Stardate 20010915.0524 (On Screen): After Tuesday's bombing, I saw TV coverage of Arafat making an announcement saying that the Palestinians had nothing to do with the attack, and condemning it. He looked distinctly shaken, almost terrified. He had every right to be. Up until a week ago, Israel's ability to respond to the terrorist campaign against it was distinctly limited by world opinion. Now those shackles have been removed; now Israel will have the ability to respond in much more force without being condemned by world leaders on its every action. The violence against Palestinians is now going to take a major stairstep upwards, and it won't go back down again for months or years. Instead of being a near-pariah among democratic nations, Israel has been transformed itno the point man in the struggle against terrorists. The Palestinians who were shown celebrating on the news of last Tuesday's attack were fools; their situation is now immeasurably worse. Arafat knew; no wonder he was shaken. Any remaining chance for a political settlement in Israel went up in smoke and flames in NYC Tuesday morning.
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