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June 8, 2001/Sivan 17, 5761, Vol. 53, No.36
End the terrorism, rollback Arafat's gains
FARLEY WEISS
Special to Jewish News
Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat rejected former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's offer of more than 90 percent of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and parts of East Jerusalem, including defacto sovereignty over the Temple Mount. He then launched a terrorism war against Israel, violating the underlying principles of the Oslo agreement which seek to promote peaceful resolution of disputes without violence.
It's obvious now that Arafat's terrorist war has nothing to do with Israeli settlements (under terms of the proposed agreement, most of the settlements were to be dismantled and turned over to the Palestinians), and everything to do with achieving Israel's destruction.
Recent talk of Israel freezing the natural growth of settlements, as proposed by the Mitchell Commission, as part of the confidence building measures to be taken after the violence has ended, would be giving Arafat a reward for terrorism.
As the recent suicide bombing at the Dolphinarium makes abundantly clear, Israel must adopt a new, more aggressive policy that will bring an end to Arafat's terrorism war. It is obvious that the recent cease-fire call by Arafat will not be fully implemented and will eventually be abandoned. Arafat has broken all of his previous oral and written commitments to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon must resort to a policy of rollback: taking back any or all areas that are the sites for attacks against Israeli citizens. Beit Jala, where shooting at the nearby Jerusalem suburb of Gilo is a regular occurrence, would be one such place. It is untenable for any country to allow its residents to be subject to such danger.
Israel should also take back Joseph's Tomb. Arafat committed to protect it and instead allowed it to be burned down after many previous Palestinian Arab attacks on the site. The tomb is a Jewish holy site, as is Rachel's Tomb, and all attacks on these sites must end and full access be restored.
Furthermore, Israel needs to assure that cars used in terrorist acts do not have free access to its roads. It should insist that all Arabs travel by bus if they are traveling on roads where Jews travel as well. Israel's foremost priority must be its citizens' security.
Israel's policy of self-restraint will end when it becomes obvious that Arafat will not end his terrorism war, no matter what he says publicly. Israel must take action to penalize Arafat's use of force, and the only action he would understand is the loss of land. Therefore, the only way for Israel to end this terrorism war is for it to rollback Arafat's gains and take back the areas that are endangering the lives of the citizens of Israel.
Farley Weiss is national vice president of the Zionist Organization of America, associate vice president of the National Council of Young Israel and past president of Young Israel of Phoenix.
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