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Jewish World Review / Oct. 27, 1998 /7 Mar-Cheshvan, 5759
Cal Thomas
Clinton to Netanyahu: 'You're despicable'
NEWS REPORTS TELL OF PRESIDENT CLINTON, seeing a "possible
peace agreement'' and its political dividends slipping away,
saying to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"You're despicable.'' There is no record of Clinton or anyone
else in this administration saying anything remotely offensive
to Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat.
That's because this administration continues to promote the
fiction that only Israel is an impediment to "peace'' in the
region.
Some Israeli leaders are consoled because the agreement
seems to be front-loaded with compliance requirements in
order for Arafat's Palestinian Authority to receive an
additional 13 percent of land. But, like so much in the Middle
East, the agreement's language is sometimes imprecise and
may not necessarily lead to the conclusions claimed by the
signatories.
For example, under "further redeployments,'' a
committee is to be formed to discuss more pullbacks by Israeli
soldiers. But Israel won't know in advance what the
Palestinian security plan looks like because it will be
developed by the Palestinian side and shared with the United
States, after which immediate implementation is supposed to
begin. Two terrorist groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have
already promised to have no part of the agreement. Each says
the "holy war'' against Israel will proceed.
The United States, not Israel, will monitor implementation of
the Palestinian plan, and there is no indication in the
agreement that any penalties will be assessed against the PA
for failing to honor its promises.
Under Section II, the all-important (to Israel) statements about
security, a U.S.-Palestinian committee will meet bi-weekly to
review the steps being taken to eliminate terrorist cells and
the support structure that plans, finances and abets terrorism.
The PA is supposed to tell the United States all it is doing to
outlaw any organizations that pose a terrorist threat to Israel.
As for illegal weapons held by the PA, the Palestinian side
promises only to "insure an effective framework is in place
to criminalize ... any importation, manufacturing or
unlicensed sale or possession of firearms, ammunition or
weapons in areas under Palestinian jurisdiction.'' What
happens to weapons already held illegally in the region? It is
also unclear what will be done if the PA seizes illegal
weapons. All we get is diplomatic gibberish about establishing
a "systematic program for the collection and appropriate
handling of all such illegal items ....''
Recommendations are made concerning incitements to
violence, but there is no indication whether they are binding,
It is also not clear whether Israel will be allowed to exercise its
right under the Oslo agreement to veto recruitment of specific
Palestinians to the already too large police force (also in
violation of Oslo), or if there will be a reduction of that force.
The signatories claim the agreement requires the PA to revoke
the Palestine Liberation Organization Charter, which calls for
the destruction of Israel. But language in the agreement is not
that specific. Palestinian organizations, committees,
"speakers'' and other entities -- that sound to have been
democratically elected but have only been appointed -- will
be convened. President Clinton will address them. Arafat
pledges to "reaffirm (his) letter of 22 January 1998 to
President Clinton concerning the nullification of the
Palestinian National Charter provisions that are inconsistent
with the letters exchanged between the PLO and the
government of Israel on 9/10 September 1993.''
In those
letters, Arafat promised to repeal sections of the charter
calling for Israel's destruction, but no formal action was taken.
Writing in last Sunday's Jerusalem Post, former Israeli
Defense Minister Moshe Arens noted that the spirit of Camp
David continues to haunt Israel. Arens said that by agreeing to
the concept of "land for peace,'' Menachem Begin did
something not done before in history: "the idea that the
aggressor (Egypt) should recover whatever territory he lost as a
result of his aggression.''
This piecemeal approach is not in the best interest of Israel.
Perhaps Netanyahu should boldly propose an endgame that
would include the final, non-negotiable borders for which he
would settle. If the PA protests, this will confirm its
unchanging objective for the complete destruction of the
Jewish state. In that case, the world will know the identity of
the real despicable
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