Palestinians Against America – Again

Long ago we wrote that excessive American focus on the Oslo process in the 1990s had shifted attention from the greater dangers posed by Iraq. We believed, then and now, that only after the regional situation was stabilized in America’s favor would the Palestinians be prepared to acquiesce to legitimate American and Israeli demands about security and legitimacy. It wouldn’t work the other way around.

Long ago we wrote that excessive American focus on the Oslo process in the 1990s had shifted attention from the greater dangers posed by Iraq. We believed, then and now, that only after the regional situation was stabilized in America’s favor would the Palestinians be prepared to acquiesce to legitimate American and Israeli demands about security and legitimacy. It wouldn’t work the other way around.

Unfortunately, the Administration now appears to have accepted the fact that the Arabs link the two issues – with the Palestinians first. Everywhere Vice President Cheney went, his Arab hosts denounced America’s intention to take care of Iraq, and demanded that the US first press Israel for more concessions to the Palestinians. The Vice President joined Gen. Zinni in Israel pushing the “Tenet Cease Fire” (sic) and negotiations under the terms of the Mitchell Plan. “An effort to stop the bloodshed,” they say.

But the Palestinians raise and lower the level of violence at will. Now it is raised and if the Administration isn’t suspicious of the timing of this spasm of Palestinian warfare against Israel, it should be.

Arafat is doing it to protect Saddam – once again putting his people on the opposite side of American national security policy and the interests of regional and worldwide stability. Why? We wrote last year and we stand by these statements today:

Saddam is paying for the Palestinian war against Israel and using it to re-establish himself as the leader of the Arabs against Israel and the West. Because the Gulf States don’t want to be allied with us against him, they ally with him against us on this issue – it is rhetorically cheap, it suits them and Secretary Powell accepts it for now.

Saddam is at the moment Arafat’s only real financial supporter… Yasser has no incentive to stop the violence against Israel and allow the West to turn its attention to his mentor and paymaster. Despite what Mr. Powell says, there is NO “cycle of violence.” There are attacks and responses to attacks. Arafat has only to stop the attacks and there would be no Israeli retaliation.

This barrage of Palestinian violence was directed at the most vulnerable population of Israel – a synagogue at the end of Sabbath services, cafes, and a girl walking home from school, among others – precisely to draw Israeli retaliation that could be condemned. It was timed precisely to give the Arab states something to complain about instead of listening to America’s plans for Saddam. Even Saudi Prince Abdullah – no fan of Arafat or the PA – much preferred to talk about Israel than his own country’s many failures. And insufferable Kuwait – the beneficiary of American-led liberation after which it tossed 300,000 Palestinians into the desert – was happy to tell America what to do for Yasser rather than be reminded of its own obligations to the West.

So once again Arafat kills Jews to protect Saddam and provide cover for the Arab states in their determination not to support us. Nothing is new here, but we do expect this Administration to be a little bit savvier than to fall into that trap.