44111.110110.11 1Mliill
Introducing...
stop the violence. And the agreed-
upon standard for moving forward —
seven days of complete quiet — is
seen as nearly impossible to achieve.
With Bush reluctant to get into the
diplomatic arena personally, Powell
was the biggest arsenal in the adminis-
tration's hands. Now the State
Department will need to look for a
new approach.
"The problem now is that the State
Department has no second act," said
Tamara Cofman Wittes, an analyst
with the Middle East Institute.
One option they should consider,
analysts say, is for the United States to
step up their day-to-day efforts and
increase the pressure on both sides,
essentially playing the role of a referee.
Wittes said the State Department
will need to "keep a very careful and
public eye" on both Israel and the
Palestinian Authority, and
be ready to scold them
when they don't follow the
guidelines laid out in the
Mitchell and Tenet plans.
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Specifically, the United States could
withhold or restrict aid to the
Palestinians and place one of the
Palestinian factions on the State
Department's list of foreign terrorist
organiiation.
The major perk the Bush adminis-
tration could offer Arafat is a visit to
the White House.
As for Israel, the United States could
follow through with $800 million in
supplemental aid to Israel, which was
promised by President Clinton before
leaving office, but the Bush adminis-
tration has been reluctant to follow
through given the current situation.
But the Bush administration faces
political restrictions to those ideas.
Too harsh a penalty against the
Palestinians could disrupt the U.S.
relationship with Arab countries, cru-
cial to bolstering the White House's
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Adding More Pressure
MEMBER
FDIC
Much has been made of the
fact that Arafat agreed to
the cease-fire after the Tel
Aviv disco bombing at least
in part because of the
efforts of German Foreign
Minister Joschka Fischer. -
The belief is that it will
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon looks on dur-
take a unified front against
ing a session in the Knesset, Israel's parliament in
Arafat to yield results.
"There is a general frustra- Jerusalem on July 2.
tion that Jordan and Egypt
aren't doing enough," said an official
policy toward Iraq.'
with a major American Jewish organi-
Delegitimizing Arafat would also
zation.
be risky, say analysts, not knowing
But Malcolm Hoenlein, executive
who would replace him.
vice chairman of the Conference of
At the same time, any attempt to
Presidents of Major American Jewish
punish Israel would certainly draw
Organizations, disagreed, saying that
criticism from the American Jewish
only American support is critical.
community and their numerous sup-
"Everything else is irrelevant,"
porters in Congress. That would also
Hoenlein said. "The Europeans can't
happen if Arafat comes to
offer anything to Arafat." The United
Washington.
States, however, has several carrots and
At some point, the administration.
sticks in its bag, and being more force-
may be forced to abandon the
ful with consequences for both sides is
Mitchell report altogether, and try a
another option.
different approach, although it
The United States could punish the
remains publicly reluctant to do that.
Palestinian Authority for its use of
"I don't think we have an exact
mortars and other weapons, a viola-
time period of when Mitchell
tion of the Oslo accords, and could
becomes just another report on the
reprimand Israel for its use of
shelf, but it's clear that there is an
American-made F-16s, which are sup-
opportunity here and that we're
posed to only be used for defensive
going to continue to urge the parties
purposes. The State Department has
to take advantage of it," State
also raised concerns about Israel's prac-
Department spokesman Richard
tice of targeted killings.
Boucher said this week. ❑
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