SPECIAL COMMENTARY

EXUBERANCE

from page 41

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Palestinian disposition by handing
over land, granting political autono-
my, helping with economic develop-
ment, and generously conceding on
contentious issues (such as the control
of holy places). They also did not hold
the Palestinians to the letter, or even
the spirit, of signed agreements.
This Israeli high-mindedness
prompted not reciprocal feelings of
constructive intent but a boisterous
sense of Palestinian strength. What
began as cautious winks and tentative
statements soon turned into open defi-
ance and explicit hatred. By the time
of the Camp David II summit three
months ago, the Palestinian mood had
reached such a state of enthusiasm
that the "street" prevailed on Arafat to
turn down even Barak's shockingly
generous concessions. These they
found too little, too late.

Ignoring Reality

With this rejection, Palestinians sig-
naled that they had no more need to
truck with the Zionist enemy; from
now on, they implied, the Hezbollah
method of victory through force
would be their model. But Israel's
leadership, myopically projecting onto
the Palestinians its own hopes for a
harmonious resolution, ignored the
reality that they were preparing for a

violent offensive.
In late September, in a spirit of
exhilaration and even millenarian
expectation, the Palestinians finally
initiated a new round of violence.
More than any other single act, the
desecration of Joseph's Tomb, a Jewish
holy site, symbolized their triumphal-
ist spirit. The more modest of them
spoke of liberating the Temple Mount
or Jerusalem; the more ambitious saw
their actions as a first step towards the
destruction of Israel itself.
Looked at historically, the Palestinian
and Arab mood vis-a-vis Israel is today
more resolute and optimistic than at any
time since before the Six-Day War of
1967 — or possibly since Israel's decla-
ration of independence in 1948.
The enemies of Israel again feel
they are on the road to eliminating the
"Zionist entity." Listen closely: hardly
a word of caution or skepticism
emerges from them; they agree their
moment has arrived.
Re-establishing the acceptance of
1991-93 won't be easy for Israel. It
will require great exertions and proba-
bly substantial sacrifices. But, with
enough will, it can be done. El

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