now claiming there is no possible peace partner, to avoid negotiations that would cost him more territory than he plans to yield unilaterally.
and Greg Myres account, also in the NYT:
Despite the ominous message, Israel has significantly weakened Hamas over the past two years, and it is not clear whether the most dangerous Palestinian faction can deliver on its pledge to launch a renewed wave of suicide bombings, as it has done frequently in the past.
Israel's killing of Dr. Rantisi in a Saturday night missile strike, and a similar attack on March 22 that took the life of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, founder of Hamas, are the two most dramatic examples of the sustained Israeli offensive against the group. While the Israeli military actions have generated retaliatory bombings in the past, the overall number of Palestinian attacks has dropped substantially since they peaked in the spring of 2002.
nytimes.com
Myre is able to notice that Israel and Hamas are having a low-grade war, and Israel seems to be winning. Bennet is not able to notice it, and must report war news only second hand, via the voices of Sharon's aides. But he soberly repeats Palestinian claims that Sharon is avoiding the peace table, without ever reporting the basic disagreement about what negotiations consist of. The Israelis think they consist of talking, without terrorism; but the Palestinians think that negotiations include the use of suicide bombers. Does Bennet ever manage to mention this difference? He also laments the "radicalization" of the Palestinian "moderates" without mentioning that these "moderates" have been invisible for the last three years. If they had shown up in the two years since Bush called for Palestinian reform, we might have a different story. A story closer to the one that Bennet keeps trying to fabricate. |
