Another thought occurred to me—the Palestinians seem to have a history of picking the losing side in various conflicts. Remember their celebration and rejoicing when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990? They were joined by Jordan, Yemen, and Sudan, the only three nations that supported the Iraqi annexation. Of course, they were (and continue to be) rewarded by Iraq for their support; the odd thing is that the Kuwaitis are now siding with them as well.
And who can forget the images from Ramallah on September 11? There was dancing in the streets. That was a turning point for many Americans; people who had not "taken sides" one way or the other decided that the Palestinians were the enemy, regardless of who carried out the attacks. Rejoicing in the deaths of over 6000 innocents (later revised down to 3000) is repugnant, regardless of their nationality, religious affiliation, or political beliefs. I already supported the Israeli position, but the thought of Palestinians rejoicing while my sister (who worked in New York) was terrified fortified my resolve. The quick demise of the Taliban and the disruption (and eventual eradication) of Al Qaida would have been embarrassing for the Palestinians, if they stopped long enough to think about it. They were too busy building bombs to think about what their support of the largest terrorist act in world history had done to their reputation.
I think that the Palestinians have picked a losing side yet again by stepping up their attacks on Israel. This time, I don't think Israel will be brought to the bargaining table, unless it is set with the heads of the leaders of Fatah (Arafat), Hezbollah, and Hamas. Once these groups are destroyed, peace will be possible.
posted on April 05, 2002 03:08 PM
