BABY, I'M SINKIN' DOWN

Palestinians are at the crossroads (SALIM MANSUR, August 28, 2003, Toronto Sun)

In the following decades, Palestinians paid a mounting price for rejecting the UN settlement of 1947.

Finally, suffering greater abuse from their Arab brothers than from Jewish denial of their rights, the Palestinian leadership indicated its willingness to take a page of history from the Israelis and settle their differences by diplomacy.

The world applauded. America opened its doors to the Palestinian leadership. The seal of approval came with the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Yasser Arafat and his Israeli counterparts, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.

But then Palestinians allowed themselves to be overtaken by fanaticism. George Santayana defined it as "redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim."

For Palestinians, there can be no progress through blaming Israeli bigots for fuelling the spiral of violence, since the smoke of death suffocates all dialogue. Following 9/11, the demand on the Palestinian leadership has been unambiguous: to end violence whatever the excuse, and work with the international community to reach its goal.

Palestinians have to choose. And, having arrived at the fork in their road, the world watches with dismay their inability, or unwillingness, to end their dance with death and affirm life unconditionally.

At some level the decision does seem to be as simple as this: would Palestinians rather live themselves or keep killing Jews. To choose the latter is insane by definition.

MORE:
Palestinian Authority Freezes Funds of Islamic Charities (Ibrahim Barzak, Aug 28, 2003, Associated Press)

Palestinian authorities said Thursday they froze the bank accounts of nine Islamic charities to investigate whether the organizations funnel money to militants - the Palestinians' most striking action yet in a U.S.-sought clampdown on armed groups.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 28, 2003 7:43 PM