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November 12, 2004
Israel after Arafat
Yasser Arafat died yesterday marking an end of an era for the Palestinians and the Israelis. For the Palestinians, they lost a world figure who fought to force the world to recognize the Palestinian people. For the Israelis, they lost a stubborn enemy who exploited fear to gain recognition of the Palestinian people.
In the end, Arafat was nothing but a crook and a terrorist. Worst of all, he was a terrorist to his own people. He held back funds, taught the Palestinian children how to hate instead of love, and waged war on innocent civilians.
I can only hope that the Palestinians will quickly move towards elections. If they embrace democracy and elect a moderate leader who cares as much about the social needs of the Palestinians as the need to make peace with Israel, there may be hope.
In the mean time, Israel should pull out of Gaza and remove the settlements there. They need to give the Palestinians a chance to build a moderate government. Then, if there is a willing partner, Israel should offer to be a partner in peace.
Posted by kermisch at November 12, 2004 12:08 AM