Stardate 20011215.1128 (On Screen): Arafat's
four minutes and thirty seconds just expired, and Anthony Zinni has been recalled from Israel. With the US's
veto in the UN, that leaves no important "peace initiatives" active in Israel and the occupied territories. Israel seems to be deliberately trying to
take Arafat himself out with bombing. Hamas has declared war on Israel. The powderkeg is about to go up.
Last year, the Israelis offered the Palestinians nearly everything they wanted. The only thing which was missing was the "right of return" but the rest of the offer was as sweet as could possibly be imagined. The "right of return" has always been unrealistic; the Israelis are not going to permit millions of Palestinians to return to Israel and lay claim to land lost fifty years ago. But everything else the Palestinians could have hoped for was present in that deal -- and they turned it down. The Palestinians must be the worst-lead people on earth. It's evident that Israel has now decided that they will be better off without the Palestinian Authority. I'm reluctantly coming to agree with them. Arafat has outlived his usefulness; it's time for him to die. Hamas may be utterly hostile to Israel, but at least they're honest about what they want, and I'd rather deal with an honestly hostile man than with a friendly liar. (discuss)
