(Toronto Star) What goodwill did Israel generate Thursday by freeing 400 Palestinian detainees in a lopsided prisoner swap for one Israeli businessman and the bodies of three soldiers? Not much. A suicide bomber left a Jerusalem bus a smoking ruin, killing 10 and injuring 50. This is madness. It undermines progressive Israelis who continue to lobby for a resolution of the Mideast conflict on fair terms, meaning security for Israel and a state for Palestinians. Who in Israel has the stomach for peace talks when peoples' remains soak the streets? Moreover, the bomber was one of Arafat's police officers. If the Palestinian Authority cannot control its own police, what faith can Israelis put in its pledges to rein in violence generally? The longer Palestinians embrace terror, the more friends they will alienate, not only in Israel but also abroad.
2004-01-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive