The United States government has told the Israelis in no uncertain terms to withdraw their forces from the areas of the West Bank which Israel entered following the murder of an Israeli cabinet minister.
Rehavam Ze’evi was gunned down outside his hotel room at the Jerusalem Hyatt hotel. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, aka the PLFP, claimed responsibility for the killing.
Ariel Sharon issued a statement in which he said that the Palestinians had “crossed a red line” when they murdered Ze’evi, a fifth-generation sabra (Israeli-born Jew) who was a veteran of the Israeli War of Independence. Ze’evi was a career IDF officer who rose to the rank of major general. He fought in each of Israel’s wars, and was elected to the Knesset in 1988. Sharon appointed him to the cabinet-level post of minister of tourism in March.
Israel immediately demanded that the Palestinian Authority arrest the terrorists who killed Ze’evi. When Arafat did nothing, Israeli Defense Forces moved in on six Palestinian controlled cities.
On Monday, the United States government issued a sharp rebuke of the Israeli action, saying that “IDF forces should be withdrawn immediately from all Palestinian controlled areas and no further such incursions should be made.”
Israel responded to the incredible chutzpah of the U.S. demand by pointing out that, “Israel, like all democratic countries, is realizing its rights to self-defense and to protect the lives of its citizens.” Sharon neatly paraphrased the exact argument made by President Bush when the president announced our own war on terrorism.
Evidently, killing Israelis isn’t terrorism from Washington’s perspective. Imagine Washington’s reaction if a U.S. cabinet member – say, Condoleezza Rice – were murdered at the Washington Hyatt Regency by members of Saddam’s Ba’ath Party, who then proudly claimed responsibility? Do you think for a split second that we would not bomb Iraq back to the Stone Age? Or that the bombs would stop falling before Saddam Hussein were nothing but a greasy spot on the Iraqi landscape?
What is the difference? The United States and Iraq are enemies who have been exchanging fire for a decade. Israel and the Palestinians are enemies who have been exchanging fire for a decade.
The United States entered into a cease-fire agreement with Iraq following the Persian Gulf War. Israel and the Palestinians entered into a cease-fire agreement at the Rose Garden in 1993. And another in 1995. And another in 1996, 1997, four or five more in ’98, another couple in ’99, several in 2000 and at least five this year already.
The United States has already expended a couple million pounds of high explosives against the Taliban because they refused to turn over Osama bin Laden. President Bush made it clear that there would be no negotiations.
Israel has told the Palestinians to arrest and hand over the killers of Ze’evi. Sharon said “no negotiations.” Washington told Israel to withdraw immediately and begin negotiations.
America is engaged in a war with the Taliban half a world away as a result of an attack on U.S. soil. Israel is continuing a war that has been ongoing for 52 years on its own soil.
U.S. bombs are falling on Afghanistan. There has been the inevitable “collateral damage” of dead and wounded civilians. Israeli tanks are shelling Palestinian positions that are shelling Israel – with the inevitable collateral damage of dead and wounded civilians.
The United States is a democracy. Israel is a democracy. Both are responding to attacks by Islamic dictatorships. I ask again, what is the difference?
And I’ll answer my own question. When the United States was attacked by the Islamic forces of Osama bin Laden, Israel immediately offered unequivocal support of any U.S. retaliatory action, together with an offer of immediate military aid and all available intelligence.
When a member of the Israeli cabinet was murdered by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the United States offered no support, no aid, no intelligence, sent envoys to visit the Palestinians and demanded the Israelis pull back their troops and negotiate with an entity that has violated every promise of peace it has ever made.
Not everybody in Washington has blinders on, however. Reps. Gary Ackerman, Tom Lantos and Eliot Engel called the policy “hypocritical.” Ackerman asked why the United States was pushing Israel to talk with the Palestinians if the U.S. was not willing to negotiate with the Afghan “authorities” – the Taliban.
Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs William Burns said there was a “difference.” He said in the case of the Arab-Israeli conflict, “there is a possibility of putting together a political process.” That “possibility” has existed since 1993.
The only obstacle to it is the Palestinians. The same Palestinians that the United States is demanding Israel negotiate with.
Incredible.
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