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| By Ellis Shuman June 8, 2001 |
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Last Friday night a suicide bomber detonated himself outside a Tel Aviv discotheque. Twenty young men and women lost their lives in the tragic event. As Israel prepared a military response to the wave of terrorism, diplomatic efforts went into full swing to persuade the Palestinians to bring an end to the violence. When Yasser Arafat declared his willingness to work for a cease-fire, and when as a result Israel delayed its planned military action, public opinion around the world focused in one direction. As the following selection of editorials and commentary from world newspapers proves, the pressure is on Arafat to stop the violence.
"Mr. Sharon's restraint in deciding against an immediate counterattack is a diplomatic plus. It shifted world attention away from Israel's might and placed it squarely where it belongs -- on Yasser Arafat's refusal to act meaningfully to stop the daily provocations."
Miami Herald
"The deaths of young men and women out for a night of dancing had roused sympathy for Israel and left Arafat facing a potentially massive military retaliation with little international support to fall back on."
Christian Science Monitor
"If you think Yasser Arafat's call on Saturday for a cease-fire signals a sudden desire for peace by the Palestinians, you're in for a rude awakening."
New York Post
To some newspapers, Arafat's next steps were quite clear.
"Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat knows what he must do next to preserve a cease-fire that is hanging by a thin, frayed thread: He must rearrest dozens of terrorists he let out of jail at the start of the uprising last fall."
San Jose Mercury News
"If the PLO leader is now serious about moving forward on peace, he must offer far more. He must act - to arrest and prosecute the terrorists and the militant leaders who thrive in the Palestinian territories. And to permanently rein in his security forces."
New York Daily News
"He has to arrest the Hamas and Islamic Jihad extremists he freed from his jails, which increased the likelihood of such bombings. He has to use his Palestinian Authority security forces to stop his people from launching gunfire and mortar attacks against Israel. He has to halt the use of terrorism as diplomacy. He has to make his people recognize Israel is here to stay."
Chicago Tribune
Will Arafat succeed in stopping the violence?
"That blood is on Mr. Arafat's hands. A cat with nine lives, he has used up eight of them. His way has ever been to promise his people the moon, spurn every realistic chance at statehood and use his failures to fan hatred of Israel. He will not change."
The Times
"If in the coming days he follows up his words with vigorous action, he could create a small window for productive diplomacy to resume between the two sides. If he fails to move, he might end up providing political cover for an Israeli counterattack that could destroy his tottering Palestinian government in the West Bank and Gaza."
Washington Post
"Arafat's support is waning. Unlike Israeli or Western government heads, he is not an elected leader who must satisfy the desire of his people for decent conditions of life. The sufferings of the Palestinians under occupation are of no greater concern to Arafat than those of the Iraqis are to Saddam Hussein. He is after his own personal victory."
Edward N. Luttwak, Los Angeles Times
"The problem with Yasser Arafat is that he's no Nelson Mandela."
Time.com
What should Israel do now?
"Mr. Arafat should lay a groundwork for peace. That means no more suicide bombings, attacks on Israeli settlers or hate-filled propaganda. Israel should immediately halt growth of its existing settlements. Israel has shown admirable restraint. It should continue to give Mr. Arafat a chance to demonstrate sincerity."
Dallas Morning News
"What is needed is a concerted effort to target the Palestinian elite. Inevitably, this will take a military form, in attacks on leading individual sponsors of terror. But it needs a non-military form as well: a sharp look ought to be taken at their vast overseas bank accounts. Above all, Israel must further reduce Palestinian political expectations, through withdrawal of recognition of the PLO, which would amount to a suspension of political relations with the Palestinian Authority."
The Daily Telegraph
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