The Beginning of Wisdom
In the three years since President Bush made Yasser Arafat persona non grata in Washington, in (sometimes very) rough concert, Israel and the U.S. have succeeded in pulling out many of the military, financial and political props that allowed Arafat to plunge the Palestinians into a morass of poverty, radicalism and violence. Now, after deft and delicate maneuvering, Israel has removed Arafat’s henchmen from the Temple Mount and restored the holy site to Jordanian control.
In the three years since President Bush made Yasser Arafat persona non grata in Washington, in (sometimes very) rough concert, Israel and the U.S. have succeeded in pulling out many of the military, financial and political props that allowed Arafat to plunge the Palestinians into a morass of poverty, radicalism and violence. Now, after deft and delicate maneuvering, Israel has removed Arafat’s henchmen from the Temple Mount and restored the holy site to Jordanian control.
The American media has largely ignored the move and its far-reaching importance. Only The New York Sun, as nearly as we can tell, gave it proper consideration.
According to a source in the New York Sun article, other Arab leaders are far from unhappy. “(They) feared that Arafat’s exploitation of Al Aqsa for his own ‘revolutionary’ designs was intended not only to destroy Israel but also to ignite the Arab and Islamic masses throughout the region to overthrow other dictatorships and monarchies.” Jordan’s King Abdullah, the immediate beneficiary, said, “The PA must carry out a real reform and tell the Arab world what it wants.” He called on PA leadership to “amend its mistakes, which caused the entire world to point its finger at it.” This follows his earlier not-very-well-reported comment that Arafat should “look in the mirror for the source of Palestinian suffering.” And follows a newly critical look by EU countries at the results of their financial and political support of Arafat’s kleptocracy. And, most importantly, follows a revolt against Arafat by Palestinians tired of corruption and ruin.
Check the timeline
In September 2000, Arafat opened the current phase of the war against Israel – suicide bombings plus a wave of shootings and stabbings. In March 2002, the IDF struck back with Operation Defensive Shield, entering the previously “off limits” Areas A and B in PA territory to root out the infrastructure that was harboring and supporting terrorists. Israel thus reclaimed control of its own security. In June 2002, President Bush called on the Palestinians to oust Arafat and build new institutions to serve their people. In 2003, elimination of Saddam’s rule cut off the $25,000 payments to Palestinian suicide bombers. American and allied pressure has forced countries, including our own, to review and eliminate payments to many groups supporting terrorism, including the PA. Despite much of the world’s irritation, Israel has continued to eliminate terrorist leadership and infrastructure in the territories, and has built large sections of the security fence. In 2004, in concert with the most progressive Arab leader, Hashemite control over Islam’s third holiest site has been reestablished.
None of this suggests that the Palestinians, or any other Arabs, are on their way to becoming democrats or Zionists. However, there is a small-but-growing wave of understanding in the region that endless corruption and repression have brought them violence and intolerance, while leaving them far behind the rest of the world politically, socially and economically. For the Palestinians, there may be a corresponding understanding that nationalism couched entirely in destructive terms is a failure.
And in this may be the beginning of wisdom.