In Progress
An inside look at the Hebron crisis
and the path of Binyamin Netanyahu's government.
AMOS PERLMUTTER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
n unbalanced loner, a
would-be assassin in
an Israel Defense
Forces uniform, wounded six Arabs in the He-
bron market on New Year's Day hoping to
block an Israeli-Palestinian agreement over
Hebron.
Inspired by Jewish and Muslim fundamentalists, rad-
ical nationalist institutions and movements run by both
Israelis and Palestinians have produced fanatic terror-
ists. The Hamas Palestinian fundamentalist group is a
harbinger of indoctrinated and hating individuals.
While Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, an institution of Jew-
ish religious study, does not preach assassination, it cer-
u) tainly indoctrinates its graduates in the hatred of
Palestinians. Likewise, the Najah Islamic University
in Hebron propagates the hatred of Israelis, especially
c T, settlers. It is from these Islamic institutions that the
terrorists who blew up the buses in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem
LU
and elsewhere come.
We must admit that the religious fundamentalists
0 and radicals on both sides have created a political mil-
=
ture of extremism and hatred that inspires their grad-
LU
uates to become terrorists. This is the atmosphere that
Uj inspired both Yigal Amir, the religious nationalist who
44
Amos Perlmutter is professor of political science and
sociology at the American University in Washington,
D.C.
PHOTOS BY JAMES MARGOLIS
Arafat more determined to bring an end to bloodshed
and terrorism. If he really believes in a future Pales-
tinian state, in living as a peaceful neighbor of Israel,
Mr. Arafat must persuade the Israeli people of his good
intentions, and especially the Likud Cabinet and its al-
lies in the Knesset. He can do this by signing the agree-
ments without sleazy, unstatesmanlike demands.
Instead, Mr. Arafat made it more difficult for Mr. Ne-
tanyahu's Cabinet and Parliament to approve a future
Hebron agreement. It was left for President Clinton to
warn Mr. Arafat that, if he failed to sign, the United
States would withdraw support. Mr. Arafat must real-
ize that world attention is focused on his own actions as
well as Mr. Netanyahu's and that there are consequences
for his own people that go beyond bazaar haggling.
What is more disturbing is that President Hosni
Mubarak of Egypt supported Mr. Arafat's new demands,
especially on deadlines never incorporated into Oslo II,
Deal breakers and makers
Over Hebron, however, the parties went back to the which did not specify dates for further redeployment.
Thus, Mr. Netanyahu's procrastination and Mr.
drawing board with a serious snag. Mr. Arafat once
Arafat's
holdups achieved very little in seriously amend-
again proved that he is a graduate of the bazaar, the
ing
the
Rabin-Peres
government's positions over He-
A
petty
dictator,
he
again
demonstrates
the
Arab suk.
absence of vision and leadership. Even the unfriendly bron. Analysts on both sides should seriously ask if the
to Mr. Netanyahu New York Times had this to say on modifications the Netanyahu government achieved in
Jan. 4: "Israel's Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyalm, Hebron are worth the political capital his government
has spent. Both parties must decide on the strategy lest
has courageously pressed ahead with plans for troop
more innocent blood be spilled in the streets of Tel-Aviv
withdrawals in Hebron, despite opposition from a mil-
itant Jewish settler movement and a large minority of and Hebron, as we have seen in the past few weeks.
his own Cabinet. Yassir Arafat, sadly, has neither ap-
preciated nor reciprocated this enlightened stand. In-
Netanyahu in context
stead the Palestinian leader has seized upon the crime
In close to a half century since Israel's independence,
as an excuse for demanding bargaining concessions."
there
have been only three Likud prime ministers, and
Sadly, this unfortunate incident has not made Mr.
assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and Noam
Friedman, the soldier who recently fired on Arabs in
Hebron, to become terrorists.
But neither of these individuals, their movements or
their abominable actions deterred Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu from reaching an agreement over
Hebron. Signed on Wednesday, the pact has for all in-
tents and purposes been ironed out. Further, it was ac-
cepted by Yassir Arafat before the recent shooting
incident.
So just as Prime Ministers Rabin and Peres were not
deterred from continuing the negotiations with the Pales-
tinians despite radical Palestinian atrocities in Israel's
major cities, nor will Mr. Netanyahu. The Oslo process
has again proved resilient.