Op inion
Editor's Notebook
Stop The Unraveling
With Actions Of Trust
Digging For The Truth
Behind The Tunnel Issue
ROBERT 0. FREEDMAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Make no mistake: The Pales-
Some years ago Netanyahu was portrayed as the tinians want control of Israel's cap-
I came across a chief instigator behind a Likud ital city. Yassir Arafat has said as
cartoon that re- plot — a conspiracy, almost — to much, and even set up office there
mains one of destroy the peace process. When as a precursor for what he most
my favorites to not actually leading the anti-Ne- certainly envisions as Palestinian
tanyahu cry, American Jewry, as
this day.
sovereignty over Jerusalem in the
It showed usual, acquiesced.
near future. When the Palestini-
Still, I was heartsick.
the U.N. build-
ans speak about negotiations,
How
deep
our
ignorance
runs,
ing, out of
they're not talking about whether
which emanat- and how damning and shameful they'll get Nazareth; they're talk-
are
its
consequences.
ed a variety of cartoon balloons
Years ago when Hived in Israel ing about how long it will be until
filled with remarks lamenting
I
participated
in numerous telling they can secure Jerusalem.
world problems: apartheid in
Their current frustration is that,
dialogues
with
Arabs. I was terri-
South Africa, Turkish oppression
unlike his predecessor Yitzhak
bly
uneducated
about
Middle
East
of Armenians, children starving
Rabin and Rabin's droll crony, the
to death in Third-World nations. politics at the time. My greatest ubiquitous Shimon Peres, Ne-
mistake
—
a
mistake
the
majori-
And then at the bottom a lone
tanyahu is standing firm on
voice, at last with the solution to ty of American Jews continue to Jerusalem. He has said as much
make
—
was
underestimating
the
everything: "I move we condemn
passion and determination of the in Israel (which is why, in large
Israel!"
part, he was victorious), and he
Today, there's no need for a Palestinians.
How naive, how condescending has reiterated the point during
United Nations to step forward
we
are to imagine, as I once did, talks with American leaders.
and launch the inevitable, un-
The Palestinians couldn't wait
warranted attack on Israel. That's that the Palestinians will be sat-
to rally against Ne-
because we have our
tanyahu and his com-
very own panel of "ex-
mitment to a secure
perts," armed and
Israel. And that is the
ready for any reason
real reason behind
whatsoever to lam-
what happened as a re-
bast Israel (or, for the
sult of opening the tun-
more theatrically in-
nel exit. Our challenge
clined, the tearful,
as American Jews is to
self-effacing approach:
decide whether we will
"Oh God, how could
recognize that and
Israel do this? Sob,
speak out, or raise our
gasp, pass the tissues
voices together with
so everyone can see
the rest of the anti-Is-
how really, really sor-
rael cacophony spew-
ry I am").
ing from our political
The panel? None
and institutional lead-
other than the Jewish
ers.
community.
Tension with the Arabs in the Jewish state.
I believe that Israel
The moment I
wants peace. I believe
heard about the latest
the Arabs want peace, as well. The
incidents in Israel, supposedly isfied with that horrid strip of land problem is that we cannot achieve
sparked by opening an exit from known as Gaza. It is the most des- both our goals — control over Is-
the tunnel near the mosque, I titute, most despairing place I rael — and have peace.
knew what to expect. Embarrass- have ever seen.
The recognition of this compli-
"You think I want a state in
ment, "dismay" (always a favorite
cated
situation, of our dual aspi-
one
man
said
to
me,
in-
word of "Jewish leaders"), a flur- Gaza?"
rations, must be the starting point
credulously.
"I
am
a
Palestinian;
ry of apologies to the world at
in any future negotiations. Per-
large, then a series of "concerned all of Palestine is mine — and that haps it means we will never have
includes
Jerusalem."
statements" (tantamount to a
The whole tunnel issue has peace, perhaps not. But of this I
scolding) directed at Israel from
nothing
to do some grand Likud am certain: Our first commitment
the American Jewish community
must be to Israel's security and
— the vast majority of which has plan (unless you count the late nothing else, and that means com-
Prime
Minister
Yitzhak
Rabin
as
never visited Israel (much less
plete sovereignty over Jerusalem.
lived there, even for a year or two) part of it, for he, too, moved to open For without Jerusalem there is no
it
only
a
few
years
ago).
It
has
and knows next to nothing about
nothing to do with stalled peace Israel — and that is a notion far
what really goes on there.
more terrifying than Israel with-
And indeed, that's exactly what talks. The matter at hand is out peace.
Jerusalem
—
and
eventually
all
happened. Israel was, of course,
blamed for everything. Benjamin of Israel.
❑
O WM
Do You
/ Think?"
Was the opening of the tunnel
ill-timed? Or were the Pales-
tinians tragically over-reactive?
To respond: "So, What Do You Think?"
27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034
Given the disparity in fire-
he secret nighttime open-
power,
with Israeli helicopters
ing of the tunnel from the
Western Wall to the Via and tanks against Palestinian ri-
Dolorosa in Jerusalem's fles and machine guns, any fur-
Old City was intended by Israeli ther clashes could lead to
Prime Minister Binyamin Ne- massive casualties among Pales-
tanyahu and Jerusalem Mayor tinians.
However much Palestinians
Ehud Olmert as another demon-
stration of the absolute and total might benefit psychologically and
Jewish sovereignty over the Holy propaganda-wise from this David
vs. Goliath disparity, Mr. Arafat
City.
Instead, it precipitated the risks losing control over not only
worst Arab-Jewish fighting since the masses of Palestinians, but
the Palestinian uprising of the also the Palestinian police force
late 1980s and early 1990s, with if renewed clashes take place.
56 Palestinians and 14 Israelis Given this situation, in any
killed. The crisis threatens every- agreement signed with Mr. Ne-
thing achieved in the Middle tanyahu to end the current cri-
East peace process since the sis Mr. Arafat has to pledge that
Madrid Peace Conference in Oc- under no circumstances will
tober of 1991, including the Is- Palestinian police again fire on
raeli-Jordanian peace treaty of Israelis, and he must follow up
1994, which helps protect Israel's that pledge by instituting a plan
eastern flank by prohibiting the to retrain the Palestinian police
force so that
stationing in Jor-
their lack of dis-
dan of other Arab
cipline will not
armies.
be repeated.
In order to pre-
Finally, Mr.
vent the unravel-
Netanyahu,
in
ing of the peace
office
now
for
process, Mr. Ne-
more than 100
tanyahu must rec-
days, has to
ognize that
make
a strate-
however holy and
precious Jerusalem is to Jews, it gic choice. The policy of enlarg-
is not holy and precious only to ing settlements, humiliating Mr.
Jews, and that, as the Oslo agree- Arafat, and dashing Palestinian
ments signed by the Israeli gov- expectations, while attractive to
ernment under Yitzhak Rabin his right-wing supporters, is like-
stipulated, Jerusalem was to be ly to bring about more bloody
a "final status" issue to be nego- confrontations such as the one
tiated by Israelis and Palestini- precipitated by the opening of the
ans and not to be unilaterally tunnel.
A policy of genuine negotia-
determined by Israel.
To demonstrate his recogni- tions, however, leaving all final
tion of this fact, Mr. Netanyahu status questions such as
should move to implement a sug- Jerusalem open to negotiation
gestion by King Hussein of Jor- and not precluded by Israeli fait
dan, the Arab leader most accompli, would appear to be the
friendly to Israel, which calls for only way to get the peace process
the establishment of a commis- moving again and salvage the
sion of Jews, Christians and gains Israel has made in its re-
Muslims to deal with issues per- lations with the Arab world and
taming to holy places in the international community by
Jerusalem, such as the tunnel. engaging in the peace process.
By giving Palestinians a voice A failure to do so risks the re-
in the disposition of their holy isolation of Israel and its per-
places, their anger over the tun- petuation as an isolated, garrison
nel, which has been exploited by state in a hostile Middle East.
Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat, While some on the right wing of
would be defused, and a new im- the Israeli political spectrum
petus will be given to the peace may take pride in the concept, as
process. the Bible says, of Israel as a "peo-
A second measure to improve ple that shall dwell apart" (Num-
the situation has to come from bers 23:9), at the end of the 20th
Mr. Arafat. The use by Palestin- century this does not appear to
ian policemen of their weapons be a viable option for Israel.
against Israel — despite the po- The majority of Israelis who
lice claiming they were "pro- voted for Mr. Netanyahu did so
yoked" — raises real fears in in the expectation he would con-
Israel about the danger of arm- tinue, and not reverse, the peace
ing the Palestinians, dangers process. Prolongation of his hard-
that Mr. Netanyahu has found line policies may threaten his
easy to exploit to justify yet a fur- own re-election prospects and
ther delay in the promised rede- those of the Likud Party, if it does
ployment in Hebron. not lead to the defection of some
In addition, it raises the pos- of the more moderate elements
sibility of an "armed struggle" by of the current governing coali-
Palestinians in case of other dis- tion. 0
agreements with Israel.
Netanyahu must
recognize
Jerusalem is not
holy only to Jews.