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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (25838)	4/18/2002 8:34:11 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

I hope you and others see the one striking element about that story, namely that there is still a major debate going on within Israel as to the final disposition of the West Bank... The fact that, despite Arafat's violent operations against Israeli civilians, Israelis are still willing to consider an international force and establishment of a Palestinian state on the WB and Gaza, reflects the fact that they are not only a democracy, but also a moderate, even progressive one. But on the other side, Arafat and his cronies have quashed any debate that suggests reaching a REAL and MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL peace with the Jews. When I see such a debate being openly discussed in Palestinian newspapers and media, then I'll begin to have the sense that peace is possible between the two people. Until then, it will be a period of enforced toleration and retaliation, with the Israelis holding the decisive economic upper hand. After all, the Palestinians have to feed their families somehow and the recent events will force them to refocus on such issues. They may have been poverty stricken before due to Arafat's corruption and intransigence, but now they are desperate to find the means to fill their bellies on a daily basis, which should limit their capability to spend their discretionary time plotting violence. It's a cold hard reality, I admit. But given that few Palestinians were ever seen as "starving" before, in comparison with the lots of so many other repressed people around the world, their lot was pretty good. They were just habitually unemployed, primarily due to Israel shutting off the job markets in response to Arafat's second intifada. They couldn't earn a wage, but they were finding food to minimally survive, and could make a few extra bucks from Fatah and the other Arafat orchestrated groups by carrying out violent attacks. Now that has been taken away from them and they have no other source of income. Unless, of course, they blow themselves up. But then again, the Israeli's are putting the kabash on the bomb factories. I know many disagree with me, but had the Palestinians been led by a Ghandi like figure, who undertook NO effort or rhetoric to threaten the Israelis, but rather to embarrass them, I would wager that the Palestinians would have had a homeland several years ago. But instead, they have Arafat, lauching violent "intifadas" and undertaking terrorist bombings against civilian targets which only created the justification for the Israelis to use deadly force, and finally take the actions that they have during the past several weeks. Arafat is a terrorist at his heart, wanting to be seen as the great military commander who defeated the Jews.. He could never be a Ghandi, a man who knew that through non-violent resistance he could create the conditions where the enemy defeated themselves. Hawk