(Jerusalem Post) Gerald M. Steinberg - Reconciliation is a wonderful concept. When the fighting ends, armies are disbanded, prisoners of war are released, and borders opened. Unfortunately, in the "Oslo peace process," the release of Palestinian terrorists allowed many to go back to kill again. The Palestinian police, created and trained by the CIA to prevent terrorism, joined Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Arafat's terror brigades. The funds provided to create jobs and end the poverty believed to be the "root cause" of terror were used to buy weapons and explosives. Instead of finally accepting the historic legitimacy of a Jewish state alongside 21 Islamic countries, most Palestinian leaders and their supporters continue to churn out propaganda labeling Zionism as "racism and apartheid." To agree, under these conditions, to the Palestinian demand for a mass release of terrorists as a "confidence-building measure" would be to invite yet another and even more deadly round of terror attacks. Similarly, to halt the construction of the separation barrier, designed to impede the access of terrorists to Israeli cities and reduce the friction between the populations, would be suicidal. Until Zionism and Israel are recognized as the expression of the legitimate rights of the Jewish people, talk of peace and reconciliation is a facade.
2003-07-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive