The Art of Politics

The Hits Keep On Coming

Another one bites the dust...

Israel continued to hammer Hamas leadership in Gaza with a strike that killed another Hamas leader (is this an honorary position, because there seem to be as many 'leaders' as there are VP's at a large conglomerate).

It's become a familiar scene of late - a burned out car, a coffin carried through the streets, "God is Great", threats of revenge, yada yada yada. Lather, rinse, repeat. As Israel continues to gear up for a withdrawal from Gaza, the message from Israel, and by the US by proxy, is to change your behavior, or you will have a peace imposed on you, rather than negotiated by you. By marginalizing Arafat, the US has enabled Israel to bypass him as well, and will likely continue to do so until Arafat is out of the picture.

The Palestinians have yet to grasp that the US will allow Israel to impose a settlement far less lucrative than they might otherwise achieve at the negotiating table. The US focus on terrorism has reshuffled the deck, and the use of terror bombings to pressure Israel and carry weight at the negotiating table is now a handicap, not a benefit. The Palestinians may hold out for more, but the reality on the ground will dictate the terms, and the longer they dally, the less likely their hand will improve.

Time will legitimize the imposed Israeli partitions and policies - and time is weakening the Palestinians' hand.

Posted by MEC2 at May 29, 2004 10:33 AM