>>>"The Palestinian Authority must reform itself at its base: all
>>>areas - security, economic, legal and social - and it must take
>>>responsibility over itself. We cannot have peace with a corrupted
>>>terrorist dictatorship."
>>
>>So, Israel's idea of a Palestinian state is one whose leadership
>>and structure they specify. That's not an independent state - it's
>>somewhere between a colony and a bantustan.
>>
>>Doug
>
>You think Israel should turn over the West Bank to a corrupted
>terrorist dictatorship? To a corrupt dictatorship, yes--that was,
>IMHO, Clinton's and Rabin's plan: make Yasser Arafat King of the
>West Bank and make him responsible for controlling Hamas, because he
>would have something to lose if Hamas slipped its leash too often
>and wise peacemaker Rabin lost an election to Netanyahu or Sharon...
It seems to me that it is the Israeli government -- or rather, the US government -- that really needs Arafat as the "leader" of Palestinians; in contrast, Palestinians might actually benefit from the (literal or political) death of Arafat. Israel has assassinated many Palestinian leaders (cf. Saleh Abdel-Jawad, "Jury, Judge and Executioner," <http://www.ahram.org.eg/weekly/2001/549/re1.htm>). That it has yet to assassinate Arafat suggests that either it or (more likely) the USA wants Arafat to remain a corrupt dictator, so as to prevent anyone to the left of him from rising to leadership. The main complaint that Israel and the USA have about Arafat is that he is neither corrupt (esp. rejecting "Barak's generous offers") nor dictatorial (esp. not using more police powers to prevent terrors) _enough_ for their needs. -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>