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June 21, 2002/Tamuz 11 5762, Vol. 54, No. 40
Precious possibilityEditorialAs Israel buries its dead, after back-to-back suicide bombings this week, we mourn too the prospects for peace. We grieve for the victims of the latest attack and wonder how many more innocents must die, their hopes and dreams buried in Israel's arid soil alongside the hopes and dreams of the nation?How long can we pretend that Yasser Arafat is a viable partner for peace, when his actions portend unremitting death and destruction? How long can we pretend the Palestinian Authority is a viable entity, when it is clear that its infrastructure is corrupt at the core, that its modus operandi is "cavorting with terror," as National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice so aptly noted. How long can we allow the United States to suggest the absurd possibility of a Palestinian state without borders, in the absence of the cessation of terrorist activity and lines drawn to assure Israel's security? How long can we question Israel's right to defend itself, occupying areas that breed terror and building fences to stay terrorist infiltration, when it is clear that such defensive measures are the only way to assure the country's safety? How long? The violence inflicted on Israel has stretched to 21 long months, with no end in sight. It is time for the United States to flex its political muscle and harness its economic clout. Call a halt to ill-advised talk of Palestinian statehood, provisional or otherwise, until the terror ends. Impose sanctions against Arafat and the Palestinian Authority if they do not dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the territories now. Downgrade the diplomatic status of PA representatives to the United States; deny visas to PA officials; restrict travel of the PA representative to the United Nations. Seize PA assets and Arafat's personal assets in the United States; and prohibit all but humanitarian aid to the territories. Actions speak louder than words, and it is time for the United States to exert real leadership, to act on its commitment to Israel and enact legislation that imposes real consequences on its enemies. Yes, the Arab world will protest loudly and vociferously. Yes, the European Union will harrumph. But asserting our political, economic and moral authority could mean tipping the balance toward peace. And that precious possibility must not be laid to rest. |
