Hi balo,

Nice history you compiled there. I'd just like to add a few more points. The Arab countries are fond of saying that Israel is oppressing the Palestinians, but they don't like to admit what they do to the Palestinians. They have Palestinian populations too (especially Jordan) and they keep them in refuge camps instead of assimilating their "Arab brothers." (Granted the Palestinians can cause trouble even for Arab countries. The Palestinians in Jordan tried to overthrow King Hussain.) The Arab countries like to have a "downtrodden" Palestinian population to show the cameras because it engenders sympathy (both at home and worldwide) and helps keep their people's attention away from their own atrocities. ("Don't look at what we're doing... See these poor Palestinians? It's Israel's fault. Yeah, that's it.")

Arafat has continually been given increasingly generous peace deals (some might even call them too generous), but his idea of negotiation seems to be: Always hold out for more. When Israel offered the West Bank, he wanted half of Jerusalem or no deal. So Barak offered half of Jerusalem (a wildly unpopular move) and Arafat said "I want Right of Return or no deal." (Even though most of the "Palestinians" who'd be returning never lived in Israel/Palestine.)

And while Arafat was talking peace in English (for American/European audiences), he was talking terrorism in Arabic (for his own people). Arafat's only out for Arafat and is only concerned with keeping himself in power. He knows fully well that if he were to make peace with Israel and/or really denouce terrorism, he'd become a target for the terrorists (who'd try to overthrow him).

I don't agree with what Israel has been doing 100% but I really don't think they had many attractive options. It seems a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils (possible civilian Palestinian deaths in a terrorist crackdown or definite civilian Israeli deaths in more suicide bombings) and I don't envy the choices Sharon has to make.