Thursday, July 18, 2002

This is straight out of an alternate universe. The Saudi Foreign minister says that Sharon has to go. For who, Barak or Rabin? Arafat had his chance with them, along with three decades worth of other prime ministers. He has fomented hatred and violence against them all. The Israeli people fairly and openly chose Sharon in response to the violence begun by Arafat's call for a second Intifada. If al-Faisal has a problem with that maybe he should consider the constant stream of threats, lies, hatred and support for the massacre of Israelis and Jews worldwide from Arafat, the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world.

''It must change by the Israelis themselves, those who want peace ... If the Israelis can stand firm for this peace, then they will achieve the security they need." ''If they leave it to Sharon, he will lead the Middle East only to tragedy and conflict,'' the minister added. ''He is a man who thinks still on the lines of Fortress Israel, that the only good Arab is a dead Arab, that Israel is facing enemies on all sides of its borders.

How he can with a straight face talk about a change in leadership among the Israelis is beyond me. When was the last time an Arab government changed hands in a democratic and honest non-violent manner? What does he know of democracy that he can try to preach it to the Israelis? That the reporters could contain their laughter in the presence of such laughable words is amazing. But then, most present probably agreed with him.

''He is a man of the 50s and 60s. Unfortunately he is determining the fate of the Israelis in the new decade.''

And, in what decade (or century, for that matter) is the Saudi leadership living?

''(He[Sharon] thinks) that an Arab when he says peace he means peace that will finally end in driving all Israelis into the sea, that the only security for Israel is to rely on its arms and the relationship with the United States,'' he said. ... Prince Saud...said that all Palestinian factions, including the radicals Islamists in Hamas and Islamic Jihad, were working on a cease-fire in their conflict with Israelis. ''They are all working on a paper that has all the conditions that they will subscribe to for stopping the fighting,'' he said, without much elaboration.

The day that these groups, and the PA for that matter, remove the part in their charters that call for the extirpation of Israel and stop open calling for this on TV and in print and stop teaching it to their children, al-Faisal can say that Sharon is deluded in beleiving that the Arab world wants Israel and the Jews completely destoyed. Until then the truth is that this is precisely their goal and they admit it openly everywhere you look and listen.

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