EDITORIAL
Hardening Hearts
The apparent confusion within Israel over Palestinian violence
in Judea, Samaria (or the West Bank) and Gaza and the return of
the United States to its Mideast mediating role is apparently seen
in the Arab world as a renewed opportunity to push Israel into con-
cessions without any Arab reciprocity.
This week, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Morocco and the Gulf states
insisted on a "complete solution" to the Arab-Israeli conflict that
would involve the presumably active participation of the five per-
manent members of the United Nations Security Council, two of
whom — the USSR and China — do not recognize Israel.
It is the backtracking by Egypt and Jordan which is most distur-
bing. Only last week, Egypt's President Mubarak was making
moderate noises, calling for a Camp David-style interim autonomy
solution in the territories, a stance approaching the U.S. and Israel
Labor Party position. Now, says the Arab leader who receives billions
in U.S. aid annually, Camp David — in both name and approach —
is a thing of the past.
Jordan's King Hussein, who last year agreed in principle with
Israel's Shimon Peres to bilateral talks under a ceremonial interna-
tional umbrella, has also locked step with his Arab neighbors' hard-
line position.
And the PLO, instead of seizing the moment of sympathy for the
Palestinians to work for some genuine relief from Israel's occupa-
tion, has instead involved itself in a carnival act which shows anyone
who still needs convincing that it is not a serious party to any future
settlement. The PLO ship "Return" seeks to mock the victims of
the Holocaust as it tries to embarass Israel.
By hardening their hearts, the Arabs will not bring the end of
the occupation any closer. Their time-honored, all-or-nothing ap-
proach to Israel at this critical juncture in history may, instead, force
a radical Israeli solution to the Palestinian problem.
What is most disturbing about his candidacy is that it is based
on a political outlook linked to his theology — a belief in the immi-
nent return of Jesus and on an apocalyptic Armaggedon, the ultimate
battle between the forces of good and evil with Israel the bat-
tleground; 144,000 of the world's Jews would witness the fighting
— and then convert. Presumably, the rest of the world Jewry would
perish in the conflagration.
Pat Robertson is the man whose purpose, he once said, is "to
evangelize the entire world;' the man who claimed that prayers turn-
ed away a hurricane and saved his network, who declared that only
devout Christians and Jews were capable of governing the nation.
It is one thing for a man, or woman, of the ministry to run for
office. But it is quite another when he or she seeks to entwine, rather
than separate, church and state.
Still, a recent national poll by the Times-Mirror publishing com-
pany indicates that 41 percent of U.S. voters think it "makes no dif-
ference" if a minister runs for president.
To date, then, Robertson's candidacy has been an eye-opener, not
because of any notable positions adopted by the candidate but rather
because of its most arresting revelation: That so many Americans
do not perceive the dangers and the disturbing precedents
represented by the former evangelist's bid for the White House.
.
The Welcoming
Israel has taken a beating in the world press these last two
months for trying to maintain order in the administered territories.
Now the Palestine Liberation Organization has started a new public
relations campaign with its "Exodus" ship, a gesture that has in-
furiated Israel's leaders.
Instead of sending out her navy to block the PLO vessel — the
response the PLO's public relations specialists are hoping for — Israel
should invite the ship into Haifa and give her passengers a grand
tour. At the same time, Israel could publish the passenger manifest,
with brief dossiers of the PLO "tourists." The passengers may be
of interest to authorities both in Israel and elsewhere, if the ship
itself does not turn out to be a PLO timebomb.
Robertson's Revelations
In one way or another, the GOP presidential race will probably
come down to Bob Dole, George Bush — and TV evangelist-turned-
politician Pat Robertson. His second-place showing in Iowa made
political observers take Robertson seriously, and he will be a major
fact on "Super Tuesday," the March 8 primaries that will be held
in 14 southern and border states and in Massachusetts and Rhode
Island.
Robertson is a unique phenomenon — smart, well-organized and
potentially harmful in his fundamentalist approach to politics. In
seeking to transform his personality virtually overnight, he took um-
brage at NBC News anchorman Torn Brokaw's description of him
as a former "television evangelist," calling it a display of "religious
bigotry." Robertson insists that he was, rather, a "religious broad-
caster," though the distinction is lost on us.
6
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1988
-----
1 LETTERS
A Mission
For Jackson
Rev. Jesse Jackson has spoken elo-
quently of the need for people to have
the opportunity to live up to their
potential, to free the oppressed peoples
"to throw off the yoke of oppression." He
has spoken truthfully and forcefully of
the wasted talents in our ghettos, of the
deplorable racial situation in South
Africa and of the unfortunate debt-
ridden U.S. farmers. He also obtained
the freedom of black U.S. Navy pilot
Lieutenant Robert C. Goodman Jr. after
he was shot down over Lebanon.
However, there is one oppressed peo-
ple Jackson has not yet helped, the
black Ethiopian Jews, the Falashas.
I believe Jackson could gain the
freedom for thousands of these helpless
and hapless people by going to
Ethiopia.
As a U.S. presidential candidate and
an eloquent black speaker I believe he
is in a unique position to gain the
release of these beleaguered people.
Reverend Jackson, the time is now
and you are the person.
Peter Singer
San Diego
No Right
To Criticize
In your editorial of Feb. 5, you state
you are ashamed of Yitzhak Rabin's
policy of beating rioters. Your hypocrisy
overwhelms me.
Do you daily share the danger of liv-
ing with violent terrorists? Your
criticism and that of that fool Woody
Allen wants to make you feel comfor-
table, not to make Israel secure. How
contemptible.
Gita Raymer
Huntington Woods