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Jewish World Review Sept. 16, 2005 / 12 Elul, 5765 What have we paid for with ‘Palestinian’ handouts? By Diana West
"Successful."
That is, something must have sweetened the deal to make
Israeli-Palestinian coordination on this territorial handover so
very ... How did Ms. Rice describe the dynamic that led to the flags
of jihad terrorism being hoisted into a sky darkened by burning
synagogues?
"Effective."
Successful and effective? Not everyone's first reaction, but maybe
it all depends on what Ms. Rice was hoping for. The fact that
burning synagogues failed even to singe the Secretary of State's
assessment of diplomatic success and effective statecraft is nothing
less than chilling. But maybe it reflects our arrival at a cold, new
reality that calls into question administration attitudes toward
longstanding American motives and goals in the Middle East.
Since the Oslo "peace process" began in 1993, Palestinians have
received more than $1.5 billion from the United States — more aid,
as the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out in August, than from any
other single country. Not that other countries, mainly European
ones, haven't been generous. The Atlantic Monthly's David Samuels
tallied up post-Oslo P aid at $7 billion, estimating that as much as
half of that money was siphoned off by Yasir Arafat and his cronies.
Still the bucks flow. This year alone, the Chronicle reported, the
United States will double last year's $275 million PA aid package,
paying out $550 million (not including the $50 million handed out in
May, as near as I can tell). In July, even as jihadis struck the
London Underground, the Group of Eight countries couldn't pile up
money for the PA fast enough, agreeing by 2008 to present its
government — which by then could very well include
landslide-elected terrorists from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeda,
whatever — with $9 billion.
(According to the Chronicle article, Arab financial support is,
alas, rather skimpy, amounting to some Egyptian materiel —
ammunition, trucks and whatnot. Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas, the paper reports, "will seek to rally Arab financial
support" in the fall. Maybe the price of Arab oil is too low for
Arab aid to flow.)
They say you get what you pay for. But what exactly have we paid
for? As recently as Sept. 2, according to Palestinian Media Watch,
the PA's "Voice of Palestine" was sermonizing against "heretical"
America, exhorting the Muslim faithful to attack Americans in Iraq
— just the latest instance of anti-U.S. propaganda carried on
PA-run radio. A few weeks ago, the PA's so-called Ministry of
Culture released its "Book of the Month," a collection of poetry
honoring murder-bomber Hanadi Jaradat. This "Rose of Palestine"
killed 29 Israeli Jews and Arabs at a crowded Haifa eatery in
October 2003, back when such carnage was still shocking. Palestinian
Media Watch also noted a PA government newspaper report about female
Hamas terrorists — photographed holding American-made automatic
rifles.
All of which should make us wonder: Have we paid for a "peace
process," or have we financed holy war (jihad)? Have we supported a
"peace partner"? Or have we just helped create a terrorist state?
Time, maybe a very short time, will tell what already seems clear —
except to our secretary of state. Or so I wish. That is, I wish it
were myopia alone that had brought us to this not-so-pretty pass. It
could be, however, that with the rise of Condoleezza Rice, the
current Bush administration now reflects the re-ascendance of the
old Bush-Baker-Scowcroft school of foreign policy Arabism.
That would explain the distressing symbolism in the State
Department's apparent snub of Israeli offers of aid in the early
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as reported by the news Web site
World Tribune.com. Certainly, State Department spokesmen have quite
remarkably omitted Israel's name when ticking off countries
participating in the relief effort. By now, the United States has
received offers of assistance from Israel as well as Arab countries,
the latter diplomatically elevated by silence on the former. In the
strange, subtle (and not-so-subtle) world of diplomacy, the American
cold shoulder "alarmed" Israeli diplomats "concerned that their
country was being marginalized," World Tribune.com reported.
But why? Citing unnamed sources, the Web site wrote that "the
administration was concerned that (Israeli aid) would deter Arab and
Islamic countries from offering assistance." Frankly, if Israeli
participation is considered a deal-breaker, then nuts to Arab and
Islamic assistance. If we tolerate such bigotry — like burning
synagogues — our future, I am afraid, does not look very bright.
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JWR contributor Diana West is a columnist and editorial writer for the Washington Times. Comment by clicking here. © 2005, Diana West |
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