other at the negotiating
table.
The conclusion of one
phase of the journey,
however, was just the start
of another, which promises
to be even longer, even more
tortuous and even more
fraught with pitfalls.
Mr. Baker was wrong
when he implied somewhat
optimistically that the sim-
ple act of getting the parties
around the table was the key
to breaking down psycholo-
gical barriers, destroying
taboos and opening the way
to a settlement.
More than anything else,
success in resolving the
Arab- Israeli conflict
depends on the continued,
concerted, hands-on in-
volvement of the United
States.
The great unanswered
question is whether, having
brought the protagonists to
the table, Washington has
the stomach and stamina to
stay the course; whether it
has the will and the ability
to capitalize on its military
victory and steer the parties
to a settlement which takes

account of Israel's legitimate
security needs.
For the moment, every-
thing seems to hang on
Israel's willingness to "do
the decent thing" and accept
Arab demands which, accor-
ding to conventional
wisdom, will remove the
obstacles that are standing
in the way of a golden age of
progress and goodwill, a
millennium of peace and
tranquility.

Given the past 44 years of
unremitting hostility to the
very existence of a Jewish
state by nations which even
now are scavenging for
nuclear weapons, Israel may
be excused for harboring a
significant measure of skep-
ticism.
Yet, in its determination
to squeeze a political victory
out of the Gulf War, the
international community
appears to have become in-
nured to Jerusalem's reser-
vations about taking "risks
for peace" in an envi-
ronment that is growing in-
creasingly violent and
dangerous. ❑

Coalition partners: a U.S. army soldier (left) and Kurdish fighter whose common enemy is Iraq.

Holed Up At The
King David

A reporter's notebook on
experiencing a missile
attack.

DOUGLAS DAVIS

Special to The Jewish News

I

have driven through down-
town Jerusalem a thou-
sand times, but now it was
with trepidation that I ven-
tured out of the King David
Hotel's revolving door and
away from the relative safety
of its sealed rooms.
My macho Israeli cab
driver, shirt unbuttoned to
reveal a suitably large
medallion, massages his
sleek white Mercedes into
the wintry night. What will
we do if the siren goes off
while we are still on the
road?
He seizes on the note of
real concern in my voice:
"Don't worry," he says
casually, waving an arm ex-
pansively around the
interior of the cab. "This is

Douglas Davis, a reporter bas
ed in London, covered the Gulf
War from Israel and several
Arab countries.

-

Classes go on in a Jerusalem high school during a chemical
weapons drill prior to the war.

my castle. The Scuds cannot
harm us here."
Seconds later, the awful
wail of sirens pierces the air,
interrupts the blaring pop
music, engulfs us.
"Ima, Ima (Mother,
Mother)," cries my once-
brave cabbie as he turns the
limo and streaks the half-
block back to the hotel.
One year later, I find it
impossible to recall those six
weeks without experiencing
an involuntary, gut-
wrenching fear. I suspect it
is a reaction that I share
with four million Israelis.
Following is an excerpt
from this reporter's
notebook on covering the
outbreak of the war from
Israel:

'Have A Nice War'
Early on the morning of
Jan. 14, 1991, the day before
the United Nations deadline
for Iraq to leave Kuwait, I
check into the King David

Hotel, by now a home away
from home, and the desk clerk
hands me two letters. Both
are from the management,
and both are unlike any
letters I have received from
any hotel management
before.
The first is for journalists
and informs me that "The
Government Press Office
will be distributing Gas
Masks to the Foreign Press
today between the hours of
1.00 and 5.00 p.m."
The second, bearing a sim-
ple "Dear Guest" salutation,
acknowledges that "You
may feel concerned and
uncertain during this
strenuous political period."
It offers an assurance that
the hotel staff "has been
trained to act in emergen-
cies," and, with five-star
flair, it adds: "The hotel's
shelter is spacious with easy
access."
This is serious stuff and
the receptionist reacts in
typical Israeli style as she
hands me the keys to my
now-regular sixth-floor
suite: "Have a nice war,"
she smiles.
A few hours after the bom-
bardment of Baghdad gets
under way I am filing copy
over the phone to my news-
paper on deadline. Uncarmi-

THF DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

25

