Author: Aaron Lerner
Publication: Independent Media
Review Analysis
Date: June 3, 2003
Israel Television Channel Two News
correspondent Ehud Yaari showed a tape this evening of the meeting Yasser
Arafat held in Ramallah with children to mark International Children's
Day.
Arafat devoted his remarks to encouraging
the children to be "shahid" (die for the cause), noting that one shahid
who dies for the sake of Jerusalem has the power equal to 40 of the enemy
dying.
Yaari noted that Arafat said nothing
in his remarks about peace or reconciliation.
Many in Israel do not expect anything
Arafat says or does to have an impact on the standing of Arafat's junior
partner, Abu Mazen, vis-a-vis the Americans. In fact, paradoxically, the
more active Arafat is in calling for terror and violence - and even organizing
terror attacks, the more Abu Mazen will be seen by the Bush team as a victim
of Arafat who must be supported by Israeli concessions so that one day
he can finally dethrone Arafat (and in the meantime to be treated with
compassion - expected only to make some statements and photo-opportunities).
While the above scenario completely
contradicts Mr. Bush's "vision", it would appear that the Bush team has
locked onto Abu Mazen come-what-may.
And Abu Mazen knows it, as does
his boss - Yasser Arafat.
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Dr. Aaron Lerner is the Director
of the Independent Media Review & Analysis
