OTHER VIEWS Israel's Tremendous Needs IC ibbutz Yifat was a meaning- ful venue for our first encounter in the Central Galilee, Detroit Jewry's Partnership 2000 region. Our arrival turned into a joyful reunion with the teens and parents of those who were fortunate enough to have spent three weeks at Michigan-based Tamarack Camps in Ortonville last summer. As in every trip to Israel, our Partnership 2000 Steering Committee came last December as ambassadors of our community. But this time we left as heroes, as the outpouring of apprecia- tion was expressed through the hugs and tears of parents whose children were given the opportunity for some- thing we all take for granted — a camp experience. We realized with sadness that we had to bring these kids a world away from the current turmoil of every- David Techner is a member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's Steering Committee of Partnership 2000. day life in Israel to experience the sense of normalcy that should be a right of each child. This is sadly what has become the new normal" in our beloved Israel. As we continued with our visit, we were constantly reminded that this new normal has become a way of life. A visit to a soccer field for an Excellence in Sports program was followed by a mornorial service for Ingbal Weiss at the Jezreel Valley College and the niece of a volunteer and former Steering Committee member of Partnership 2000 in Israel. Then we went to a school program called "Notes of Harmony," where we heard outstanding young musicians dis- play their talent. Our sense of pride in knowing that our community had helped fund their continued quest for excellence was quickly replaced as we met with school officials to discuss the growing need to fund meals for hungry kids who are getting their only hot meal though an extended day program sup- ported by our community's Grand Challenge Israel Emergency ing to those affected. Please lis- ten with an open ear and an Fund. There was a similar feel-. ing leaving the Tamarack open heart. Camps kids; the sense of pride Everyone recognizes the dif- in knowing the impact being ficulty we are faced with at felt by our efforts was overshad- home, but we cannot take the owed by the need to provide view of "out of sight, out of mind" when it comes to the something so basic we all take D AVID for granted. problems facing Israel today. TEC HNER We have always responded with Upon our return, we were Corn munity consumed with emotion seeing great generosity and kindness Vi ews what many of us consider our to the needs affecting Israel, second home in such despera- albeit in better times. Israel tion. This is a land we have come to love needs us, and we need Israel. Nancy and Stephen Grand will match and its people have become not only our friends but also our second family. Not your pledge, dollar for dollar, so your only do we feel pride in the positive gift will be doubled through the gener- ous spirit of the "Grand Challenge. effects of our efforts to help, we also are Please consider supporting our family compelled to ask what more can we do. March is Israel Emergency Fund in Israel, for they need our help now Month; our Federation leadership will more than ever. There used to be a fund-raising expression, "Give until it spend the month educating our com- munity on the state of despair Israel hurts." In the words of our dear friend and ardent supporter of his beloved finds itself today. Israel, the late Ambassador David I have always viewed our Federation as an organization that sees a need in Hermelin said, "Don't give till it hurts, give until it feels good!" ❑ our community and works at respond- destroy Israel. In this spirit, not surpris- ingly, Bush approved Israeli efforts at self-protection, saying, 'America recog- nizes Israel's right to defend itself from terror. In concluding the speech, he drew policy conclusions at odds with this analysis. The president asked Palestinian leaders to make some nominal gestures to prove they are "truly on the side of peace. He then demanded that Israel's gov- ernment reciprocate with four giant steps (halt its military efforts, withdraw from areas it had recently occupied, cease civilian construction in the occu- pied territories, and help build a viable Palestinian state). In sum, Bush theoretically backed Israel and condemned Arafat while prac- tically he backed Arafat and punished Israel. All this left most observers stumped. Their puzzlement then grew, specifi- cally about the requirements for a Palestinian state. In June 2002, amid much fanfare, the president unveiled a major initiative making this contingent on significant changes in Palestinian behavior: "When the Palestinian people have new leaders, new institutions and new security arrangements with their neighbors," he said, "the United States of America will support the creation of a Palestinian state." to help Israel protect itself. Three months later, the State A Gallup poll last month Department furtively unveiled a showed 80 percent of contrary initiative, something it Republicans holding a favorable called the "concrete, three-phase opinion of Israel, and no politi- implementation road map." cian ignores a number like that. This road map can plan on a But the pressure for a Palestinian state by 2005 by dis- Palestinian state is no less pensing with Bush's require- impressive, coming from a wide ments of the Palestinian DANIEL range of influential forces, rang- Authority and instead requesting PIPES ing from Secretary of State only token assurances from it. Special Colin Powell to the Democrats This duality leads to heart- Commentary in Congress and to British burn on all sides of the Arab- Prime Minister Tony Blair and Israeli conflict, as no one can Arab leaders. quite figure out U.S. policy. Observing these contradictions One thesis is that the White House through two years of the Bush adminis- and the State Department have separate tration leads me to one main conclu- plans. That appears to be what Israeli sion: In key ways — sympathy for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon thinks, and Israel's plight, diplomatic support, pro- explains why he has ignored the road viding arms — Bush tends to ignore his map and focused on the president's June own Palestinian-state rhetoric and stand speech. solid with Israel. His statements As though in reply to this, in a major demanding this from Israel and promis- address to the American Enterprise ing that to the Palestinians appear to be Institute last week; Bush signaled his a sop to outside pressure, not opera- endorsement of the road map: "It is the tional policy. commitment of our government — and In short, look at what President Bush ,my personal commitment — to imple- does, not what is says, and you'll find his ment the road map," he said. And yet, usual consistency, this time hiding under doubts persist. a veneer of apparent indecision. When a politician acts inconsistently, If this is accurate, then the road map it usually signals an attempt to please is for show, not true policy, and U.S. opposed constituencies. In this case, endorsement of a Palestinian state President Bush feels pressure from the • remains remote. 17 Republican voters who put him in office " A Palestinian State? Philadelphia onsistency and predictability are core strengths of George W. Bush as a politician. Be the issue domestic (taxes, educa- tion) or foreign (terrorism; Iraq), once he settles on a policy, he sticks with it. There is no ambiguity, no guessing what his real position might be, no despair at interpreting contradictions. Even his detractors never complain about "Tricky George" or "Slick Bush." But there is one exception to this pat- tern. And -- couldn't you have predict- ed it? — the topic is the Arab-Israeli conflict. Here, Bush not only seems unable to make up his mind but he oscillates between two quite contrary views. For example, at the height of the Palestinian assault against Israel last April, the president delivered a major address that contained within it a fla- grant contradiction. He began by slamming Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority for its terrorism against Israelis and he fingered several groups, one of them, Al-Aqsa Brigades, under Arafat's control, for attempting to C Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and author of "Militant Islam Reaches America" (WW Norton). His e-mail address is Pipes@MEForum.org 3/ 7 2003 32 .