[Global Politician] Barry Rubin - The AP falsely reported that Israel is building a new settlement on the West Bank. In fact, the report was false. Israel had authorized the building of 22 houses on a settlement created more than 25 years ago. According to the AP, "Under the first phase of the internationally backed peace plan known as the road map, which is the basis of the negotiations, Israel was to freeze all settlement construction and Palestinians were to crack down on extremist groups." The AP gives a lot of attention to settlement construction but none to the Palestinian failure to "crack down on extremist groups." Where are the reports of the PA failing to stop terrorists, releasing them, glorifying them, putting them on its payroll, endorsing their goals, inciting to terrorism in its media, providing rationales for their actions in its schools? Why are radical speeches by PA and Fatah officials ignored? Consider this simple question: If Israel withdrew from all the West Bank and/or freed all Palestinian prisoners, would anything really change? Would the Palestinians reciprocate or alter their line, stopping terrorism and backing an end to the conflict. The evidence indicates not. The writer is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.
2008-08-15 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive