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The Price of Intransigence

(U.S. News) Mortimer B. Zuckerman - Today there are headlines once again about formulas for a settlement, but it is clear that the Palestinians are far less prepared for peace than they were a decade ago. Suffused with messages of hate, indoctrinated early in the schools, and subjected to poisonous broadcasts in the media and the mosque, they nurture a culture that longs not for the creation of a Palestinian state but for the destruction of the state of their Israeli neighbors. The majority of Israelis have concluded that a comprehensive peace is not possible in the foreseeable future. Given that wishful diplomacy is dead, there is only one course for Israel. That is to continue building its defensive physical barrier between itself and the West Bank. 80% of Israelis from both the left and the right consider the fence an absolute necessity as a last resort in protecting themselves and their children from terror. A fence is an imperative, given how many Palestinians still want to see the onslaught of terrorism against Israel continue. Until there is a successful negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians resulting in a peace agreement truly worthy of the name, the message must be that when one society declares war on another, there will be a price to pay. A substantial price.
2003-12-12 00:00:00
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