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Dry Bones
On The Road to Cairo
Jr
WHIZZ BANG!
ewish relationships with Egypt go back quite a
way, possibly as far as the 12th Dynasty —
about 3,800 years ago. We've been in and out of
the country a good bit, leaving under Moses to seek
freedom in Canaan, but returning again after the
Babylonian and Roman conquests, leaving again when
the Muslims seized power seven centuries later, return-
ing on our way out of Spain in 1492 and flourishing
again before World War I, only to be driven out once
more following the establishment of the modern
nation of Israel in 1948.
The wars of 1967 and 1973 led to a peace pact
between the two countries but no signs of any real ties
that could cement that agreement. But, happily, even
that may be changing. While world atten-
tion is focused on how Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas does or does not
rein in the Palestinian terrorists and how
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will or will not
accomplish the withdrawal of settlers from the Gaza
Strip, Americans concerned about the Mideast should
be applauding the improvement in relationships
between Jerusalem and Cairo.
After the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat,
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak seems to be read-
ing handwriting on the wall that says it's time to move
his country toward much greater acceptance of Israel.
It is a shift that could provide both short-term eco-
nomic benefits and the long-term potential to regain
the dominance of the Arab world that Gamal Abdel
Nasser squandered nearly 40 years ago.
Last month Egypt, Israel and the United States
made a deal on trade that lets Americans import duty-
free Egyptian goods that have some Israeli content. As
with a similar pact between Israel, Jordan and
the United States, most of the trade is likely to
be in clothing. The dollar amounts are rela-
tively small, but the symbolic importance of
the agreement is considerable. It led almost
immediately to the release of an Arab Israeli
businessman imprisoned eight years ago as an
Israeli spy and a reciprocal Israeli release of six
Egyptians captured crossing the border and
planning an attack. As an additional "good-
will" gesture, Israel then freed 170
Palestinians, giving Mubarak additional brag-
ging rights up and down the Nile.
Israel is acting sensibly. Egypt wants the set-
tlers out of Gala, as Sharon plans,
and can help make the process go
smoothly. If Egypt then gains influ-
ence in Gain, it will be at the
expense of the terrorists of Islamic Jihad and
Hamas, which also eases the political problems
Abbas faces if he is serious about striking a
meaningful peace agreement with Israel.
Mubarak is no great friend of Israel. He has
been lax about trying to stop the flow of
weapons through tunnels between Sinai and
Gaza and has consistently refused to crack
down on the vicious anti-Semitism in the gov-
ernment-controlled Egyptian media. Despite
getting more than $2 billion a year in
American aid, Egypt has never endorsed U.S. Mideast
policies aimed at assuring Israel's security.
Still, his regime stands to assume leadership in the
Arab world when the Saudis finally overthrow their
corrupt monarchy. Having an established pattern of
Facing Up To Torture
qualify? But that's a recognized medical proce-
the Geneva Conventions, they argued, we
dure to help in the diagnosis of neurological
should apply them anyhow to protect our own
disorders.
soldiers in harm's way.
Some commentators claimed we were tor-
I don't argue with their sincerity, only with
turing Iraq's Saddam Hussein by putting him
their reasoning. I cannot conceive of Al Qaida
on television in a confused and filthy state fol-
abiding by those rules, no matter how well we
lowing
his capture.
treat its captured adherents. North 'Vietnam
Yeah, I thought that was a real shame. Poor
certainly didn't, nor did Japan in World War II.
man.
That doesn't relieve us of a responsibility to
GEORGE
The Geneva Conventions were drawn up to
treat POWs humanely. There is simply no rea-
CANTOR
protect civilians as well as soldiers. It was an
sonable hope of reciprocity from our enemies.
Reality
attempt to keep non-combatants out of the
But the larger question is never quite made
Check
killing zone by offering humane treatment to
clear. What is torture?
uniformed soldiers who respected the rules of
Inflicting physical pain, damaging limbs or
engagement.
internal organs, mistreatment that can end in death.
But what are you supposed to do about those whose
Those are the easy answers.
preferred targets are civilians? To whose advantage is it
What about sleep deprivation? Constant exposure to
when Geneva is applied to them?
noise and bright lights? Withholding information
Suppose a terrorist cell planted a nuclear device in
about family? Are those legitimate tools of interroga-
Manhattan, and one of its members fell into our
tion?
hands. He knows where it is and when it will detonate.
We all recoil at the images of sexual debasement that
What would you do to extract that information
occurred in the Baghdad prison. Among other accusa-
from him? How far would you go if it meant saving
tions, it was charged that some prisoners were forced
tens of thousands of lives?
to dress in women's underwear, a strong cultural taboo.
Let us pray we never have to answer that question.
But is it torture?
But what if we did? If you were the U.S. attorney gen-
How about administering painful electric shocks
eral, what would you decide? II
through needles inserted in nerve endings. Would that
EDIT ORIAL
T
he thought of torture being practiced by
Americans makes us queasy. We are appalled
to read about what has happened in Baghdad,
Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan and are deeply dis-
turbed when similar accusations are made about mem-
bers of the Israel Defense Forces.
As we should be. Torture represents the opposite
extreme of how we want to think of ourselves as
Americans and Jews.
Alberto Gonzales came in for acute questioning dur-
ing the congressional hearing on his nomination as
attorney general because he seemed to have counte-
nanced the use of torture under certain circumstances
in a memo drafted for President Bush. He strongly dis-
avowed such a statement.
Several retired military leaders had spoken out
against Gonzales because of their concern over how
American prisoners of war would be treated if we
engaged in such a practice.
Even if guerillas and insurgents are not covered by
George Cantor's e-mail address is
gcantor@theje wishnews.com
-
THE BRIEF FLASH OF
OPTIMISM THAT CAME
WITH THE ELECTION
OF ABBAS.
economic cooperation with Israel gives a model for
moderation that could calm Muslim anger about the
Palestinians.
The Jews and the Egyptians have nearly 4,000 years
of precedent in dealing with each other. A new rap-
prochement would not be out of order. 0
JP!
1/20
2005
39