Terrorism must be publicly condemned and fought in every instance. No quarter must be given to any group or person who is a terrorist, helps terrorists, condones terrorism, or acquiesces to terrorism. Given the current situation in Israel and Palestine, the Middle East, the United States, and the world are most certainly headed for further, even greater turmoil. What can be done to prevent this and to work towards a lasting peace instead?
The Bush Administration’s leadership on the formation of a Palestinian state has been commendable. George W. Bush and Colin Powell have worked hard under difficult conditions to achieve help this goal. Both Palestinians and Israelis now realize that this may now be necessary and inevitable.
The United States is still Israel’s primary supporter. As such, Muslims oftentimes perceive the United States as aligned with the devil, if not the devil himself. Unfortunately, this alliance with Israel may well lead to additional tragic consequences for the United States. The United States needs to start distancing itself from Israel. Every time Israel refers to the US as a ‘friend,’ we are damned in the eyes of the Muslim world. Every time the US calls Israel ‘a friend’ we condemn ourselves to Muslims. Muslims associate Israel with evil and the devil. This is their perception of reality. Most Muslims hate Israel and Jews. Do we really want to continue to solidify our association with the devil and evil, in the eyes of the Muslim world? Why? What benefit is it to the United States?
In support of this Administration, the United States has shown its support for Palestine in several key votes in the United Nations. The US has, as has most of the rest of the world, supported the formation of a Palestinian State, a physical and legal homeland for the Palestinians. While these proposals have been ratified, the details have not as yet been worked out. This is similar to the events that led in to the formation of State of Israel in 1948.
Because of their inherently poor leadership abilities, Arafat & Sharon are both wrong in their approaches to solving the current impasse. Because of poor leadership, the current, on-going problem will never be resolved as long as these two individuals are in power. As far as Palestinians go, Arafat is seen as the least of other possible evils; many who might replace him could be even more radical and hard-line towards Israel. Sharon, on the other hand, has consistently demonstrated that he is simply a military cretin who is incapable of the finesse of statesmanship; he cannot think further than retaliation and has no view of the future, or an endgame. Both leaders have significant, and perhaps fatal, flaws. Poor leadership ability is one reason why that part of the world finds itself in the condition that it currently is. That said, a solution must still be found. That solution may require new leadership both sides.
Bush called for new leadership and new elections in Palestine as a precursor to full US support for setting a timetable for the establishment of a Palestinian State. Bush believed that elections would bring a replacement for Arafat. However, Arafat won this election disappointing both the US and Israel.
What about removing Sharon from power? He has been the other equally intransigent party to peace between Palestine and Israel. Since Bush called for new leadership in Palestine, what about establishing new leadership in Israel?
Unless peace prevails, the only thing that is certain to happen is another Arab-Israeli War. A new Arab-Israeli War could be much different than those of the past. It might entail oil production restrictions, like the one that Iraq has just imposed, and greater use of homicide bombers, or other terrorist activities. It is indeed a sad state of affairs when a Palestinian feels so powerless that he/she is willing to deprive their families and themselves of their life by becoming a homicide/suicide bomber. Now, that's frustration!
While the United States should, under no circumstances, be seen as siding with Israel, it has. This point is vitally important to the perception of the United States in the Arab and Muslim world. The US has accurately been viewed by the Muslim world as supporting Israel because of its official statements and heal-dragging before finally asking Israel to withdraw from Palestine. Both sides; Israel and Palestine, have demonstrated numerous times that they are incapable of solving this problem on their own. That is why outside intervention is mandatory. And, the US may no longer have the political capital left to accomplish a peaceful resolution because of its blatant support of Israel. It may be a European solution that finally prevails and is palatable to all parties, including the rest of the Muslim world. Blind support of Israel at the expense of the Palestinians is one reason airliners were flown into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania cornfield
Why should America help Palestine? Because it's in our strategic and political best interest to do so. And, more importantly, morally it's the right thing to do.
© Mount Vernon Institute 2002
Noel Gibeson is a Senior Fellow at the Mount Vernon Institute