No Time Out and Other Thoughts
Americans understand “time out.” In football it happens when both sides honor the referee’s whistle. For toddlers it happens when a parent makes it happen. “Time out” is possible only when the sides agree on the rules, or when one has full control of the circumstances. Neither is true of Palestinians and Israelis. More likely the “time out” called by Mr. Barak will simply spell an end to the Oslo-driven pattern of Israeli concessions for Palestinian promises. That is not a bad thing.
Americans understand “time out.” In football it happens when both sides honor the referee’s whistle. For toddlers it happens when a parent makes it happen. “Time out” is possible only when the sides agree on the rules, or when one has full control of the circumstances. Neither is true of Palestinians and Israelis. More likely the “time out” called by Mr. Barak will simply spell an end to the Oslo-driven pattern of Israeli concessions for Palestinian promises. That is not a bad thing.
The Middle East is much larger than the space between the Jordan and the Med. And the U.S. and Israel have important security interests that spread across the region — missiles, non-conventional capabilities, terrorism and violent anti-Western fundamentalism. This is an appropriate time for the U.S. government to assure Israel that our support for the region’s only democracy IS NOT predicated upon Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, that we WILL NOT be impatient, and that we WILL continue to work as allies in areas of promise.
This was titled, “CIA Discovers Japan May Attack Pearl Harbor.” IsraelWire reported on 22 October that CIA Director George Tenet submitted his report to President Clinton, stating with certainty that PLO Chairman Arafat has opted to take the path of violence over the Oslo process. Tenet appears to have concluded that despite his public messages indicating a desire to reach a peace accord with Israel, Arafat has opted to fight until a Palestinian state is declared. Tenet told the White House that the daily shooting attacks are ordered and endorsed by the most senior PA leadership.
Bravo to Queen Silvia of Sweden for placing blame — an underutilized word, but right — for the tragedy of Palestinian children’s deaths and injuries where it belongs, on Palestinian adults. In a meeting of the World Childhood Foundation at the UN, she said, “As a mother I’m very worried about this. I’d like to tell them to quit. This is very dangerous. The children should not take part… The Palestinian leaders are exploiting them and risking their lives in a political fight.”
Under the heading, “What does it take to be a ‘moderate’?” The Arab League summit, while not quite calling for jihad, “welcomes the intifada of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories… The Arab leaders consider the blood [of Palestinian martyrs] a valuable asset for the sake of liberating the land, establishing the state, and realizing peace…”
Bravo to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ned Walker, who spoke at a meeting of the Middle East Institute. “Traditional concepts of governing in the Middle East will be increasingly difficult to sustain and leaders with no popular foundation will have to pander to baser instincts of the Arab street to survive. The antidote is not less freedom or greater control of the media, it is more freedom — freedom to engage in and influence the political process. If we want to prevent polarization and instability in the Middle East, we are going to have to pay a lot more attention and resources to building civil societies and developing democratic mechanisms.” Maybe we can have a “time out” until they get it.