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Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: goldsnow who wrote (1878)	6/12/2001 2:29:42 PM
From: Yaacov	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23908

Let Arafat Sink Avi Davis 11 June 2001 The Roman historian Vegetius’ admonition that those seeking peace must first prepare for war, should be ringing in the ears of Israelis today. Following the latest Palestinian atrocities, most Israelis can feel justified in asking themselves how much longer they can go on without a massive Israeli retaliation. And in the wake of a bogus and ineffective Palestinian ceasefire, the rest of the world may be asking itself the same question. Today it is apparent that Yasser Arafat has no intention of finding a diplomatic solution to bridge Israeli and Palestinian differences. His failure to condemn violence and his half-hearted cease fire orders are steadily reinforcing world opinion that it is terrorism, and terrorism alone, that will remain his modus operandi. No wonder that the Palestinian terrorist threats have lodged the prospect of war firmly in the consciousness of ordinary Israelis. It is now accepted that Israel’s Defense Forces are on high alert, with a detailed plan to eliminate the Palestinian Authority’s military infrastructure. But Ariel Sharon understands that the Palestinian war is being waged on two fronts: one on the ground and the other in the international media. He is cannily attempting to outplay Arafat at his own game exposing the Palestinian leader’s hypocrisy and practiced guile behind the protestations of peaceful intentions. In so doing, Sharon is preparing the world for the necessity of ridding the region of a scourge. And, for the first time in more than a generation, the rest of world seems to be listening. Yet the success of such a public relations effort will be hampered if it only results in a return to the status quo ante. Both the Israelis and the Americans share credit for providing Arafat and his Palestinian Authority with his diplomatic cover. The Israelis, on the one hand, plucked Arafat from near extinction in 1993 and then proceeded to elevate him to the status of statesman. They continue to count on his pragmatism to bring stability and to reign in extremism.. That thinking must end. The concept that there can ever be a Palestinian state on the West Bank of the Jordan River that is governed by Arafat or members of his junta, must be eliminated. The financial mechanisms set in place that have allowed the Palestinian kleptocracy to cream off millions in aid designated for their own people should be shut down. And Arafat, who owes his survival to the Israelis, must be put on notice that not only is his regime in imminent danger of eclipse, but his personal security can no longer be guaranteed. For a leader who values his personal survival above the welfare of his own people, this should inspire some sobering introspection. The United States, on the other hand, has for too long contributed its own fateful share to Arafat’s apotheosis. From the Reagan Administration’s first dialogue with the PLO in 1988 to Bill Clinton’s unprecedented number of White House invitations, Arafat, who arrives clothed in battle fatigues and bearing a weapon, has been treated with the dignity of a head of state - despite an eight year record of incitement and an unwillingness to moderate hard line positions. His reversion to terrorism should make it clear that the mutation from peace seeking statesman to pernicious warlord is now complete. Therefore, the President and Congress should have little hesitation in re-designating the PLO, the Palestinian Authority and all its constituent groups as terrorist organizations under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1996. The impact of such a policy shift on developments in the Middle East would be earth-shaking. Not only will it result in a limitation on Arafat’s military options, but it will strip him of diplomatic leverage, forcing countries around the world to reconsider their links with the Palestinians. For moderate Arab countries it will be no less of a disaster. Pledged to Arafat’s support, they may have little option but to cast him adrift as the United States brings diplomatic and trade pressure to bear on their continued ties. That Arafat may already be adrift should surprise no one. He is very much like the man on the life raft who believes he can defeat the Israeli battleship bearing down on him, if only the other life rafts around him will join in the fight. But not only are the other life rafts desperately attempting to flee the battleship’s path, Arafat seems oblivious to a fatal leakage in his own vessel. After ten years of unmet expectations, it is time for Israel and the United States to finally pull the plug on this scurrilous ambassador of death and let his entire miserable experiment in terrorist government sink to where it will never be heard from again. ----------------------------------------------- Avi Davis is a writer based in Los Angeles whose book The Crucible of Conflict: Jews, Arabs and the West Bank Dilemma will appear in the Fall.