Who’s to blame for the current Mideast crisis?
The answer may depend on your politics, your Zionism and your emotional involvement with the Jewish state.
But try to examine recent events as an impartial observer. Then make your determination.
Only four months ago, Israel and the Palestinians seemed to be headed toward what many hoped would be a lasting peace. Violence was still high on the radar screen, especially with the Hamas suicide bombings of Israeli buses. But rationally, how could anyone expect that 30 years of animosity and terrorism could be turned off like a light switch?
Mideast peace would never be an autobahn highway but a drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic. When Arafat couldn’t control his people, Israel would apply the brakes. When calm was restored, Israel would step on the accelerator pedal.
Then four months ago Israelis, fearing continued Palestinian terror attacks, voted to slow the momentum down considerably. Whether or not they were right, time will tell.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to play hardball. He put off a withdrawal from Hebron. He continued sealing off many Palestinians from jobs in Israel. And then in the middle of the night a week ago, he opened a long-disputed tunnel alongside the Temple Mount.
Netanyahu is right in asserting that the tunnel itself has no real religious significance and that its opening will only boost tourism. While it lies alongside Muslim and Jewish holy sites, he’s correct in observing that it doesn’t interfere with religious shrines.
But then why did he choose to open it at midnight under the cloak of darkness? Knowing that the Palestinians had long objected to the tunnel’s opening, why couldn’t he have continued toward a negotiated solution?
Yasser Arafat turned the tunnel incident to his advantage. He saw it as a route to boosting his popularity among Palestinians who were distraught that better economic tidings had not been forthcoming in the era of peace. He also saw an opportunity to win greater concessions from Israel.
But the protest mushroomed beyond even Arafat’s expectations. His police, whom Israel allowed to be armed, turned their guns against Israeli soldiers, or stood by while Palestinians attacked.
For peace to succeed and terrorism to end, there must be a bond of trust between the two long-sworn enemies. But Netanyahu and Arafat have made any assumption of trust appear remote.
Unless they can return from Washington and continue a dialogue, how can we expect bloodshed to ever end in Israel?