(New Republic) Martin Peretz - Condoleezza Rice's sudden presence in Jerusalem and Ramallah was certainly needed, if only to prop up the designated receiving end of the disengagement equation. After all, Palestinians were shooting one another on the streets of Gaza, where Hamas has staggering gun-toting superiority. But it is doubtful that her supportive appearance in Ramallah will do the trick for Mahmoud Abbas for long. In any case, no one could possibly believe that Rice's pleasing appraisal of the behavior of the Palestinian Authority was anything other than fantasy. Jews within and just beyond Gaza are targeted by rockets, mortar shells, and simple bullets every day. Sometimes these kill, sometimes they only maim or injure. Nothing in the experience of Gaza or the West Bank should have permitted her to move blithely into talking about the U.S. commitment to "the connectivity" of the two areas. Under any design at the present moment, this would inevitably be a link between two lively centers of terrorism. Rice hopes that Gaza "cannot be a sealed or isolated area, with the Palestinian people closed in." So the demand has grown already - supported by the secretary - that a modern port be built in Gaza and the Gaza airport reopened. But who will guarantee that these facelifts will not quickly turn out to be transfer points for deadly weapons? Rice's vision is ingenuous and premature. The Palestinians have a history as true pioneers in the great terrorist bane of our times, and they are still stars in the terrorist firmament. There is only one way they can earn their sovereign independence, and it is by ceasing to imperil their neighbor.
2005-07-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive