Violence And Peace

The New Reality

The new Middle East presents a new challenge
to American Jews.

credibility, too, is at stake; saying "I
told you so" is not sufficient.
For years, these groups have been
heaping
abuse on the Oslo process
Washington
without suggesting alternatives.
he new landscape of the
The whiffs of racism that emanate
Mideast, radically redrawn
from some of these activists, their
in the last two weeks, poses
intemperate accusations and their
stiff challenges to American
apparent
belief that the best solution is
Jewish groups on the right, the left
a
state
of
permanent armed confronta-
and the battered middle.
tion
will
continue
to polarize the
For the left, the dilemma is obvi-
debate
in
the
Jewish
community.
ous. The recent images of the
Jews
may
now
accept
more of the
Palestinian "police" acting a lot like an
right's pessimistic assumptions, but if
army recruited to battle Israel, of the
the future involves endless civil war
trashing of Joseph's Tomb, of the wild
and periodic vigilantism, as the right
rioting on the Temple Mount despite
seems to believe, many will want no
Ehud Barak's taboo-breaking offer to
part of it.
talk about Palestinian sovereignty over
Pro-Israel groups in the political
the site badly damaged many of the
middle
face a different kind of chal-
left's underlying assumptions.
lenge
For years, the left has argued that
b
In the short term, they have to fight
more flexibility by Israel would pay
Arafat's effort to brand Israel as the
peace process dividends. At this sum-
primary culprit in the current vio-
mer's Camp David talks, Barak
lence, and they have to ensure that
showed unprecedented flexibility, but
Washington
does not overlook Arafat's
the only dividend he got in return was
critical
role
in
igniting it.
an eruption of Palestinian hatred,
But
the
real
challenge they face is
stoked by his putative peace "partner."
this: if the sickening descent back to
Pro-peace process activists argued
chronic confrontation continues, pro-
that it would be possible to find for-
Israel groups will face a public and a
mulas for sharing sensitive parts of
Congress that will be increasingly
Jerusalem. Instead, the Palestinian
eager to simply walk away from the
wrecking crew at Nablus made it clear
entire Mideast mess.
what they would do to Jewish holy
"It's just those crazy Middle
sites if they got their hands on them.
Easterners
doing what they always do
Groups on the left had refused to
— killing each other over little scraps
take Yasser Arafat's maximalist threats
of land" will be the response of many
seriously. Now they have to explain
if the hopes of the past few years are
just how they believe this process can
dashed and the huge U.S. effort seems
continue when its foundations have
like a waste.
been so badly weakened.
Lethargy, fatigue and disgust, and
At a minimum, they will have to
not
anti-Israel animus, could shape the
send a clear message that they will no
American
public's reaction to the
longer overlook or minimize Arafat's
renewed violence.
refusal to prepare his people for peace,
Berating Arafat and criticizing
or his periodic returns to the rhetoric
skewed media coverage of the riots
of violence. And they have to find
will not be enough; Jewish groups will
credible explanations for how land-for-
have to find new ways to explain why,
peace negotiations can be restructured
for all the setbacks, the pursuit of a
to provide an added measure of securi-
fair peace remains a vital U.S. interest.
ty in an environment of undampened
And they will have to educate
hatred.
Congress and the American people

JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent

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LENDER

10/13
2000

12

.

The Right, The Middle

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On the other end of the political spec-

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trum, leaders on the right seemed
almost to welcome violence that they
said confirmed their direst predictions
about the peace process. But their

Annual Percentage Yield effective as of 10/05., 00. Subject to change.
Minimum balance to obtain the stated APY i> ,7;1.001). Fees could reduce
earnings. Penalty for earl\ withdrawal. Member FDIC.

about why the alternative — an
American withdrawal from active
peacemaking — would compound the
tragedy now unfolding in the region.

