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The Politics of Churlishness

(New Republic) Martin Peretz - The great diversion from the real politics of the Arab countries, and from the prospect of political reform, was the Palestinian grievance against Israel. In the early years of their conflict with the Zionists, the Palestinians thought that these countries would fight their battles for them, at the negotiating table and on the battlefield, which they did. But what happened in reality was that the various Arabs exploited the Palestinians as pawns in their own ambitions to pick off pieces of Palestine for themselves. Bush had had the good sense to pay no attention to Arafat, despite the urgent imprecations of the usual apologists: the EU, the UN, France, Russia, and the editorial page of the Times. Had Bush made even a single accommodation to Arafat, Arafat's way in the world would have been enshrined in Palestinian lore for yet another generation as the only way. Bush made no gestures to the hyperbolic fantasies of Palestinian politics. He gave them one dose of reality after another. Bush gave Israel the confidence that he would not trade its security for anything - which means that Israel is now willing to cede much on its own. (Israeli dovishness for American hawkishness: This was always the only way.)
2005-04-05 00:00:00
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