8 - 14 February 2001
Issue No.520
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 8 - 14 February 2001 Issue No.520 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
The message is murder
The landslide victory achieved by right-wing Likud leader Ariel Sharon in Tuesday's elections sent a clear signal to the Arabs: Israelis do not seem ready for peace. Ehud Barak, elected two years ago on the strength of his promises to conclude peace with Israel's neighbours, not only failed to deliver, but left a trail of bloody footprints behind him as he quit his office. He is the one who ordered the Israeli occupation forces to put down the second Palestinian uprising with the greatest possible brutality.
Hopefully, Barak in turn heard the message sent to him by Palestinians living in Israel: you cannot kill our families and expect us to vote for you. On the other hand, the mere mention of Ariel Sharon's name is sufficient reason for most Arabs to doubt deeply that peace can be reached anytime soon. The man is a symbol only of wars and massacres in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. In many Arab newspapers, his name is always preceded by the title "murderer of Sabra and Shatila."
Like his fellow Likud extremists, such as former prime ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Binyamin Netanyahu, Sharon will have to face certain realities after taking office. He in turn will have to admit that the Israeli people have no choice but to reach agreements with neighbouring Arab countries, based on Security Council resolutions and the principle of exchanging land for peace.
Peace will not be achieved by threats of war, no matter what Israelis seem to think. Most Arab governments are expected to show considerable restraint if confronted by the provocative tactics of the new Israeli premier and his team of extremist, right-wing bruisers. Clearly, one of the first tests of credibility the new US administration faces will be threats from Israel to regional security.
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