David turned into Goliath
The Israeli refusal to allow a senior EU delegation to visit Ramallah confirms the decision of the Ariel Sharon government to ignore international reactions and to bring its plan to a conclusion: Occupy the West Bank, expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, undo the Palestinian Authority, disrupt the groups that send suicide bombers onto Israeli territory, and, finally, force the greatest possible number of Palestinians out of their homes. So long as Tel Aviv enjoys US backing, the political cost of such a policy will be of no concern to the Israelis. The American administration has started to worry about the mounting public reactions but has not changed its policy. George W. Bush’s wish for a harmonious coexistence between Israel and a Palestinian state actually referred to a a next stage. Sharon believes that in a few weeks’ time he will have fulfilled his goals and be in a position to negotiate with Palestinians of his choice over the establishment of a controlled Palestinian state. In truth, however, all this constitutes wishful thinking rather than realistic political strategy. Overwhelmed by arrogance and driven by a futile strategy, the Israelis fail to realize that their actions are turning Arafat into a symbol while severely testing the tolerance of the international public. In the process of humiliating the Palestinians and dashing their hopes for a decent solution, Israel is pushing them to despair and terrorism, given that they have no other way to react in this unequal war. What is really taking place today is nothing but a confrontation between a military power and the international public’s concept of justice. The fact that Jews have considerable influence over the policy of the US and of many European states has yielded a scandalous tolerance of Israeli aggression. But even this has its limits. It is unfortunate that such a gifted and tortured nation refuses to take a lesson from its own tradition and -in a shockingly carefree manner – has adopted tactics and practices that have been used against it in the past. The ease with which David’s offspring have transformed themselves into a new Goliath is appalling.
