allied with Turkey, Jordan and the sec-
Israel will require political, presiden-
Arabist view that once the Palestinians
hood. There will still be a Palestinian
ular Muslim states of the former
tial,
congressional,
public
opinion
and
have a state the Arab-Israeli conflict
radical and rejectionist diaspora that is
Soviet
Union. But the state cannot
media
support,
especially
now
that
it
will
come
to
an
end
was
wrong
50
well-armed and well-financed in Syria,
take
advantage
of what all that means,
will
be
confronting
aggressive
terrorism
years
ago,
and
it's
wrong
now.
Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Iran and even in
in
terms
of
security
and economic
from
the
rogue
states
and
Hamas.
Syria
and
Iraq
don't
give
a
damn
Pakistan, which is in the process of
benefit
for
its
citizens,
without suc-
In the face of that, Israel will be a
about Palestinians. They only exploit
becoming a Taliban state. There are
cessful
negotiations
with
the
21st century information empire. Its
the Palestine issue for their national
Palestinian community organizations
Palestinians.
GNP
already
is
greater
than
all
of
its
self-interest. The Golan Heights has
in the United States, and especially in
The real battle for Israel is political
neighbors combined, and its military
nothing to do with the Palestine issue.
Western Europe, that masquerade as
—
to win the support of the United
is
superior.
Saddam Hussein's ambition to destroy
"humanitarian," but their monies go
to Palestinian terrorism.
Especially to Hamas.
Thus, unless Arafat,
after becoming president
of an independent
Palestine, eradicates the
Hamas terror organiza-
tion, there is little hope
for Palestinian security.
That's because contin-
ued low-intensity terror
against Israel coming
from the Palestinian ter-
ritory will threaten
Arafat's regime.
A Palestinian state
that harbors a large-scale
terrorist organization
will not be secure. To be
certain, the IDF will
respond aggressively to
Palestinian terrorism —
An unidentified wounded settler is wheeled into the Hadassah
Palestinian women view the remains of their home in the West
the same way it has in
Hospital in Jerusalem Monday. Gunmen fired on a bus carrying
Bank village of Kufr Haris after it was demolished by the Israeli
past decades against
Israeli
settlers as it passed through the divided city of Hebron,
army Dec. 28. The demolishing of two homes in Kufr Haris
Egypt, Syria and Jordan.
injuring
two women.
brought dozens° villagers into confrontation with the Israeli army,
Meanwhile, the belief
which respondedwith tear gas and rubber-coated bullets.
that the formation of an
independent Palestinian
States Congress, media and public
Israel can take care of its high- and
Israel is linked to the Palestine issue
state and peace between Israel and
opinion. The important role for
low-level
security
needs.
It
is
no
longer
only to exploit it for his purposes. The
Palestinians promise an end to the
American
Jews is to continue to
a
state
where
legendary
Prime
same is true of Iran, Libya and Sudan.
Arab-Israeli conflict is unrealistic. Let
explain that Israel's security is incom-
Minister
David
Ben-Gurion
had
to
us not forget that there are two rogue
plete until the rest of the Middle East
meet President John F. Kennedy at the
states in the Middle East, Syria and
Roles For Israel, American Jews back
recognizes the Jewish state's reality.
door of the White House. Since
Iraq, which are rejectionist and will
What then is Israel's best interest, and
Peace talks with the Palestinians are
the late 1970s, when Menachem
not relent from continued harassment
what is the American Jewish role? In
a major and critical step in this
Begin
became
prime
minister,
every
of Israeli borders and the threat of
many ways it is no different than from
process. Yet, their positive conclusion
Israeli leader has been red carpeted
missiles that carry weapons of mass
the last 50 years, with the exception of
do not mean that Israel's needs will
into
the
White
House.
destruction.
economic support.
have evaporated. P
True,
Israel
is
a
regional
power,
The anachronistic Anglo-American

Palestine's Reality, Israel's Response

n the minds of Yassir Arafat,
and much of the world, there
already is a Palestine. To them
the Mideast peace process, with
all its twists and turns, is about the
final physical borders of that state.
Indeed, look at two major steps
already taken.
• Arafat and his advisors have
already declared that on May 4,
1999, the date of Oslo's termination,

they will proclaim a sovereign and
independent state, which will create
a psychological and political
momentum that will impose upon
Israel the acceptance of an inevitable
Palestine state.
• Arafat proclaimed Jerusalem as
the Palestinian capital at the start of
Oslo in 1993. Like the issue of an
independent Palestine, he and his
advisors preempted the final status

negotiations over Jerusalem long ago
by establishing more than 30 major
offices and cabinet ministries in East
Jerusalem. Therefore, East Jerusalem
is already a Palestinian capital. No
final status negotiations will change
this reality.
Even the Israeli right-wing recog-
nizes this. Foreign Minister Ariel
Sharon, deal-broker of the right who
definitely will play a role in the next

Netanyahu government (if there is
one), has argued for some time that,
in reality, there already is a Palestine
state. Even Netanyahu has said on
many occasions that it will be a state
"minus sovereignty," which he
prefers to leave unexplained.
It is a tacit recognition that
Palestine — unofficially, that is — is
inevitable. LJ
— Amos Perlmutter

1 /S

1

199'

Detroit Jewish News

23