(Jerusalem Post) Barry Rubin - Premise: Abu Mazen is providing an alternative Palestinian leadership that is ready to make peace. Fact: While Abu Mazen's intentions are good, he is helpless. He has no power over Fatah, the PLO, the PA, the security forces, or anything else. Premise: The PA is talking seriously about ending the violence. Fact: The PA, through Arafat's men, is the main sponsor, paymaster, and inciter of terrorism on a daily basis. Premise: Abu Mazen has a plan for transforming Hamas into a peaceful force. Fact: His plan is roughly the same one Arafat has been using since 1995: Offer Hamas participation in a coalition government and integration into the PA security forces. That would mean Hamas and Islamic Jihad people being given better guns and more training, which they would no doubt use to commit additional terrorist acts in the future. Premise: Once Palestinians believe a Palestinian state will be created and the Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza will be ended, they will be ready to make a deal. Fact: This is the same idea that underpinned the failed Oslo process. Yet Palestinian leaders have convinced their people that compromise is cowardice, that the so-called right of return is more important than independence, and that they are in fact winning the war. Premise: Israeli attacks on terrorists are counterproductive. Fact: Given the Palestinian determination to keep fighting, Israeli actions are the only things that can effectively reduce the level of successful terrorism. Premise: The U.S. is in a position to advance a new peace process. Fact: The U.S. exercises no useful leverage on the Palestinians. It has shown no ability to strengthen Abu Mazen or gain a cessation of terrorism. It cannot even get its European allies to stop trying to build up Arafat and unconditionally subsidize the PA.
2003-06-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive