It is simply amazing to see how successful Ariel Sharon and his military Cabinet are in pushing and actually implementing a war agenda against the Palestinian people that was set-up long before the September 11th tragic events took place.
Since the beginning of Sharon’s rule, Israel has been demonstrating without restraint, the ugliest form of political oppression, now transformed into a full-scale open war of annihilation of a dehumanized nation. For the West and Israel’s political partners it should appear, that Sharon distrusts Arafat, stemming from his inability to control “terrorist activities” against the State of Israel. It wasn’t hard to label the PNA as an Authority that harbors terrorism and its leader Arafat as another Osama Bin Laden, thus turning him into an “irrelevant” partner for peace. How convenient, especially at times, when the USA has declared war on “terrorism” and the West panics by the sheer mentioning of the word. This by itself is sufficient to allow Israel take the law into its hands and justify its war as the most appropriate measure of self-defense, and make the world see it their way.
How often should the brokers for peace be reminded of their deliberate and convenient shortsightedness, and what is more and worse is expected to happen to make them realize, that Mr. Sharon not only distrusts and despises the Palestinian leadership as potential peace partners, most of all he in fact detests and rejects the Oslo formula of land-for-peace, he openly and defiantly says “No” to a Palestinian State with full sovereignty over Gaza, the West Bank, Arab East Jerusalem and the Islamic holy places, he flatly refuses to negotiate any Israeli concessions regarding the dismantling of Israeli settlements, he practically negates all UN resolutions in this respect with no regard to International law. The truth is, The Israeli Government and his supporters have come not only to destroy the slightest hope for peace for the people in this region, but to make sure that none of the concerned parties even dream negotiating peace for a long time ahead. What is more, we shouldn’t raise our browse in surprise, if soon enough, Israel declares the so-called peace-sponsors in the Middle East as irrelevant, if they persistently continue to meddle with Israel’s affairs and flex their muscles in supporting the establishment of a Palestinian State. Isn’t this what after all the US senators are for, make sure that Israel’s interests remain untouched and protected.
Rumiana M. Nuseibeh
Amman, Jordan