Breaking The Habit Of War

Small wonder that faith in the peace accord is dwindling. On the West Bank last week, opponents of the deal swept student elections at Bir Zeit University, an important barometer of Palestinian opinion. Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat sensed the political winds shifting, too; he joined Hamas (usually his radical foe) in calling for a three-day general strike after Aqal’s killing. Israeli support for the peace accord also seemed to fade. Palestinian guerrillas have attacked and murdered several Jews in the occupied territories since the signing, and Jewish settlers have responded with random assaults on Palestinians. A right-wing rabbi was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport last week, trying to smuggle in bomb-making equipment and silencers. just as the rampage in the Gaza Strip was subsiding, Israeli soldiers shot and killed another young Hamas leader in East Jerusalem. Both Jews and Arabs seemed to be making plans for more war, not peace.

Yasir Arafat and Prime Minister Yitzhak ,Rabin, who have staked their political futures on the deal they signed in Washington, split last week over how to keep it on track. On a fund-raising trip to Nordic countries, Arafat insisted that the only way to stop the violence is to quickly implement Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho. “This is my land; these are my people,” he said. “Everything will go smoothly.” But negotiations on the transition have bogged down over issues that bear directly on Israel’s security concerns. Both sides want control over border crossings in the new Palestinian zones, and Palestinian negotiators continue to demand a strict timetable for the release of jailed guerrillas. Declaring that the Dec. 13 deadline for the start of an Israeli pullout is “not sacred,” Rabin said that a delay might help the prospects for peace. “It is better to allot more time,” he told Israeli television, “and to know we have finished something over which there are no misunderstandings.”

Setbacks were bound to puncture the euphoria of two months ago, when cheering Palestinian throngs ran wild in the streets of Gaza and the West Bank celebrating the promise of self-rule. A new wave of hope could easily build again once Israeli troops pull back-and a promised infusion of foreign aid reaches the poverty-stricken territories. Meantime, both Israelis and Palestinians have been reminded that Arafat will have his hands full with would-be martyrs. Before his death, Aqal was quoted as saying that he hoped “to go to paradise by being killed by Israeli soldiers.” His many admirers believe that dream came true. And they are dreaming, too.

PHOTO: “Everything will go smoothly’: Israeli soldiers chase Palestinian boys in Gaza (PATRICK BAZ–AFP)

Subject Terms: AQAL, Imad ; ARAFAT, Yasir ; ISRAEL-Arab conflicts – Peace ; RABIN, Yitzhak ; VIOLENCE – Middle East