Sharon flails out

The Israeli strike against what it claimed were Palestinian bases near the Syrian capital Damascus was unjustifiable. The bases turned out to be long-abandoned traning camp of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- General Command. Hardly surprising, then, that Israel has failed to produce a shred of evidence linking the area to Palestinian suicide bombers.

Israel's leaders are well aware that the operational decisions of Palestinian groups take place in Israeli occupied Palestinian land, not in Syria.

Israel wanted to provoke Syria into retaliation. The Israeli strike was loaded with symbolism: it was certainly no coincidence that Israel struck on the 30th anniversary of the 1973 October War. It was the act of a prime minister, Sharon, and a government that is utterly bankrupt when it comes to securing peace.

It was only when the entire Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt that peace with Egypt was secured. Similarly, it will only be after Israel pulls out of occupied Syrian territory that a peace deal with Syria can be clinched. Air raids on supposed Palestinian targets in Syria are not -- as Israel knows well -- any way to secure peace. But then it is increasingly obvious that peace is precisely what the present Israeli government does not want.

A military solution to the Middle East crisis will not work. The Palestinian perspective must be taken into account. Peace is a two-way process. No one party can dictate the terms of peace. The question of continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Syrian land has to be addressed. Israel must recognise the rights of the Palestinian people and will eventually have to return the Golan Heights to Syria if the region is ever to enjoy a lasting peace settlement.

Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 9 - 15 October 2003 (Issue No. 659)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/659/ed.htm