ARIEL & GEORGE WHO?

Bolstering the Palestinian Premier (NY Times, 6/04/03)

Mr. Abbas is the most important reason there is renewed hope for progress in the Middle East. He has stated clearly that the violence of the past 32 months has been a betrayal of Palestinian national aspirations and that the only solution is a negotiated one leading to two states living side by side. Mr. Arafat failed his people by encouraging that violence. He is now likely to try to trip up Mr. Abbas to show his continuing importance. Unfortunately, the Egyptian foreign minister recently stated his government's allegiance to Mr. Arafat. And no Arab leader has directly condemned suicide bombings or their sponsors. Syria and its client state, Lebanon, did not even join yesterday's gathering. [...]

All of this, in addition to Mr. Bush's suddenly increased involvement, suggests a basis for guarded optimism.

Four important things have happened in the Middle East in the past two years: (1) Ariel Sharon has demonstrated a seeming willingness to use any means necessary to put an end to Palestinian terror; (2) Ariel Sharon has demonstrated the willingness of the Israeli Right to accept the reality of a Palestinian state; (3) George W. Bush has used awesome military force to replace two Arab leaders that the U.S. didn't like; and (4) George W. Bush has used moral suasion and implicit power to replace Yasir Arafat with Mr. Abbas. What does the Times take away from all of this?: "Mr. Abbas is the most important reason there is renewed hope for progress in the Middle East." This accords well with the Left's belief that Gorbachev brought democracy to the Iron Curtain. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 4, 2003 10:29 AM