Air of Fat
Interesting to read a number of Democratic commentators on the recent progress in Israeli-Palestinian relationships. They are at pains to deny that the forward movement has anything to do with the Bush Administration, or with its promotion of real, empowered democratic governments in Arab lands, because such governments are more inclined to peace than war.
Nope, nope, nope. Can't be that. Must be something else. When it comes to the recent thaw in Judaea, they say, the thing that really cleared the path was the death of Arafat.
Darn tootin' it did. However much credit you want to give or withhold from Bush for his overthrow of Saddam, you can't deny that getting that ugly old PLO terrorist out of the picture removed the single biggest obstacle to peaceful coexistence in Israel and Palestine. I'll grant them that.
But what I can't seem to find is any such statement to that effect, from the Democratic commentators, while Arafat was still alive. Instead, I see a lot of people insisting that the Americans and the Israelis treat Arafat as a legitimate representative of his people, and that the only prospect for peace ran through his office.
Nope, nope, nope. Can't be that. Must be something else. When it comes to the recent thaw in Judaea, they say, the thing that really cleared the path was the death of Arafat.
Darn tootin' it did. However much credit you want to give or withhold from Bush for his overthrow of Saddam, you can't deny that getting that ugly old PLO terrorist out of the picture removed the single biggest obstacle to peaceful coexistence in Israel and Palestine. I'll grant them that.
But what I can't seem to find is any such statement to that effect, from the Democratic commentators, while Arafat was still alive. Instead, I see a lot of people insisting that the Americans and the Israelis treat Arafat as a legitimate representative of his people, and that the only prospect for peace ran through his office.
