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| By Ellis Shuman July 13, 2001 |
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With no progress made in recent weeks to enforce implementation of the cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians, commentators in the international media offered criticism, but few solutions. The best that could happen, it was suggested, would be staving off the worst, allowing the cease-fire, in its present, violent state, to go on. And on.
"The obstacles to Mideast peace are the same, as are the steps to overcome them. Unlike those in a rerun, however, these actors could someday rewrite a happier ending. Staving off the worst, meantime, is why the show must go on. And on."
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Getting through the seven days, and then the six weeks, will not be easy... But it is the only realistic way forward at this point? Arafat has not been doing all he can to suppress violence. Israel is right to insist that the well-armed Palestinian security forces under his control not only refrain from violence themselves but keep other Palestinians, forcibly if necessary, from attacking Israeli soldiers and civilians."
New York Times (registration required)
"Both sides will also do the minimum necessary to satisfy the concerns of the Bush administration, which gives Powell some leverage to prevent the situation spinning out of control, although not necessarily enough to move it along to the next stage. In other words, the present unstable not-quite-cease fire may be as good as it gets for some time to come."
Time.com
"A cease-fire is simply not a cease-fire if it only applies to one side. And negotiations are hardly likely to be productive if they are conducted in an atmosphere of violence and intimidation."
Rocky Mountain News
Despite Israel's efforts to show that the Palestinians were responsible for cease-fire violations, some newspapers placed part of the blame on Israel as well.
"Sadly, after much bloodshed, neither side appears really ready to 'exert maximum efforts.'"
Houston Chronicle
"Sharon is no doubt right in contending that Palestinian policy makes true peace talks unlikely and unpromising any time soon. But it does not follow that therefore Israel has no necessity of engaging in peaceful acts and policies itself. Specifically, Israel cannot use the new Palestinian-created crisis as cover for the inflammatory."
Stephen S. Rosenfeld, Washington Post
House demolitions result in international criticism
As if Israel didn't have enough criticism directed at it, the demolitions of illegally constructed houses in the Shuafat refugee camp north of Jerusalem and in the Gaza Strip received extensive media coverage. Editorial opinion was highly critical, as could be expected.
"Israeli authorities bulldozed 14 illegal Arab homes yesterday in one of their largest demolitions in Jerusalem in years, sparking angry rock-throwing clashes with police while exposing an undercurrent of tension among Palestinians over who may build where."
Baltimore Sun
"As Israel struggles for legitimacy in the eyes of the international community, the policy of housing demolitions creates nothing but a self-inflicted wound. Naturally, it angers Palestinians. It also sends an image to the rest of the world of a cold and callous Israel rousting people from their homes and businesses. With a fragile Mideast cease-fire teetering on the edge of failure, these actions by Israel are nothing but a provocation."
Chicago Tribune
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